Going into the final week of the regular season, the Cincinnati Bengals still had slim hopes of making the playoffs. It all began when the Bengals had to take care of business against their division rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers, on Saturday.
Cincinnati was able to do just that, narrowly beating the Steelers 19-17. But, they were far from done as the Bengals would be watching the scoreboard all Sunday afternoon. If both the Dolphins and Broncos lost, Cincy would be in.
Alas, the Broncos came away with a big win over the Chiefs and, just like that, the Bengals' season was over. Finishing 9-8, Cincinnati would walk away from the season on the outside looking in at the playoff picture as the no. 8 seed in the AFC.
In a season where quarterback Joe Burrow looked like the best in the league, at his position, calling this year a disappointment would be a major understatement. Had Cincinnati made the playoffs, you could have made a legitimate argument for Burrow to be this year's NFL MVP.
Instead, the Bengals' offseason starts early, and it could begin with some major coaching changes.
Which Bengals coaches will be fired following a disappointing season?
Toward the tail end of Week 18 action, Bengals insider James Rapien reported that there would, indeed, be coaching changes in the near future.
"The Bengals are expected to make changes to their coaching staff in the coming days," he wrote.
Will the changes reach all the way up to head coach Zac Taylor?
More Bengals news:
"Head coach Zac Taylor is safe. The Bengals believe in Taylor," Rapien clarified.
As for which coaches could be in danger? Rapien speculated over defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, to start with. He also mentioned defensive assistant Marion Hobby and offensive line coach Frank Pollack.
The Bengals defense, specifically, was a big reason why this team struggled the first two thirds of the season. Even after tightening up over the final month, Cincinnati still finished as the league's fourth-worst defense in terms of yards and scoring.
The Bengals were in the bottom third against both the run and the pass, this season, and any fan would be able to tell you where the real problems are found within this team.
Rapien would go on to note that there are "plenty of" coaches who could be on their way out in Cincinnati. As of Sunday night, we're not sure exactly who that might be. But, changes are coming, and it's only a matter of time before we find out which coaches are to be let go.