The Cincinnati Bengals’ 44-38 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday dropped their record to 4-8, effectively ending their postseason chances.
Don’t, however, blame the Bengals’ offense for Cincinnati’s disappointing season.
That the Bengals will almost assuredly be on the outside looking in at this year’s playoffs is all the more amazing when you consider that they lay claim to one of the league’s best offenses. Quarterback Joe Burrow is putting up MVP-caliber numbers while Ja’Marr Chase is making his own case for Offensive Player of the Year, with Cincinnati boasting the NFL’s fifth-best scoring offense with 27.9 points per game.
That the Bengals’ offense has been so good stands in stark contrast to the performance of the team’s defense, which has been one of the league’s worst through the first 13 weeks of the 2024 season. That was evident on Sunday as Cincinnati surrendered 44 points to the Steelers, with the Bengals’ scoring defense ranking 31st in the NFL with 28.3 points per game allowed this season.
Speaking to reporters after Sunday’s game, Chase was asked whether Cincinnati’s offense felt like it had to score every time it had the ball against Pittsburgh. And in responding, the LSU product made it clear how he — and perhaps the rest of the Bengals’ offense — feels.
“That’s our expectations now,” Chase told reporters.
Ja’Marr Chase after the #Bengals 44-38 loss.
Q: “Did you feel like you had to score every drive?”
A: “That’s our expectations now.”Good question from @Ben_Baby as well. @Fox19 pic.twitter.com/pBkw3XxGNa
— Jeremy Rauch (@FOX19Jeremy) December 1, 2024
According to The New York Times‘ playoff odds calculator, the Bengals currently possess just a two percent chance of making the postseason.
In other words, even if Cincinnati’s defense gets on track this season, it will likely be too little too late.
