The Cincinnati Bengals made a late season surge. They won their final five games to put themselves in position to be in the playoffs. It came down to the final weekend where the teams hopes were pinned on several scenarios. All the scenarios had to come true. They all did with the exception of one. As a result the late season surge was too little, too late. For the second straight season Cincy will be at home watching the playoffs.

Looking back on the 9-8 season, had just one of those losses been wins the Bengals would have had their chance to be in the playoffs. You could take your pick. I think the most devastating loss had to be the week 1 loss to the New England Patriots. Despite a first year now fired head coach of a team that went 4-13, the New England Patriots came to Cincy and upset the Bengals in week #1 16-10. The loss set the tone for a devastating start to the season. One the Bengals never did recover from.

There were some historically great performances from the Bengal  stars. The Bengal threesome of Jamar Chase, Joe Burrow, and Tre Hendrickson had seasons so elite it’s the first time any team had three players   lead the league in sacks, passing and receiving and not make the playoffs. The 2024 season will go down as one of the most bizarre seasons in Bengal history. Six of the eight Bengal losses ended in nearly identical fashion. Final minutes, nail biter, either team could win type losses.

If you had to point blame for the Bengals this season, you would likely point to the defensive side of the ball. At one point in the season the Bengals scored over 30 points in three straight games and still lost. The failures of the defense  ultimately cost the Bengals a playoff spot and cost defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo  his job. Several other position coaches were let go. Bengal owner Mike Brown traditionally is a loyal owner who seldom sends coaches packing. Brown sent a message at the conclusion of this season. He held  coaches accountable for the failings of the 2024 season and sent them packing.

At the start of next season Cincy will have a new offensive line coach and a new defensive coordinator.  Several decisions will have to be made during the off season. One thing is for sure. Cincy will have to shell out big $$ for Jamar Chase. Not only will Chase command big $, the team will also have to pay if they want to keep Chase’s side kick Tee Higgins.

Stay tuned, because the off-season may be every bit as interesting as was the regular season for the Bengals.

Feature Image: File photo

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     If you are a Cincinnati Bengal fan give yourself a round of applause. You’ve been through a meat grinder. Your patience has been tested, your heart has been broken, you’ve been absolutely overjoyed, and you now are at the point where you have to wait on glass and needles to see if your team will make the playoffs.

I guess it could be worse. You could be a fan of the New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, New England Patriots, or Jacksonville Jaguars.  All the aforementioned teams had very little winning in 2024 if any. All the teams will be rewarded for their losing efforts with a top pick in the 2025 draft. 

     Then you have the fans of the elite teams. Fans of the Chiefs, Bills, Lions, Eagles and Vikings. Some fans of those teams are actually plotting ways to call off work or play hookie from school to attend a possible Super Bowl parade. They all have a chance at the NFL’s highest team award. The Vince Lombardi Super Bowl Trophy.

Bengal fans are kind of in the middle of the pact. Cincy won’t have a top pick, but, sorry, we are not amongst the elite in the NFL this year. As a matter of fact, Bengal fans have to wait until week 18. That will be the final week of the NFL season to see if they even made the playoffs.  There simply has not been a season in more recent memory where fans were kept on the edge of their seat more than in 2024 in Cincinnati. Two games with Baltimore, Los Angeles, Washington and Kansas City. All went down to the final minutes. All ended up in Bengal fan disappointment with the Bengals losing. Had the team managed to win just one of the games, they would probably be solidified in the playoffs now.

The single biggest disappointment for the 2024 season will go down as the week 1 loss to the New England  Patriots. The Patriots had a brand new coach and are amongst the worst teams in the league. Somehow, the Bengals found a way to lose to the Patriots at home. Should the Bengals not make the playoffs, most fans will look back at the week 1 loss and point to the game as the one that did them in.    

     Despite the positioning, Cincy fans will get one last week of hope. One last week to dream of a magical run to the Super Bowl. A Cincinnati win, Denver loss, and Miami loss will mean a chance. Any other scenarios, fans can put the orange and black face paint away, hang up the Joe Burrow jerseys, and stop the Who Dey chants until the end of the summer of 2025.     

Feature Image: Bengals fans had something to cheer about in the home game here last Saturday as they defeated the Denver Broncos in overtime. Photo By Michael Mitchell

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      Let’s face it. The Bengal defense has a lot to be desired. A whole lot.  At times this season it looked as if offenses had zero obstacles. Just 11 men doing whatever they wanted, however they wanted, when they wanted. Other times the defensive unit showed flashes of a unit that had been at times dominant in recent years.

