Cincinnati Bengals Graded Among AFC's Worst Teams Across First Half of 2025 Season

CINCINNATI — The Jets, the Raiders, the Dolphins.

That's the company Cincinnati is keeping midway through the 2025 NFL Season. Sports Illustrated's Matt Verdarame gave out report cards for every AFC team halfway through the season, and all four of those teams received "F" grades.

The only way things could be going worse is if they didn't trade for Joe Flacco. That move has been a smash hit, but little else has worked out.

"This has been a disastrous season for the Bengals," Verdarame wrote. "Once again, Joe Burrow was lost for the year, this time with a turf toe injury. It’s the third time since being drafted in 2020 that Burrow needed to go on injured reserve with a season-ending ailment.

"However, this grade isn’t only about Burrow. The Bengals ranked 25th in points and yards allowed in 2024. As a result, they fired coordinator Lou Anarumo, who has enjoyed success with the Colts. His replacement, Al Golden, has watched the Jets and Bears each hang more than 500 yards on his defense the past two weeks, with the unit ranking dead last in yards (426.6) and points (33.3) surrendered per game."

Burrow isn't technically out for the season, but it would be malpractice to bring him back in the final two weeks of the season unless Cincinnati's somehow gone 5-1 down the stretch to have a shot at 10-7 overall.

That's the likely record any team hunting the final wild card spot will have to hit this season. Cincinnati would have to win 4-5 games in a row at some point down the stretch here; they can't even string three wins together this season with Joe Flacco playing better than he has at any other point this decade.

The Bengals currently hold a 6.3% chance to make the NFL playoffs, according to ESPN's Football Power Index. It would be the eighth time in the past 10 seasons they've watched the postseason at home if they don't pull off a miracle.

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