There was no love lost in Philadelphia as the Eagles pieced apart this Bengals defense.
Getty
The Cincinnati Bengals is once again questioned after a rough Week 1 preseason performance.
Unfortunately for the Cincinnati Bengals, they were just six yards away from ending up on the wrong side of history. The reigning Super Bowl Champions trailed after the first quarter before coming back to win, 34-27.
Even with most of their star players on the bench, the Eagles managed to rack up 432 total yards. This is a Bengals defense that has been questioned for years, with Week 1 of the preseason not going according to plan.
Bengals Fans Question Defense After Giving Up Second Most Yards in a Preseason Game Under Zac Taylor
Heading into the 4th quarter, social media knew that there was a chance of making history. This Bengals defense had allowed 393 yards, the 4th most under head coach, Zac Taylor. The game ended just five yards short of tying the most allowed, 437.
393 yards allowed are fourth most in a preseason game under Zac Taylor.
Still a full quarter left. pic.twitter.com/cKa0mBKwib
— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) August 8, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
The Green Bay Packers set that mark on August 11, 2023. It’s a game the Packers won, 36-19. Scoring a similar number of points compared to the Eagles, it’s no surprise to see the record was set just two years ago.
With the ongoing Trey Hendrickson contract dispute, it’s clear this Bengals defense isn’t going to get any better. No matter how talented Shemar Stewart may be, no one comes close to the man that recorded 17.5 sacks the last two seasons.
Once Joe Burrow left the game, the Bengals were leading, 14-7. A 17 point second quarter for the Eagles sent them into halftime on top, 24-14. Even though Cincinnati scored 10 points in the 4th quarter, it wasn’t enough to tie the game.
300 of the team’s 432 yards came in the air. Tanner McKee looked incredible, going 20/25 with 252 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Philadelphia recorded nearly 100 more rushing yards than Cincinnati, outnumbering them 132 to 57.
Bengals Fans React to Preseason Week 1 Loss
Once again, the topic of discussion around Cincinnati is their defense. This fan included a gif as they said, “NFL watching Eagles practice squad cook Bengals first team defense.”
NFL watching Eagles practice squad cook Bengals first team defense pic.twitter.com/9txveNx66C
— Laz🇱🇷🦅 (@Lazerus) August 7, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
The Eagles won the Super Bowl last year for a reason. Their depth can no longer be questioned as it’s clear this Bengals defense has a long season ahead of them.
An Eagles fan commented, “Our backups just walked down the Bengals starting defense.” Zac Taylor made it clear he wanted to avoid a slow start this season which is why the starters made their presence known in Week 1.
A meme took center stage in this fan’s simple response, “The Bengals defense sucks.” Someone else added a video to their comment, “Bengals fans watching the same defense they saw all of last year…”
The Bengals defense sucks 💀 pic.twitter.com/JcpYUO8g1h
— Cam (@42Cyc) August 8, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
It’s been discussed at nauseum how bad the Bengals defense was last season. Every time Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase went out and made a play, they had no one to rely on but themselves. While those two certainly have what it takes to be in a shootout every single week, that’s not exactly ideal in the NFL.
Here’s 2:22 of Tanner McKee absolutely cooking the Bengals’ starting defense.
20/25
253 total yards
3 total TDs
135.3 passer rating pic.twitter.com/ggj4WoJxBu
— Brenden Deeg (@BrendenDeeg_) August 8, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
One individual made a highlight reel featuring McKee’s incredible performance against this Bengals defense. If their 2:22 video isn’t the focal point of Bengals film study this week, the team clearly doesn’t have their priorities straight.