Who’s to Blame for Squandering Burrow and Chase’s Career Years?
Ja’Marr Chase’s frustration highlights the core issue surrounding the Bengals’ struggles this season. Following a 34-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 11, the star receiver didn’t hesitate to direct blame at head coach Zac Taylor when asked about the team’s inability to finish games.
“Ask Zac. … Ask the coaches,” Chase said. “Don’t ask me. That’s not my job. I play football on the field. I don’t call plays for us, you know? So, I can’t really do anything.”
While the public nature of Chase’s comments may be debated, there’s no denying that coaching is a key factor in the Bengals’ disappointing season, which started with Super Bowl aspirations.
It’s hard to view things any other way. Quarterback Joe Burrow is among the NFL leaders in completions, passing yards, and touchdowns. Chase was on track to win the receiving triple crown before the bye week. Defensive end Trey Hendrickson leads the league in sacks. Wide receiver Tee Higgins is having a career year in terms of receiving yards. Yet, despite these stellar performances, the Bengals are on the verge of missing the playoffs for the second year in a row.
Cincinnati’s struggles against strong teams are glaring—they’re 4-1 against teams with losing records, but 0-6 against teams with winning records, including two losses to division rival Baltimore. A major issue has been their inability to close out games, with six of their seven losses coming by seven points or fewer. Defensive breakdowns, especially late in games, have been a recurring problem. In the Chargers loss, missed field goals by kicker Evan McPherson were costly, but the defense also allowed a 4-play, 84-yard touchdown drive in the final moments. In their previous three games, including a win over the Raiders, Cincinnati gave up double-digit points in the fourth quarter. This trend of late-game struggles has been evident throughout the season.
The Bengals’ defense under coordinator Lou Anarumo has been underperforming. They are second-worst in red-zone defense, fifth-worst in points allowed per game, and sixth-worst in third-down defense. Injuries have not helped, with key cornerbacks Dax Hill and DJ Turner sidelined, but the defense has been in decline for two years. In 2022, the Bengals ranked 8th in scoring defense, but that dropped to 21st last year and has now fallen to 28th in 2024.
With playoff hopes fading, the Bengals face tough matchups ahead, including two games against the AFC North-leading Pittsburgh Steelers and a rising Denver Broncos team.
Despite the dire situation, Taylor remains optimistic, stating, “By no stretch is our season over. We’re going to have to win a lot of these. Obviously, we put ourselves in a tough spot. But I believe … we’re going to be right there in the end.”
However, as stars like Burrow and Chase reach their primes, the team’s regression is raising concerns about wasting a potential Super Bowl window. After making back-to-back AFC Championship appearances, including a Super Bowl appearance in 2022, the Bengals may now miss the postseason altogether.
Taylor insists the team won’t panic, stating, “We’re not going to be those people that just panic because the record is 4-7 and we start making all these significant changes. That’s not what the answer is. We play good football, we’re a good football team, we believe in our guys. We’ve got good systems in place. We’re going to hang in there and support each other and try to find a way to get this thing done.”
But time is running out, and if the Bengals fail to make the playoffs, Taylor will likely bear the brunt of the blame.
Leave a Reply