      Mike Hilton has spearheaded a resurgent Bengal defense. There are few players who’s career looked like it went from might-not-happen to solid. Hilton was one of those. After a stellar career at Ole Miss, Hilton bounced from Jacksonville to New England. Never really finding a place in either organization, the Pittsburgh Steelers came calling when the Fayetteville, Georgia, native finally found a permanent home. For four years Hilton was part of a solid Steeler defensive unit that was always in contention.

      Cincinnati knew they needed defensive backfield help. The Bengals would come calling on Hilton, signing him to a 4-year, 24 million dollar contract. The deal paid off on both ends for Cincinnati. In Hilton’s first year as a Bengal, he was part of a defense that lead the team to a Super Bowl. Last year in 2023, Hilton had his best season, recording 64 solo tackles along with 20 assists.

      In all honesty, 2024 has been an underwhelming year for Hilton and the Bengals squad. Even in the position the team is in at 7-8 the team still has a chance to make the playoffs. They will need to win the final two games and get assistance from other teams. Hilton has stepped up his play on defense as other players have followed suit. The Bengals have won three in a row. The latest victory was a 24-6 victory over the Cleveland Browns hjere Sunday. Hilton recorded sis tackles in the game against Cleveland. His total for 2024 is 43 solos with 19 assists. Hilton’s current pace would give him his best season yet. If the team is going to make a run, they will need the leadership and playmaking ability of Hilton to do so.

    Defensively, veteran Logan Wilson is gone for the season. Sheldon Rankins continues to miss games. Hilton has been there and done that. He’s experienced the highest of highs, and the lowest of lows in Cincinnati. The script is not finished for the 9-year veteran. Hilton’s future in stripes may yet to be determined. One thing is for sure.  The former Ole Miss Rebel would be hard to replace. It may be a road Cincinnati may not want to go down.

Feature Image: Mike Hilton, #21, of the Bengals tackles the Browns QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, #17, in the Cincinnati-Cleveland game here Sunday. Photo by Michael Mitchell.

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      If the Bengals didn’t have a high powered offense that can score on any team in the league you would almost have to wonder if Cincinnati would have won any games this season. Of the 32 total NFL teams, the Bengals rank 27^th amongst all. For a team that has been to two of the past three AFC Championships, this is not a good standing.

      This past weekend, the Bengals were able to soundly defeat the Tennessee Titans in Nashville. Let’s not get overjoyed. The  Titans are not setting the world on fire. Former Kentucky Wildcat star Wil Levis may as well have gift wrapped the game to the Bengals. It’s almost as if Levis was a Bengal, as he tossed three interceptions and was yanked out of the game for backup Mason Rudolph. For once, the Bengal defense created turnovers and enough stops to send themselves to a 37-27 victory and a 6-8 record.

      A win is a win. All wins count the same, all losses go against you. Cincinnati defeated one of the NFL’s worst teams. No surprise. They absolutely should have left with the victory. If the team is going to go anywhere or do anything, they will have to do it without key defensive starters. Logan Wilson is already out for the remainder of the 2024 season with a knee injury. Starter Sheldon Rankins continues to be out of the lineup as well. The defense as a whole has underachieved all season and failed to stop opponents at key times. Even if Cincinnati does manage to sneak into the playoffs, which at this point is a long shot, the flaws of the defense could easily be exposed by the Kansas Citys, Buffalos, and Ravens of the world.

      It wont be a major secret as to what the Bengals will need to shop for on the defensive side of the ball in the off season. Teams have gashed Cincy running the ball and passing in 2024. Yes, it’s truly nice to have a top three QB and receiver in the league. The Bengals have invested a ton of money in Joe Burrow. They are about to invest a ton of money in Ja’Maar Chase. They will likely make a market offer to Tee Higgins. But please. Somebody remind the person that passes out the dough for the Bengals that at some point you have to stop somebody from scoring. You need players. Good players. If the team doesn’t make signing some top defensive talent in the off season or hitting in the draft, this team will be right back where they were in 2024. Hoping and praying a combination happens so they get in the playoffs. Or worse…Totally out of contention.

