Cincinnati Bengals Defense Earns Lowly Long-Term Status After Another Horrendous Performance

CINCINNATI — The Bengals are back in the defensive basement of the NFL, not just this season, but over the last three seasons in general. Joe Goodbery posted on X Monday morning that the Bengals are 30th in EPA per play on defense and 31st in opponents' success rate since the start of the 2023 season.

They cannot stop opposing attacks on a consistent basis, all across multiple groups of talent and two defensive coordinators. Goodberry also noted their abysmal tight end numbers, which have been a Bengals issue all decade, not just this season. Al Golden's defense is on pace to give up 179 targets, 128 catches, 1,647 yards, and 20 touchdowns to tight ends this season.

Just an astounding set of numbers from a position that's most often the third or fourth option in a passing attack. They let Josh Allen do whatever he wanted on Sunday, with four total touchdowns out of him and 6.9 yards per play in general from the Bills offense (328 total yards by Allen).

The Bengals are already easily the worst yards per play defense in the league at 6.3 allowed per snap. Somehow, on Sunday, they got worse, only for Zac Taylor to choose his defense trying to make a stop on the Bills' final drive over an onside kick chance.

At 6.9 yards per play, there is a ZERO PERCENT CHANCE you get a stop across three downs. The NFL onside kick recovery rate is 6% this season, still a way better chance than relying on this defense (the Bengals have one of the three recoveries).

"Get a stop, and we were right there in a position to do that and get the ball," Taylor said about his defense after the Bills' loss. "I felt much better about the decision than trying to get an onside kick. It was going to play out as we hoped. You held them to three yards on the first play and went to the two-minute warning, and we got the sack (by Stone) on the second play and called the timeout, and obviously, the third play is what it is. We got them against the chains and got them in a good spot, and they came through and made a play."

It all comes back to draft mismanagement, which ultimately lands on the Brown family at the top of the organization. They have final say in all the biggest roster decisions, and they are barreling towards seeing that power destroy another prime Joe Burrow season.

Cincinnati lost control of Allen on scrambles for two of the game's biggest plays, and the defense has largely lost this season in general.

"We have to be more intentional," said Bengals safety Jordan Battle after the Allen runs. "We know he's a big guy who is going to scramble if nobody is open. He's fast when he gets out, and you have to get him down any way."

The Bengals have a few more weeks to be "intentional" on defense before entering an offseason that could bring plenty of change (or little). Whatever they do, nothing seems to fix the Bengals' defensive issues this decade.

Fun while it lasted, but the Bengals defense is back to 32nd in EPA per play and 32nd in opponent's success rate. pic.twitter.com/xzMausuo7P
— Goodberry (@JoeGoodberry) December 8, 2025

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