NFL Power Rankings: Philadelphia Eagles fall flat in Week 11

14. Cincinnati Bengals

Once considered a serious contender for a spot in the playoffs, the Cincinnati Bengals have really started to show the cracks in their armor over the last month: mainly that they just can’t spot anyone on defense.

Seriously, the Bengals have allowed 500 or more yards of offense in three straight games, including a disastrous 509-yard performance against the explosive New Orleans Saints in a Week 11 whooping.

Now to be fair, I’m sure the Bengals expected to lose in their heart of hearts, but 51 points is a new high water mark that Marvin Lewis‘ squad couldn’t have dreamed of.

It doesn’t matter how prolific your offense is, if you give up 300 yards three weeks in a row, it’s going to be hard to finish out 16 games with more than a .500 record.

At 5-4, the Bengals are a few more disastrous showing away from slipping that total real quick.
But why are the Bengals so bad on defense?

I mean it’s not like they have a huge deficiency of talent on the defensive side of the ball, as they start no fewer than three former first-round picks on their defense to go with a solid defensive line. No, it’s the execution, or lack there of that’s doomed the Bengals over the first half of the season, and unfortunately, they are a team that’s firmly trending downward.