Feature Image: File photo by Michael Mitchell

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      For the first time in over a month the Bengals won a football game. When you look back at the 2024 season  it’s been mostly a nightmare. Ever dreamed you were running from a monster, and no matter how good of a hiding place you think you have, he always finds you? That’s Bengals ’24. Games ending the same way.   Cincy battling it out with (you pick the team). Game comes down to the last minute. A missed field goal, …a missed tackle, …a missed extra point, …something, ..anything from keeping the Bengals out of the win column.

      For once the game came down to the end and the script was written differently. It was the Dallas Cowboys who this time have to have the nightmare of sayin, “If we’d have just done this, we’d have won.” 

     The Bengals were in deep trouble against Dallas late in the game. Dallas partially blocked a punt. A Cowboy player made the unforgivable mistake of touching the punt that went right into the Bengals hands. It was the Bengals two best players, the usual suspects of Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase that took care of the rest.   

    Burrow torched the Cowboy defense going 33-44 for 369 yards. Chase did his usual damage catching 14 balls for 177 yards.

     As sweet as the 27-20 victory over the Cowboys was, it still may be too little to late. Cincinnati is still on the outside looking in for the playoffs. Denver, Indianapolis, Miami and Cincinnati are all fighting for the seventh and final playoff spot. Unfortunately, Cincinnati has the longest odds of the four. Odds makers put the Bengals playoff chances at 3% to get in.  

     Remaining on the schedule are the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, and Pittsburg Steelers. It’s a bitter pill to swallow for the 513 team. If a win would have fallen this way or that way giving the Bengals one or two more wins, they could possibly be on the inside looking out. On the other hand the Bengal defense has been gashed this season. The defense was even gashed against the Cowboys. Rico Dowdle ran on the Bengal defense for 131 yards. Cincy had no answer for him.

      Well, at least for one day, Who Dey Nation got a chance to see a Bengal ending they’ve been accustomed to seeing so many times over the past 3 years. The Bengals finishing with a win. When the team looks back on the 2024 season, the one thing they can take into future seasons is what NOT to do. 

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     What’s that song?.. “I’ll be home for Christmas,..You can count on me”..I’d have to look up who sings it. But that’ll be the story of the 2024 Bengals. It appears for the second straight year. Cincinnati’s season will end the night of January 5 after the Pittsburg Steeler game. Speaking of the Pittsburg Steelers, this past weekend the Bengals lost to them for the 71st time in team history. A final 44-38 score likely put a clamp on any post season the Bengals had hoped to be a part of. 

     The Bengal offense has not been the problem. The Bengal offense, led by quarterback Joe Burrow, has had no problem scoring on any other team. The line has been anchored by offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. Brown has been solid when healthy. The big Bengal tackle has missed three games due to injury. 

     This time of year in Brown’s career he has had, for the most part, the playoffs to look forward to shining in. Brown started his career with the Baltimore Ravens in 2018. For three season, Brown Jr. spent time protecting two-time league MVP Lamar Jackson. He then went west to spend time protecting another MVP and three-time Super Bowl champion in Patrick Mahomes. At that time the Bengals needed a piece they could count on to protect QB Joe Burrow. Brown Jr. and the Bengals came to terms on a contract and the rest has been history. The problem is Brown has yet to taste the playoff success with the Bengals that he did with Baltimore and with Kansas City. As a matter of fact,..he has yet to reach the playoffs period in a Cincinnati uniform.

    It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone Brown Jr. has had this much success. In the late 1990s Brown’s father, Orlando Brown, spent time blocking Bengal defenders for the Cleveland Browns. Brown Sr. was involved in one of the most bizarre and tragic situations ever on a football field. As a referee threw a flag, the flag went right into the helmet and eye of Brown senior. The Browns lineman would have problems the rest o f his life with his eye. He would ultimately sue and win millions from the NFL over the incident.

     As for Brown Jr. He has carried on the legacy of his father. Brown was the two-time Big 12 offensive lineman of the year in college at Oklahoma. He has been a four-time pro bowler since coming to the NFL. Unfortunately, none of the accolades have come with the Cincinnati Bengals. Until the Bengals once again stand amongst the NFL’s best teams, players like Brown Jr. will be overlooked. Until then, all the mammoth 6’8,” 345-pound lineman can do is keep his man from tackling Joe Burrow, which for the most part he has done. 

