Cincinnati Bengals Defense is One of Worst Ever, and That's Not Hyperbole; the Numbers are Damning

CINCINNATI – To say the Cincinnati Bengals have one of the worst defenses in NFL history is no longer hyperbole or anecdotally reactionary in the wake of another terrible loss.

The data exists.

And the Bengals aren’t too far away from eliminating the “one of” qualifier.

First-year coordinator Al Golden’s unit has allowed 300 points through the first nine games.

The Cincinnati Bengals now have the second-worst defense through 9 games by DVOA, since 1978. Only the 1979 49ers were worse.

Part of the issue: the Bengals have actually played one of the easiest schedules of opposing offenses. pic.twitter.com/vcKteBd4dA
— Aaron Schatz 🏈 (@ASchatzNFL) November 3, 2025

Since the 1970 merger, only the 2012 Tennessee Titans have allowed more total points through the first nine games (308).

To put that in further context, the Bengals rank second out of 1,669 teams in most points allowed at this point in the season.

Cincinnati as a franchise, by the way, appears on the list four times in the top 26 (the 2018 team gave up 288 points, ranking tied for 13th; and the 1985 and 1999 teams gave up 278, tied for 25th).

The record for most points allowed through the first 10 games is 339 by the 1981 Baltimore Colts.

If the Bengals allowed 40 against the Pittsburgh Steelers after the bye, the mark will be theirs.

Allowing 300 points through nine games comes out to 33.3 per contest.

That puts the Bengals on pace to tie the post-merger record, which the 1981 Baltimore Colts own with 33.3 points per game allowed in a 14-game season.

And if you want to go all the way back to the start of the NFL in 1920, those 33.3 points allowed per game would rank 13th worst, trailing only some of the most obscure franchises the game has ever seen.

Such as the Tonawanda Kardex, Muncie Flyers, Rochester Jeffersons and Louisville Brecks.

Super Bowl era is 1966-present

Post-merger is 1970-present

But full NFL history goes back to 1920.

And the 2025 #Bengals are among the worst EVER in points allowed per game. pic.twitter.com/mtXxETMJst
— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) November 3, 2025

Where the 2025 Bengals’ rot really shows is late in games.

The Cincinnati defense has allowed 89 fourth-quarter points through nine games.

Only four of the previous 1,669 teams have given up more:

2020 Seahawks (100)

2016 Falcons (98)

2015 Raiders (93)

2024 Ravens (93)

Those Seattle and Baltimore teams won their division. And Atlanta made the Super Bowl.

In the last four games alone, the Bengals have given up 70 points in the fourth quarter.

Only the 2022 Colts (77) and 1978 Browns (75) allowed more.

The Bengals have allowed 117 second-half points in the last five games.

In any five-game span, only the 2012 Bills have given up more (118).

The NFL started tracking points per drive in 2000.

With 2.93, the Bengals have the highest YPD allowed through the first nine games of a season.

Only the 2020 Lions finished the year with a higher number (2.95).

The NFL started tracking points per drive in 2000.

Yep, the 2025 #Bengals defense is the worst through the first 9 games of a season. pic.twitter.com/w8QJv018va
— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) November 3, 2025

What about yards allowed?

Glad you asked.

The 3,839 yards the Bengals have allowed are the seventh most through the first nine games since the 1970 merger.

But they are only the third most by a Cincinnati team in the last eight seasons.

The 2018 Bengals are second on the list with 4,091, and the 2019 Bengals are fifth (3,865).

The 2012 Saints allowed the most with 4,224.

It’s easy to see what Bengals head coach Zac Taylor admitted after Sunday’s loss that he doesn’t know if this defense can be fixed.