Another week, another Cincinnati clunker.
This time, it was a 37-24 humbling at the hands of the Detroit Lions at Paycor Stadium.
Do not be fooled; that scoreline flatters Cincinnati. This one was over long before stand-in quarterback Jake Browning rallied with three late touchdown throws.
Afterwards, Browning and head coach Zac Taylor both took responsibility for the third straight loss, during which the team went 19 consecutive drives without a touchdown.
Yet it was the usual mix of soundbites and platitudes about protecting the ball better and having faith. Fine, whatever helps you sleep at night.
Flakey Jake
For me, this one falls squarely on the quarterback.
Three points on the board after three quarters, again. Three heinous interceptions, again, each more unbelievable and avoidable than the last. At one point, Ja’Marr Chase was tied for the team lead with three tackles, all on interceptions!
We are not talking unlucky bounces or miscommunication here. These were straight-up bad throws of the “shut your eyes and hope” variety.
Underthrown deep balls, late releases and, time and again, Browning locked onto his first read like it was written in his contract. He did not just telegraph his intentions; he provided newspaper ads, billboards and a social media campaign.
Lions barely break sweat
As well as the Lions defensive backs enjoying easy pickings, Aidan Hutchinson and the crew feasted on a Cincy offensive line that still cannot buy time.
On offense, Detroit only needed to keep things ticking over. Jared Goff was his usual efficient self, going 19-of-23 for 258 yards – almost 200 of those to Sam LaPorta and Amon-Ra St. Brown – and three touchdowns.
Back in his native city, David Montgomery did the most damage on the ground but also managed to throw a trick-play TD pass to tight end Brock Wright.
There was, at least, some fight from the home defense. Trey Hendrickson bagged two sacks, with Joseph Ossai and Myles Murphy also getting home. Yay, they won the sack battle 4-2!
But honestly, the boys in Honolulu Blue just waited for Cincinnati to self-destruct. Twice, they were handed very short fields: one within and one just outside the red zone.
The ugly truth is that the Bengals have been outscored by a scarcely believable 104-16 in the 11 quarters of football that preceded Sunday’s garbage-time rally.
You can only bend so far, and for so long, before something snaps. And something has broken.
Next man up?
Yes, Zac Taylor deserves scrutiny for his play-calling and game management. But Browning’s hesitancy and predictability keep undoing any fading hopes the Bengals have of staying competitive.
Joe Burrow’s shadow looms large over this team and Browning has not stepped out of it. His timing is off, his confidence is shot and that 2023 swagger has completely evaporated.
Maybe Browning’s fourth-quarter renaissance delays the axe for a week or two but a change at quarterback still feels inevitable, even though the options are grim. Third choice Brett Rypien is not the answer, and practice-squad fillers Mike White and Sean Clifford are exactly that.
I do not believe the solution is in the building so is trading for a veteran the answer? The NFL deadline for such a move is 4 November, which will be too late to save this season.
Kirk Cousins is not financially viable, Russell Wilson was bad enough to be benched by the Giants and Jameis Winston is as much a turnover machine as Browning. Even Andy Dalton would probably snub a return to the team that once released him on his birthday.
Regardless, the front office should have made some sort of move a week or two ago in case things went awry. They chose to do nothing and inevitably, things went south. So what now?
I confess, I cannot begin to guess. But what happens next will define the season, for better or worse.
The race is not yet run
The irony? Despite it all, the 2-3 Bengals still lead the Browns and Ravens in the fragile AFC North. In fact, the entire conference – with the Colts, Jaguars and Patriots among the pacesetters – looks strangely open this season.
If there was ever a time to get their act together, this is it. And make no mistake, this team still has the talent to compete. Chase proved it again with 110 yards receiving and two touchdowns, despite the ineptitude under centre.
Still, the interceptions, and the losses, keep coming. And unless someone can stem the flow soon, this patient is going to bleed out on the floor. The excuses are falling on deaf ears. Things need to change and fast, starting next week in Green Bay – gulp!
Because, like I said in last week’s article about supporting a bad team, doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is the definition of madness.
So come on, Bengals, make this madness end. Either help Jake Browning make this offense work or hand the reins to someone who can.