Feature Image: Bengals offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. has been solid. He is shown blocking a Steelers’ player in Sunday’s game here against the Pittsburgh team. Photo by Michael Mitchell, The Cincinnati Herald

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By Conrad Clowers
Herald Sports Writer

      Halloween has now past. How apt is it that the Bengals have Halloween colors of orange and black? I don’t remember a time where Cincinnati has lost the same way so consistently. You may have a blowout here, nail biter there, just flat out bad day here,..and so on. Not the 2024 Cincinnati Bengals. In 6 of the7 Bengal losses it has come down to a critical end of the game possession, field goal attempt, or defensive stand.  Instead of being 6-0, 5-1, or 4-2  Cincy is ooooh and 6. The Bengals have not come through once, nada, zero, zilcho. Baltimore (twice), Kansas City, Los Angeles, Washington, and New England  have ended practically the same way.

      Cincinnati is not mathematically eliminated. But they may as well be. At 4-7 the best the team could end the season is 10-7. Even with a 10-7 record they would have to need help in getting in. Cincinnati has not beaten one team with a winning record in 2024. Not one. Victory has come over Carolina, NY Giants, Cleveland Browns, and Las Vegas Raiders. One would have to look at what is the problem?. Why can’t the Bengals beat good teams? It was just three seasons ago the Bengals had a mojo that carried in critical games en route to a Super Bowl appearance.

      Much of the problem is defensive personnel, defensive schemes, offensive breakdowns, and special teams blunders. Bengals coach Zac Taylor, the ever positive Bengals coach, continues to put positive spins on the Bengals 2024. “I know this team. They have a lot of fight in them. They don’t qui,” said Taylor. The team may not quit physically, but mentally the critical errors at the worst time have doomed this season.      

     Cincy has six more attempts to get it right. They will have 2 weeks to absorb the loss to the Chargers. A bye is up next for the team. They will go on the home stretch of 2024 with the Steelers, Cowboys, Titans, Browns, Broncos, and finish with the Steelers. Fans may be getting their final glimpse of the core Bengals that went to the Super Bowl. Several contracts are up that could field a drastically different Bengal team in 2025. Maybe that’s a good thing. No matter what the personal, it can only get better. It can’t get much worse.

The post Snake-bit Bengals nightmare season continues appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

It happened again. The Bengals have now lost six games. Five of the six games were in nightmare fashion. By nightmare fashion, the opportunity was there for the taking. All the Bengals had to do to win was one small thing or another. Instead, defeat was snatched from the jaws of victory.

The latest episode was a loss at Baltimore. Nearly a carbon copy of what happened a month before Cincinnati when had a chance to win at the end. Last month a muffed field goal was the downfall. This past week a failed two point conversion did the Bengals in.

Here’s where things stand. The Bengals are currently 4-6. They have seven games left to play in the 2024 season. They are currently four games behind the Steelers and three games behind the Ravens. They have now been swept by the Ravens and are 1-2 in the division. Left on the schedule are the Steelers (2 games), LA Chargers, Broncos, Browns, Titans and the Cowboys. Likely the team will have to win the remaining games to make the playoffs. Is that possible? Yes. The Bengals are capable of winning seven straight games. None of the seven teams are playing unbeatable football.

What hurts so bad about the 2024 season is this. The Bengals have some players playing at an elite level to carry the team to a championship. Joe Burrow is playing as well as any quarterback in the league. He is among the league leaders in nearly every quarterback stat. Ja’Marr Chase is at the same level among wide receivers, as he is playing at an elite level and among the leaders in the league. At present, Chase has 66 catches for 981 yards this season.

Trey Hendrickson leads the league in sacks with 11. He is on a pace to possibly break the Bengal all time season record for stats. Despite three players on pace for record setting seasons, the Bengals’ sub-mediocre season could ultimately be a waste of something   special.

The Bengal defense has been one of the worst in the league. This past week quarterback Lamar Jackson led the Raven offense to multiple touchdown drives in a row in a 35-34 victory. The defense was so bad head coach Zac Taylor decided to try and win the game on a 2 point conversion as opposed to having faith in his defense and simply tie the game, playing to stop Jackson. The best chance at the playoffs is offensive shootouts for the Bengals. Anything less than the offense scoring 30 plus points in a game will likely result in more Bengal losses.

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No, Evan McPherson is not going to throw a touchdown pass. That’s Joe Burrow. He’s not going to catch a touchdown pass. That’s Ja’Marr Chase. He not going to get a sac or intercept a pass. That’s Trey Hendrickson and Cam Taylor Britt. No position in football is more important and least important than the kicker. They only come on the field to kickoff and to try field goals. That’s it.

