Well, who would have ever thought that the Cincinnati Bengals would reach this point this season? The Bengals were major favorites, not only to win the AFC North but also to represent the AFC in Super Bowl 58. Unfortunately, that won’t happen as the Cincinnati Bengals have been eliminated from the playoffs. Not many people predicted this turn of events for the team this year, but several factors contributed to their season’s downfall. Among the issues faced by this team, three reasons stand out for why the Bengals did not make the playoffs.
3. The Slow Start to the season did not help the Cincinnati Bengals
Many analysts seem to have overlooked the fact that the Bengals had a slow start to the 2023 NFL Season. In their first four games, they suffered three losses, falling to the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, and Tennessee Titans. Although the Bengals managed to turn things around and secure more victories later in the season, the initial slow start placed them in a challenging position. The subsequent wins were ultimately insufficient for the team to make a successful push for the playoffs.
2. The Secondary has been Sloppy
The Bengals’ defense has been mainly sloppy, particularly in the secondary. Excluding Mike Hilton and Jordan Battle, the Bengals’ secondary has noticeably struggled. The team lacked depth in the secondary, and it really cost them. They couldn’t find a replacement for Jessie Bates, who departed the team last offseason. The team had hoped that Daxton Hill would develop further and step up to the plate as the starter, but Hill has been a disappointment. The craziest stat line for the Bengals’ secondary is that “The Bengals led the NFL in most plays allowed of 20 or more yards. Of those 82 plays surrendered, 65 were on passing plays.” That is a big concern, and the Bengals have to address it in the offseason.
1.Joe Burrow’s Injury
This was the moment when the Bengals faced a setback. Joe Burrow aggravated his wrist injury, against the Baltimore Ravens, and was ruled out for the rest of the season. It’s important to note that I used ‘aggravated’ because the worst part was that Cincinnati knew he was injured before the game started; Burrow was spotted wearing a wrist brace and was somehow not reported on the injury report.
Although Jake Browning performed well in his absence and deserves a pay raise next season, he isn’t at the same level of talent as Joe Burrow. Losing the team’s quarterback is a significant blow. Burrow’s absence essentially ended their season, and the Bengals couldn’t recover from his loss. It played a major role in the team missing the playoffs, considering how competitive the AFC Conference and AFC North are.
