Multiple Bengals missteps were on full display in Falcons-Colts Berlin game

The Cincinnati Bengals may have had a bye during Week 10, but Sunday's action kicked off with a painful reminder of what could've been.

Once the dust settled on a stunning, roller-coaster matchup in Berlin, the Indianapolis Colts prevailed over the Atlanta Falcons 31-25. That win propelled the Colts to an 8-2 record to remain atop the AFC, while Atlanta hung tough thanks to an excellent crop of rookies.

You can probably see where this is headed. Let's start with the obvious move, or lack of a move, by the Bengals that they're no doubt regretting as they sit at home this week.

Jessie Bates' absence continues to haunt Bengals defense

On an otherwise spectacular 244-yard rushing day for Colts superstar running back Jonathan Taylor, former Bengals safety Jessie Bates forced a fumble in the early going that could've totally flipped the game. A hustle play by Indy left tackle Bernhard Raimann robbed Atlanta of a critical takeaway.

Bates wasn't done there, though. Daniel Jones bit off a little more than he could chew right before halftime, as Bates baited him into a downfield throw and undercut the route for an interception.

Cincinnati famously let Bates walk in free agency. He proceeded to be a second-team All-Pro in his first season with the Falcons, and the Bengals' safety position has never been the same.

Geno Stone and Jordan Battle be looking rough. Miss you in Cincy, Jessie. Come back next year? Oh wait. It'd take a trade. Duke Tobin would never.

Bengals drafting Shemar Stewart and 2025 rookie class look worse by the day

Criticize the Falcons all you want for questionable personnel decisions in recent years. The most notable of them was, of course, paying Kirk Cousins tons of money, only to draft Michael Penix Jr. in the top 10. Might've gone 0-for-2 at the most important position.

But I will say this: Atlanta is at least going for it. Case in point: In the 2025 NFL Draft, maverick GM Terry Fontenot didn't settle for one edge defender. He traded back into the first round for another one.

Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. both showed out on Sunday. Pearce forced a fumble that Jones lost. Walker had a sack of his own among his six tackles. Even my preferred Falcons trade target, Arnold Ebiketie, recorded two tackles for loss along with a sack.

May I just say that drafting Shemar Stewart 17th overall, after he had 4.5 sacks in three seasons at Texas A&M, might've been a colossal blunder by the Bengals?

If only somebody tried to warn them. If only somebody had Pearce 11th, Walker 25th, and Stewart 52nd on his big board.

Oh, and you know that safety issue I was referencing earlier? Yeah. The Falcons drafted ex-Al Golden Notre Dame pupil Xavier Watts (51st on big board), who's a total stud and had a game-high 12 tackles versus the Colts. Atlanta also picked up Oklahoma star Billy Bowman via the draft in Round 4. He's already shown more promise as a nickel than Bengals 2022 first-rounder Dax Hill.

Key ex-Bengals drive Colts to 8-2 record in thrilling Berlin win over Falcons

While Cincinnati trots out embarrassing rookies to headline its linebacker corps, ex-Bengal Germaine Pratt is reunited and thriving with his old defensive coordinator, Lou Anarumo, for the AFC juggernaut Colts.

Letting Anarumo walk this offseason didn't seem like a terrible move by Bengals head coach Zac Taylor. Seemed like the players needed a different voice in the room. That is, until Anarumo, like in Cincy, was given an elite offense in Indy and started cooking. The Colts went all-in to trade for stud cornerback Sauce Gardner, something the Bengals never gave Anarumo during his tenure.

It's like the Bengals can't help themselves but mess up every crucial decision. Whether it's which players to keep in free agency, coaching staff turnover (or lack thereof), or awful draft evaluations, they're whiffing on golden opportunities to upgrade their team left and right.

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