The Story of the 2025-2026 Cincinnati Bengals

While the NFL and American Football in general are not very popular in the UK, Week four’s games have galvanised me into writing this article. The Cincinnati Bengals took another embarrassing loss, this time to the Denver Broncos, with a final score of 3-28. The Bengals scored their three points in the opening drive of the game, meaning the Broncos put 28 up on the tired team with virtually no opposition, and controlled 90%+ of the game.

It’s not that the Bengals are devoid of talent; but their superstar quarterback, Joe Burrow, got injured in the second game of the season. During the second quarter, Burrow was sacked and suffered a Grade 3 Turf Toe (think a tear of the Achilles tendon, just for the toe, not heel). Burrow’s sack was not unusual-he is one of the most-hit quarterbacks in the league, and thus injuries follow. The Bengals’ backup quarterback, Jake Browning, was able to hold on and ended up winning, getting the team to 2-0 for the first time in seven years. Browning is no stranger to starting, because Burrow is no stranger to injuries. The starting quarterback has been injured before and was forced to miss a significant portion of two out of his five seasons in the sport. Now he’s missing a third, bringing his injury year percentage to 50%. He may be the first player to ever win the Comeback Player of the Year award three times.

[Burrow] is one of the most-hit quarterbacks in the league, and thus injuries follow

Burrow’s injury was followed by injuries from Tyreek Hill, Malik Nabers, and more, reigniting debate about the use of turf in stadiums, especially given that FIFA is replacing many NFL stadiums’ turf with grass for the World Cup, grass that will only be removed as soon as that competition is finished.

Now, while Browning may have beaten the Jaguars in his first game this year, he then proceeded to only put up 13 points across the next two games, with the Bengals falling to 2-2. He is not the only one to blame. The defence has allowed 76 points in that same time. So there’s a huge problem with the team, but what is it?

To explain this, we should look at this week’s game against the Broncos. The first drive went well for the Bengals. They moved the ball downfield using a good mix of passing and running. While they did not score a touchdown, Browning was never sacked against a team known for their defensive line, and they still scored a field goal. During the Broncos’ first drive, the Bengals’ defence forced a punt, and Browning took to the field again. On the second down, he threw a 22-yard pass to J’Marr Chase, which was incomplete due to pass interference. The Broncos were penalised and the Bengals gained 15 yards. That all sounds good—but there it started to unravel. Perhaps it was the incompletion, but the offence fell apart after. Browning only threw two passes longer than ten yards for the rest of the game, and one of them was for a meagre 12 yards. The longest run was less than 10 yards as well. The Bengals committed so many flagrant penalties and lost dozens of yards as a result. The easier the action was, it seemed, the more the Bengals messed it up.

It’s reminiscent of last week’s game against the Vikings as well, where, on the first drive, the Bengals’ defence allowed a touchdown with several long passes. The team just cannot come back from any sort of adversity. And even then, it’s not just the players. Some of the play calling has been absurd, like running down the middle on the 3rd and 15. And then trying it again one drive later. Every year Burrow is injured, calls mount for the firing of Head Coach Zac Taylor. This time, they’re louder.

The easier the action was… the more the Bengals messed it up

When you look at Burrow’s win/loss record, it’s not brilliant. But his individual stats are. And these games have shown he’s not only the leader of the team, but also its soul. Browning can’t revitalise the rest of the players after a bad play or drive like Burrow can. Even superstar receivers J’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins (who command league-wide high salaries) can’t do anything if Browning constantly runs it or throws interceptions.

The team needs Burrow back, but he will be out until December. Next week, they face the Detroit Lions, who are out for blood after a few recent failed Super Bowl runs. This almost inevitable loss will drop the Bengals to a losing record. Every week Burrow is out makes it harder for the team to make the playoffs. Every week, morale drops sooner. We can only hope that Browning, Chase, or Higgins gets the offense under control. There are many games between now and December, and the team needs a new leader and a new soul.

Image: All-Pro Reels via Wikimedia Commons