Poll Results: Bengals Fans Pessimistic About Defensive Outlook After Preseason Opener

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals are hoping their defense is much improved this season.

They brought in new defensive coordinator Al Golden to lead the defense. They also brought in some new faces, including veteran lineman TJ Slaton and rookies Shemar Stewart and Demetrius Knight Jr.

They're also hoping for young players like Dax Hill, DJ Turner II, Jordan Battle, Myles Murphy and Kris Jenkins to take a big step forward.

So how high is their ceiling?

We polled Bengals fans on X. Nearly 2,600 people voted. Almost half of them 48.4% believes the Bengals' defense will finish in the 11-16 range if they hit their ceiling. Nearly 40% (39.1%) think that the Bengals will finish in the bottom half of the NFL this season, even if they do reach their potential.

Five percent of fans think Cincinnati could finish in the top five and 7.6% believe they'll finish somewhere in the 6-10 range.

The defense got off to a rough start in the preseason opener against the Eagles. Their starters gave up 10 points on two drives and they were going against Philadelphia's backups.

"We're trying not to show a lot of what's going on, so we're trying to keep it as little as possible and let guys win some one-on-ones," Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said after the game. "And today there were a lot of 50-50 plays that I thought Philly made, especially early in the game that gave them some extended drives there."

It's worth noting that Dax Hill, Cam Taylor-Britt and B.J. Hill didn't play against the Eagles. Starting safety Geno Stone got hurt after a few plays.

They're obviously without Trey Hendrickson, who is at team facilities for training camp, but hasn't practiced due to his contract situation.

The defense is hoping to rebound and build some confidence in preseason game number two. They travel to Washington to play the Commanders on Monday night.

Check out the full poll results below:

If the Bengals’ defense hits their ceiling this season, where will they finish in NFL rankings/points allowed?
— James Rapien (@JamesRapien) August 8, 2025

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