3 Bills tight ends could ruin Bengals' season unless they find immediate fix

Exiting the Marvin Lewis era and entering the Zac Taylor one, the biggest defensive struggle for the Cincinnati Bengals was covering tight ends and running backs in their opponents’ passing attack. 

The Bengals sought to solve that problem when they drafted Logan Wilson in 2020.

Now, that particular monster lying in wait like a mischievous Elf on a shelf is rearing its ugly little head again for Cincinnati’s defense. 

And as the Bengals are trying to claw themselves back into AFC North contention, that flaw could bite them as Buffalo has three players ready to take advantage of Cincinnati’s inability to slow tight ends. 

Dalton Kincaid’s possible return couldn’t come at a worse time for Cincinnati  

Despite only playing in eight of Buffalo’s 12 games this season, he is second on the team in receiving yards and tied for first in touchdown receptions with four. 

Kincaid’s 56 receiving yards per game lead the Bills, with wideout Khalil Shakir’s 47.4 yards per game second. 

Kincaid could have given it a go last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, after being limited in practice, the team kept him out. Now the star tight end has a chance to come back against a matchup heavily in his favor. 

However, things are not looking as good for the Kincaid as they did last week, with him adding an apparent knee injury to accompany the hamstring issue that has kept him out of the previous couple of games. 

Buffalo fans are not the only ones impatient for a Kincaid return, as fantasy football players are eager to have the dangerous tight end on their roster for Sunday. 

In 2023, the last time Kincaid faced the Bengals, he recorded 10 receptions for 81 yards. In 2025, if he plays, he has a chance to eclipse that by the third quarter.

Knox and Hawes ready to step in and up against Bengals defense

If Kincaid cannot go, the Bills will rely on the combination of Dawson Knox and rookie Jackson Hawes to anchor the tight end position. 

This year, Knox has 19 catches for 311 yards and one touchdown. He has yet to eclipse three catches in a game this season. However, he makes his catches count at the right time and in explosive fashion. 

Even if Kincaid plays, with the Bengals likely focused on stopping him, Knox will be in advantageous situations. 

This season, Hawes has 11 receptions for 149 yards and two touchdowns. He is far from the threat Kincaid and Knox are receiving. However, he is licking his chops to have a career game against a Cincinnati defense that struggles against tight ends, no matter their caliber. 

It would be one thing to let a Jaxson (with an X) go off, but Jackson (CK) taking advantage of a vulnerable defense would be unforgivable. Our apologies for the non-sequiter.

Something else to look out for is Hawes being left on an island as a pass blocker. 

Last week against the Ravens, the Bengals’ pass rush, particularly Joseph Ossai and Myles Murphy, got a good rush when Baltimore tried to block them one-on-one with tight ends, as they should. 

Just look at how often, in his first three years as the playcaller in Cincinnati, Zac Taylor tried to execute plays, unsuccessfully, with tight ends and pass-blocking edge rushers one-on-one.

If Buffalo tries that strategy with Hawes, or any other player at the position, the Cincinnati’s edge rushers must make them pay dearly. 

Good news, bad news for Bengals’ matchup against Buffalo’s tight ends

The good news for Al Golden et. al is that the Bills seldom target where the Bengals’ defense is most vulnerable. 

According to Fantasy Points Data, Buffalo’s offense has targeted tight ends 16% of passes attempted. That is the least amount of targets for that position in the NFL.  

The bad news is that this league is about adjustments. We should expect the Bills’ offensive coordinator, Joe Brady, to have a heavy dose of plays designed for their tight ends this week. 

Against the Bengals, the Baltimore Ravens threw to their tight ends 13 times, resulting in ten receptions for 159 yards and what would have been one touchdown if not for the efforts of Jordan Battle and Jalen Davis. 

Al Golden and Bengals defense must find a fix to this critical problem

Thanks to Pro Football Reference, we know that the Bengals are, by far, the worst team at defending tight ends. Golden’s unit has surrendered the most catches (86), yards (1121), and touchdowns (13) to the position. 

The Indianapolis Colts are second in yards allowed with 865. The San Francisco 49ers are second in touchdowns given up to tight ends, with eight. 

No matter who the tight ends are for Buffalo when they line up on Sunday, the Bengals must do a better job of defending them, or they could be the principal reason why Cincinnati’s miraculous late run to a division title falls short before really even taking off.