Tight End Is A Two Way Problem For Bengals

By Alex Schubert on December 7, 2023

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The Cincinnati Bengals’ defense has had its fair share of problems in the 2023 season. They’ve given up the most yards per game in the NFL through Week 13. They are ranked 27th in both pass yards and rush yards allowed per game, and 28th in third down rate (43.8%).

One position in particular has given the Bengals a world of trouble in the season.

If you have a tight end that needs to score a TD or be more involved in the offense, the #Bengals defense has help on the way.

— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) December 5, 2023

Cincinnati has been one of the worst teams in the NFL when it comes to defending tight ends this season. Against players at that position in 2023, they’ve allowed the second most receptions (80), the most receiving yards (870), the second most fantasy points (115.0) and 5 TDs, which is only two fewer than the two teams at the top (Saints and Jets).

The individual performances have been ridiculous. Examples!

Mark Andrews (BAL) in Week 2: 5 receptions, 45 yards, 1 TD
Tyler Higbee (LA Rams) in Week 3: 5 receptions, 71 yards
Geoff Swaim, Trey McBride, Zach Ertz (ARI) in Week 5: 6 receptions, 49 yards, 1 TD
George Kittle (SF) in Week 8: 9 receptions for 149 yards
Dalton Kincaid (BUF) in Week 9: 10 receptions, 81 yards
Dalton Schultz (HOU) in Week 10: 6 receptions for 71 yards
Pat Freiermuth (PIT) in Week 12: 9 receptions for 120 yards

Betting sites everywhere took note of these statistics and advised their followers to place their faith on Jaguars’ TE Evan Engram in Week 13.

Do what you please with this information.

This man is scoring tonight. pic.twitter.com/Z28wlf81yR

— StimmSimm (@stimsimm) December 4, 2023

(Spoiler alert – on top of 9 receptions and 82 yards, he did)

While Cincinnati has somehow escaped with a 5-3 record in the games mentioned above, they are still bleak stats for a team that still has to face TJ Hockenson in Week 15 and Travis Kelce in Week 17.

In all of 2022, Cincinnati allowed 88 receptions, 924 yards, and 3 TDs to tight ends. The 108.74 non-PPR fantasy points allowed to TEs, which they’ve already eclipsed in 2023 in only 12 games, was 11th fewest in the league. A big reason for this jump in numbers was the Bengals losing two of their key defensive players to Atlanta in free agency.

Jessie Bates III appreciation post: One of the great things about @jlbiii3 is he can actually cover tight ends well. Something former Falcons safeties have been awful at for a lot of years. Can’t wait to see him in red and black 🔒😤💪🏽🙅🏾‍♂️ #NoFlyZone @AtlantaFalcons pic.twitter.com/FhPRPzfr2s

— JazzyJeffRealTalk (@JazzyJeffRealT1) May 7, 2023

I’d like to see Tre Flowers back in stripes next year.

He clamped Kelce.

Guys that can cover tight ends are valuable, even if they’re not stellar in other areas.

— Drew Garrison (@DrewGarrison) March 22, 2022

Atlanta’s additions of the former Bengals’ pass defenders have had a positive effect, as they’ve jumped from the 13th worst pass defense to the 11th best. Meanwhile, Cincinnati’s pass defense has fallen from 13th best to 5th worst.

It’s not just on defense, though. On offense, Cincinnati has historically not placed an emphasis on tight ends, and 2023 is no different.

To his credit, Tanner Hudson has been moderately consistent as the Bengals’ TE1 of late. After beginning the season on the practice squad, he’s had at least four receptions in each of the last five weeks.

The offense as a whole, however, doesn’t seem to have a go-to, three down option at tight end. While Hudson has had modest production of late, the Bengals only have three touchdowns thrown to tight ends on the year. Drew Sample has two of them and Irv Smith has the other, and they each have under 100 receiving yards on the entire season. Hudson, the Bengals’ receiving leader at tight end, still only has 228 receiving yards on the year, even with his recent uptick in production.

Irv Smith was signed in the offseason to a one-year deal worth $1.75 million, and he was expected to take on the TE1 role. However, he has underwhelmed since his signing, as he has missed two games and had three other games where he’s been held without a catch. He’s only had double digit receiving yards in four games, and over the last four weeks combined he’s been limited to 3 receptions for 16 yards.

So one question remains – what do the Bengals do about it?

For this year, the Bengals have no choice but to roll with what they have. However, for 2024, the Bengals seem to have several legitimate options.

On offense, Cincinnati could look at affordable players like Dalton Schultz, Hunter Henry, Gerald Everett, and Mike Gesicki, who all will hit the market next offseason. Whether they resign with their current teams remains to be seen, but if none of them work out, one name has been making waves among Bengals fans in the upcoming draft.

Bengals fans watching Brock Bowers pic.twitter.com/2wIqOWZRLU

— Willie Lutz (@willie_lutz) December 2, 2023

The 2022 John Mackey Award winner had 962 receiving yards last season, which includes 216 yards he obtained in the two playoff games Georgia won. He was on pace to shatter that total in 2023 until a high ankle sprain he suffered in October kept him out for almost a month. He still had 716 receiving yards in the regular season and has 26 career touchdowns. He’s the clear cut top tight end in the draft and could be an extremely enticing option if the Bengals are in a position to select him.

Fixing the Bengals’ defense of tight ends, however, is a bit trickier. It’s painfully clear that Nick Scott has been a downgrade from Jessie Bates, and Jordan Battle may be in line to take over the starting role from Scott going forward. However, Scott was signed to a 3 year, $12 million deal this past offseason, and they may stick with him going forward. The Bengals are also unlikely to sign a marquee free agent safety, as several current Bengals such as Tee Higgins, Jonah Williams, DJ Reader, Tyler Boyd, and Chidobe Awuzie all may take priority in contract extensions over those players. In addition, Cincinnati may also once again find themselves as big spenders to continue the ongoing project of fixing their offensive line.

If they don’t, they could take advantage of a 2024 safety draft class that is supremely deeper than the 2023 class. The last time Cincinnati used a pick in the first two rounds on a safety, it paid dividends.

Either way, Cincinnati must find difference makers to address its biggest headache on both offense and defense to prepare itself for a 2024 Super Bowl run.

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