Are the Cincinnati Bengals trolling us at this point? It's almost as if they're trying to sabotage their defense by not putting the very best players on the field each week.
Week 8's humiliating 39-38 loss to the New York Jets exposed the flaws at every level of the Cincinnati defense yet again. Someone needs to be held accountable.
While Duke Tobin deserves to be fired as personnel chief, the Bengals staff can only work with the hand they're dealt. For whatever reason, they have an ace in the hole who they refuse to deploy on Sundays.
Barrett Carter has no business starting over Oren Burks on Bengals defense
The move to bench team captain Logan Wilson in favor of fourth-round rookie Barrett Carter was a daring one. It backfired versus the Jets, as Wilson struggled in a limited role and Carter got lit up over and over against the run and in coverage.
PFF had Carter responsible for allowing seven catches on eight targets. His run defense was graded at an abysmal 45.9, including an ugly missed tackle that led to an explosive Jets run. Carter's grade be bottom-five in the NFL in PFF's season-long numbers.
Since Demetrius Knight Jr.'s superior draft status (Round 2) evidently renders benching him out of the question despite his own poor performance, I will keep pounding the table for Oren Burks to supplant Barrett Carter this season as long as I can breathe. He started in the Super Bowl for the San Francisco 49ers two years ago, and did so for the victorious Philadelphia Eagles last year.
Burks dominated in the playoffs for Philly when he took over for an injured Nakobe Dean. Whatever liabilities he has in coverage — though PFF graded him at 82.9 this last postseason in that department — can he really fare worse than Carter?
Plus, the Bengals yielded over 250 rushing yards to the Jets. They struggle as a unit to defend the run and tackle in space.
Those are the areas Burks excels most in. He's a heat-seeking missile and a sure tackler even with that reckless abandon style of play.
I don't know what the heck the coaching staff looks at in practice every week. I recently alluded how defensive coordinator Al Golden touted Burks as the "most unheralded" free-agent acquisition in the NFL. PFF lauded Burks as the Bengals' new free agent with the most upside back in March.
Somebody explain to me why a tackling machine like Oren Burks isn't starting. And why a Day 3 draft pick is entrusted with the green dot for what persists as the worst tackling defense in the league?
The Commanders can close the gap some tonight.
— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) October 27, 2025
But still.
The gap between the #Bengals and the rest of the league in missed tackles in insane. pic.twitter.com/OUIHa822ro
For a defense in desperate need of adjustments, short of a Hail Mary trade to quick-fix it, Burks is an in-house solution who's demonstrated that he can dominate on the NFL's grandest stages.
Time to make a change. The mere presence of a seasoned vet in Burks as the "quarterback" of the defense, as opposed to a raw rookie like Carter, could work wonders for the defense's collective communication, putting teammates in better position to make plays.
Get ready to learn "special teams", Barrett Carter! I kid, I kid. This probably won't happen.