The Cincinnati Bengals looked like an elite team en route to their second straight 2-0 start. How quickly things change in the NFL.
Now that we know the Bucs and Texans are a combined 0-8, and after losing two winnable games against the Steelers and Jaguars, the 2-2 Bengals suddenly look mediocre. I don't mean by their supposed championship standards. I mean in general.
Bad tackling on defense. A nonexistent running game. Sound familiar? Yes, the Bengals look improved in some ways, yet many of the issues that have plagued them in recent years remain.
In the latest NFL power rankings across major outlets, not a lot of love is coming Cincinnati's way. And deservedly so.
Bengals widely considered a fringe playoff contender in newest NFL power rankings
While NFL.com generously featured Cincinnati at No. 9 due to how strong the sixth-ranked Jags have looked, the rest of the big media types were not so kind. Bleacher Report sent the Bengals tumbling to 17th, while The Athletic and ESPN both had them at No. 15.
A key excerpt here from B/R's Kristopher Knox alludes to how tough the road ahead might be without the typical dynamic duo at wide receiver for Joe Burrow:
"Injuries of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins suddenly loom very large. Cincinnati's new-look defense has been markedly better than last year's unit, but the Bengals still haven't been good enough to beat quality teams when Joe Burrow isn't at his best. [...] This still feels like a team that can be a tough out if it reaches the postseason, but that doesn't mean it will be a playoff team."
I'm not too worried about Chase's concussion or Higgins' adductor injury. I mean I am worried for them as human beings, but in terms of the grander scheme of the season, the Week 6 bye couldn't have been more well-timed.
There is zero need for the Bengals to fast-track Chase or Higgins to return this Sunday against the 0-4 Miami Dolphins.
The Athletic deemed Cincinnati's concern level to be "rapidly rising." I would only say that's the case if Sunday's road trip to Miami results in a loss. Even then, the "rapidly rising" concern would fall on Zac Taylor and his job security more than anything else.
Where the Bengals should be ranked entering Week 5
I wouldn't mind splitting the difference between the lower-ball consensus and the too-extreme high end of being inside the top 10. The Bengals' linebacker play is not good enough, and their safety depth is very thin at the minute.
Burrow and the offense should eventually figure it out. Even if I'd like to see an upgrade over Chase Brown as the feature back, as things stand right now, that ain't gonna happen.
I would still put the Bengals somewhere around 11th or 12th in the power rankings. At both B/R and ESPN, the Eagles, Broncos, and Patriots all rank ahead of Cincinnati. Those teams look like trash and I'm confident the Bengals would beat the brakes off all of them.
And yes, I recognize that Denver beat Jacksonville, but it took yet another improbable comeback from Bo Nix to pull that off. Nix is the most overrated player, period, in the NFL in my humble opinion.
The film is the film. Nix sucks. He's a skittish-in-the-pocket checkdown merchant who turns down wide-open chunk plays down the field and routinely skips through reads.
Are the Bengals a bit overrated from where I had them prior to the season? Absolutely. And that's hard to admit but it's true.
That said, am I gonna overreact to two special teams gaffes in Week 3 that single-handedly cost them a win in Pittsburgh, and a near-miss at home against an excellent opponent with so many key players sidelined? No.
Again, the bye couldn't come at a much better time.
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