That was basically the same Bengals-Steelers game I’ve been watching for (seemingly) my entire life. The Bengals kept things close for a while in Sunday’s dispiriting 34-12 loss in Pittsburgh, their defense playing halfway decently for once as if angered by the mere sight of black and gold. Inevitably, though, they got pushed around on both sides of the ball, committed a couple of back-breaking turnovers that became points for Pittsburgh, and wound up wearing another defeat at the hands of their hated rivals from Western PA.
Same old, same old. Except for the spitting. That was new.
Ja’Marr Chase unleashing a loogie on Jalen Ramsey was reprehensible, no matter how much Ramsey may have deserved it or the idea that players do it much more than we know. (Giants legend Mark Bavaro once got pissed at Phil Simms in 1986 for calling a victory formation because he wanted to exact more physical revenge on an opponent who spat in his face.) Chase giving it the “Who are you gonna believe, me or your lyin’ eyes?” treatment even after clear video of Uno’s saliva emerged was even worse. This, I’ll remind you, from a player who’s looked to as a leader and who earns more money than anyone on the team save Joe Burrow.
Instead, he now becomes the Bengals’ Hawk Tuah Guy. Chase was suspended for this week’s game against New England, and rightfully so.
As a microcosm of a depressing, frustrating, there-is-no-bottom season, it serves quite well. Sunday’s “Ben-Gay Bowl, Part II” was what we should have expected from a battle between ancient quarterbacks Joe Flacco and Aaron Rodgers. Their first encounter in Cincinnati was played in prime-time on a perfect evening, and both rose to the occasion. This time, on a cold and blustery Sunday afternoon at the confluence, neither looked particularly keen on being out there.
Flacco, already nursing a shoulder injury, took a borderline (and uncalled, since this is the Bengals/Steelers) late hit from T.J. Watt and was basically useless thereafter. Cincinnati’s lone TD came on a broken play with Tee Higgins easily beating (checks notes) Jack Sawyer in coverage. Yes, that Jack Sawyer, Buckeye legend and would-be Bengal. He’s been decent with Pittsburgh in his rookie season, but covering wideouts 20 yards downfield is not in his remit.
Otherwise, the Cincinnati attack—which averaged nine points per quarter since the halftime in Green Bay—went mostly in reverse.
Meanwhile, Rodgers was knocked from the game entirely with a broken bone in his left (non-throwing) hand, courtesy of an actual pass rush, which is sightly akin to a Yeti sighting around BengalLand these days. On a day when the front was without Trey Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart, Myles Murphy responded with the best outing of his young career by far, even with the caveat that Pittsburgh’s O-line isn’t great. Rodgers was harried and tentative, carried by his running backs on the initial TD drive and committed to getting the ball out of his hand as quickly as he could.
I for one was less than sanguine when he failed to return after getting injured. Mason Rudolph isn’t a great player, but he’s a competent backup who has had some moments, particularly in 2023 when he led a late Steelers drive to the postseason (and was solid if not good enough in a playoff loss to K.C.). And, like so many mediocre Steelers, he’s been an All-Pro against the Bengals, now 5-1 with well over eight yards per attempt in his career when facing the Stripes. Losing to Rudolph isn’t quite as nauseating as losing to Kenny Pickett or Duck Hodges or some of the other non-entities who have beaten the Bengals while in Pittsburgh over the years.
Still, watching Rudolph throw dump-off passes on third-and-longs, the modern equivalent of a give-up draw play, and seeing them repeatedly turn into first downs because of Cincinnati’s non-existent defense was hair-tearing stuff. It was bad enough in the first half to watch Steelers tight end/tackle/competitive eater Darnell Washington toss three Bengals out of the club en route to a long gain on a short pass that set up a field goal. With the contest still there to be won, Pittsburgh converted three third-and-longs and a first-and 23 with contemptuous ease on plays designed merely to save face. All of the Bengals’ good early effort on defense was thus rendered meaningless by the usual mixture of inept tackling, poor angles, and yawning lacks of awareness and desire.
It usually takes games against Pittsburgh, the original Team That Steroids Built, to highlight just how physically weak the Bengals often seem in contrast to their opponents. This particular team is among the puniest of Bengals entrants I can recall, and considering they’ve been getting sand kicked in their faces for well over half a century now that’s a sad statement. This group seems to consider the weight room merely as a place to hang their laundry.
Remember when Cincinnati was 3-4 and optimism abounded? That ship not only sailed but has foundered on a reef. After their third straight defeat, the Bengals sit at 3-7, postseason dreams diminished, Burrow’s potential return now draped in “what’s the point?” hopelessness, and all eyes cast on Zac Taylor, Al Golden, Duke Tobin, and the vultures circling over their carcasses. With 9-2 New England on deck, a pair of games with resurgent Baltimore after that, and little to play for beyond professional pride—of which this group has displayed very little—a truly disastrous final record is in the offing.
In some ways, having Burrow return (perhaps as soon as Sunday, given that he’s been practicing) might be the best thing for those who want a housecleaning at season’s end. That way, Taylor in particular won’t be able to play the “Well, we didn’t have Joey Franchise all season, what’d ya expect?” card to full effect. Should Burrow get back and play the remaining games and the results continue to be poor, Taylor will have a hard time surviving, and his staff will largely depart as well. Tobin is another case, and the systemic problems won’t be cured merely by canning the head coach. But after seven seasons and on a terrible downward trajectory, a change would probably be in the offing in the front office too.
But that’s getting ahead of ourselves, and future columns. For now, does Cincinnati have any chance of beating the Patriots? New England is in much the same position as the 2021 Bengals were, with a franchise QB in his second (cheap) season and a defense larded with good free agent pickups. As with our heroes from the Super Bowl run, it’s happening much faster than most people expect in Foxborough, and under Mike Vrabel the Pats play tough and conservative and seldom beat themselves. Their record is a bit inflated by a shoddy lineup of opponents, but then again the Bengals fit right in to that group.
New England’s defense isn’t as bad as Cincinnati’s, which is now the single-worst of the DVOA era through 10 games at 30.3%. (Remember, the higher the number the worse the D.) But the Patriots haven’t been good—they’re 29th overall at 11.4%, a figure almost entirely attributable to the passing defense, as their run defense has been sturdy. (Stud N.E. tackle Milton Williams will miss the game with an injured ankle, FYI.)
Burrow’s status remains unclear at press time; regardless, one has to account for rust in his game. If Chase were playing, the Bengals would have their usual puncher’s chance and at least would figure to be competitive. But unless Andrei Iosivas or Mitchell Tinsley can step up and provide some explosiveness, the offensive attack figures to struggle regardless of quarterback.
As for Drake Maye and the fourth-ranked passing attack by DVOA going against Cincinnati’s D, the less said the better. Hendrickson and Stewart won’t be out there again, and the remainder of the unit seems mentally ready for offseason golf outings and it isn’t even Thanksgiving yet.
On the subject of turkey, let’s reconvene a day early next week because of the holiday.
Robert Weintraub heads up Bengals coverage for Cincinnati Magazine and has written for The New York Times, Grantland, Slate, and Deadspin. He guests on Mo Egger’s radio show every Thursday in the 4 p.m. hour. Follow him on X at @robwein.