You can be reasonably critical of the Cincinnati Bengals. You can. Cheerleading aside, the Bengals are trending the other way, and as you look ahead to what may be a torturously long season, keep in mind one significant culprit is injuries. It’s become not just a hindrance, but a paralyzing and glaring footnote to 2019.
It shows this week in a way that either rally’s a big effort, or demonstrates a state of Bengals football that doesn’t change anytime soon.
But it’s one story in 2019. Cincinnati is in a place footballs teams get when you allow hope and fandom to blind you to reality. The Bengals don’t need a reboot to the season, as much as they need a rebuild of an organization quickly making a permanent residency at the bottom of not just the AFC North, but in the cellar of the National Football League.
When looking for playmakers on Sunday, you’ll find them on the other sideline. No John Ross and no A.J. Green make Cincinnati remarkably single-dimensional. While Mixon is beginning to provide relief, it isn’t enough to compensate for an injury report growing longer. Against an equally struggling team, a lack of talent could be what tips the scales in Week 5.
The Bengals would need heroic efforts on Sunday to overcome the players sidelined in street clothes. This is the week it may finally hit home where fans see how empty the shelves in Cincinnati really are.