How Being Wrong Can Help the Bengals Make Things Right
Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
“I was wrong.”
Whether it’s a spouse saying it to a loved one or an action flick hero having their change of heart just before the final oncoming onslaught, admitting when you are wrong is never easy. Vocalizing one’s failure means giving an admission of not just being wrong, but that everything they valued, their judgment, and sometimes even the very fiber of their being is incorrect. It’s a moment we’ve all been in, we’re all flawed, but it’s easy to get stuck in denial.
That goes for yours truly. There are two admissions that, at this point in the 2024 NFL season, need to be made. While I contend he is still the best option at cornerback in the Cincinnati Bengals’ secondary, Cam Taylor-Britt (CTB, if you will), is simply not playing at the level at which I previously stated he is capable. If the league-leading number of touchdowns attributed to his coverage wasn’t evidence enough of that fact before Sunday night, that reality was on full display by the third quarter.
That’s because the game marked his second benching of the season, with defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo noting that CTB made mistakes on “things he shouldn’t make a mistake on” according to dedicated beat writer Jay Morrison. CTB has shown flashes of his talent throughout the 2024 season; unfortunately, he has also shown a predilection to showing signs of immaturity, taking risks, and blowing his assignments.
Likewise, while I contend that head coach Zac Taylor should not be on the hot seat after getting a moribund franchise to the Super Bowl in 2021 and the AFC championship game the following year, I will say this: The seat has gone from cold to warm — and if it’s not hot to end 2024, it should be on fire in 2025. Taylor’s magic seems to be dwindling and dwindling fast, a fact that could be attributed to a number of possibilities. Not playing his starters in the preseason before yet another slow September start, frequently abandoning the running game, a lack of impact players through recent drafts and free agency — the list goes on.
However, while people like myself and fans will continue to play armchair quarterback from the safety of our fantasy football leagues, the Bengals are on the field playing actual football. The frequency of Joe Burrow’s defeated, vacant stare on the sidelines at the end of games should be a sign that the time has come for them to admit they were wrong on several things heading into this season.
Joe Mixon is having a career resurgence for the Houston Texans, who will likely (barring crazy injuries) go on to win the AFC South with ease. But Mixon, who followed the path of many a Cincinnati running back in going from celebrated to embattled in his later years with the team, needed to go. He and the Bengals were like two high school best friends who were now heading off to different colleges, needing to admit they were unlikely to stay in touch moving forward. Now, playing for a defensive-minded head coach in DeMeco Ryans, he has looked rejuvenated, a featured player in an exciting, creative offense with C.J. Stroud leading the way.
The Bengals’ running attack, however, remains an enigma wrapped inside of a riddle. A former college quarterback, Taylor has been incredibly pass-happy all season long. That has led to Burrow putting up MVP-worthy statistics… which has not often translated into actual wins this year. Likewise, while Chase Brown has shown flashes of his talent, the Canadian seems to be much more in line with former Bengals halfback Giovanni Bernard than he does Corey Dillon in terms of durability and long-term production. The addition of Zack Moss in free agency sent zero shockwaves throughout the league, a fate he will have to wait until 2025 to reverse due to a season-ending neck injury. The Bengals have since added Khalil Herbert and Gary Brightwell; the impact of those moves remains to be seen.
Likewise, while the Bengals cut former second-round pick Jackson Carman before the season started, the offensive line has remained dismal in 2024. Burrow is taking more hits than Mike Tyson landed on Jake Paul on a routine basis. Likewise, Jermaine Burton has failed to show anything other than a penchant for sleeping in recently, Andrei Iosivas has failed to become a reliable second or third receiver as well. With Tee Higgins continuing his habits of alternating between making spectacular catches and dropping routine ones as he seeks a new contract, he is so likely to be gone next season that he might as well have a realtor start taking out bench ads on his behalf.
Then again, maybe the Bengals should have spent the money on his contract instead of Evan McPherson, the player once known as “Money Mac” being anything but a sure bet on kicks this entire season. Save for Trey Hendrickson — also hunting a new deal — the Bengals have also failed to generate a pass rush, with missed tackles being more abundant than sacks or turnovers.
In short, it may be hard to do, but the first step on the road to recovery is admitting that when it comes to the 2024 season, the Bengals as an organization have been wrong. Here’s to hoping they can make it right sooner rather than later.
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