Stop us if you’ve heard this before: the Cincinnati Bengals defense is not good. And, in the final game before the trade deadline, the Bengals have an opportunity against the Chicago Bears to either show they want to contend in the weak AFC North or if they will sell off pieces to rebuild. While the likelihood of a Bengals trade one way or another is slim, for better or worse, this week’s game could be a deciding factor for the Bengals’ season.<\/p>\n
At 3-5, the Bengals are second in the AFC North, now tied with the Baltimore Ravens (who started 1-5). A win over the Bears before the bye keeps the Bengals afloat. With the division-leading Pittsburgh Steelers on a two-game slide and hosting the 7-1 Indianapolis Colts, Cincinnati can get to the bye just a half-game back.<\/p>\n
In front of them is the Bears, a 4-3 team that has been up and down thus far this year. The Bengals’ best defender, Trey Hendrickson<\/a>, is doubtful for the game as of Friday. If he cannot go, the onus is on the Cincinnati defense not to lose the game as it did against the New York Jets.<\/p>\n It’s been well established to this point that Hendrickson is the extent of the Bengals’ pass rush. Even with him, the Bengals have the worst scoring defense and worst total defense. Following the loss, the defense had a players-only meeting. In the wake of that meeting, McKinnley Jackson<\/a>, a third-round pick from the 2024 class, requested a trade. Considering the fact that he’s been a healthy scratch all year and hasn’t seen the field despite how poorly the unit has played, it’s unlikely other teams are clamoring for his services.<\/p>\n Against Chicago, pressuring Caleb Williams<\/a> will be the key. Without Hendrickson, the Bengals will have to find something from Myles Murphy<\/a>, Shemar Stewart<\/a>, and Joseph Ossai<\/a>. Considering that the trio has 3.5 sacks and six quarterback hits (compare that to Hendrickson’s 4.0 sacks and seven quarterback hits). Ossai leads the way with seven hurries and is second with 11 pressures. After him, there’s a wide gap between him and the next defender (Murphy with five).<\/p>\n With Murphy and Stewart continuing to be non-factors, it’s making fans think that the Bengals’ entire draft strategy is to pick players who they know won’t be good enough for second contracts. As nihilistic as that mentality is, it hasn’t been wrong. Outside of Joe Burrow<\/a> and Ja’Marr Chase<\/a>, how many first-round picks have been brought back on second contracts? Not many. There were a few in the prime Marvin Lewis<\/a> era, but other than that, a lot of strikeouts.<\/p>\nWith Hendrickson Doubtful, Cincinnati’s Defense is Against the Wall<\/h2>\n
Someone Please Step Up<\/h3>\n