Let’s just be honest. Evan McPherson has been single-handedly responsible for Bengal wins and Bengal losses. It was McPherson’s pressurized 31-yard kick in the 2022 AFC Championship that sent the Bengals to their first Super Bowl in more than 30 years. McPherson had been so accurate he is nicknamed ‘money’ Mac. McPherson gained a reputation at the University of Florida for being able to accurately kick the long field goals. The reputation was well earned. In 2021 the money man made 9 out of 11 kicks from 50 plus yards. He was 5 of 5 in 22, 7 of 12 in 23, and 3 of 6 thus far this season.

No player can be more beloved or loathed than the kicker. In 1991 the Super Bowl was on the line. The Buffalo Bills trailed 20-19 with a few second left. Scott Norwood missed a game ending 47-yard field goal that would have given the Bills the title. Norwood received reported death threats for missing the kick. This is how seriously people take their football. 

As of late McPherson has not been as accurate as he normally is. He presently is in the midst of his lowest field goal made percentage at 76.5. The Florida product missed a game winning field goal in overtime in a critical divisional matchup against the Baltimore Ravens back on October 6. The miss was not totally McPherson’s fault as the hold was botched. Nevertheless, like a QB throwing an interception, the only thing that will be remembered is the kick was missed by McPherson.

Right now Justin Tucker of the Baltimore Ravens is the gold standard of field goal kickers in the NFL. Tucker is likely a sure fire hall of famer. Tucker has played since 2012 and has career accuracy of 89.7. It remains to be seen if McPherson will be in the NFL after 15 seasons. He is well on his way though. Money Mac is already thought to be one of the best Bengal kickers in history. Some of the greats include Jim Breech, Dough Pelfrey, and even goes back to the 70s with kicker Horst Muhlmann. The McPherson saga is still being written. Hopefully it will end up between the goalpost.

The post ‘Money’ Mac wanting the distance appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

There’s two positions the Cincinnati Bengals have had tons of historical success in drafting and developing. One is running back. From the days of Essex Johnson and Jess Phillips in the 70s to present day Chase Brown, the Bengals have had explosion in the backfield. Another undeniable position is the wide receiver room. Isaac Curtis was the Bengals first explosive wide receiver in the 1970s. So many have followed. Chris Collinsworth in the 80s, Carl Pickens in the 90s, Chad Ocho Cinco in the 00s, and A.J Green in the 10s.

The aforementioned players were all pro bowlers and legends in stripes. It’s a new day and the Bengals have a receiver that may one day hold every Bengal receiving record kept. Ja’Marr Chase is quarterback Joe Burrows main go to receiver and biggest game breaker. This is Chase’s time. Chase was the worst kept secret in college. Both Chase and Burrow led the 2019 LSU Tigers to an undefeated 15-0 record and National Championship. Some say the 2019 was the greatest college team ever fielded. It was no secret that the Bengals salivated at the chance to grab Chase first in the 2021 draft. In 2019 Chase caught 84 passes for 1,780 yards for LSU. He didn’t play opting out in 2020 due to COVID. 

Since becoming a Bengal, Chase picked up right where he left off. He has averaged 1200 yards receiving since coming in to the NFL. Already the former LSU star has on his resume a rookie of the year 2021, second team all pro 2021, and a three-time pro bowler. 

The Bengals have gotten off to an underwhelming start to the 2024 season. They are currently 3-5 with nearly 50% of the NFL season complete. Their latest battle was a 37-17 blasting by the Philadelphia Eagles. Chase would get nine catches for 54 yards in the Bengal’s disappointing loss.

There’s one game where Chase is playing against the Bengals. This is on a new contract. The Bengals and Chase were at odds on a new deal. While Chase is currently around the 4-5 million dollar range per year he is seeking a considerable raise. Top receivers around the league are around the 25 to 35 million dollar per year mark. No deal got done in the off season. While one will inevitable get done likely in the off season one thing is for sure. Chase will deservedly end up being one of the top paid wide receivers in the league. Chase’s production on the field has warranted the big bucks. If this was 1971, the former LSU standout may be happy with $40,000 a year salary when the average was $26,000 for receivers. Unfortunately for the Bengals this is 2024. In the end Chase may end up getting $40,000 per play during a game. By all estimations, he is worth it.

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