Obstacles for the Bengals
By: Jake Rajala
The Cincinnati Bengals recently proved everyone wrong by reaching the Super Bowl recently. Well, they have a lot of the same pieces that reached the big dance. However, let’s be honest: the Bengals were 9-8 last season, which means they are far from perfect. With that said, I’m going to untwine their biggest obstacles in 2025.
- Edge rusher
Trey Hendrickson is arguably a Top-3 pass rusher (as he’s registered 17.5 sacks in 2024 and in 2023). However, the opposite DE spot is vacant. There simply isn’t another prominent DE. Joseph Ossai isn’t a DE that you want on the big stage. The Bengals need to acquire another edge rusher, such as Haason Reddick. Hendrickson isn’t even perfect, as he’s 30 years old. Hence, he will lose his god-given ability soon.
- Lamar Jackson
Let’s be honest: Lamar Jackson is the best player in the AFC North. He made his third first-team All-Pro nod last season. He also threw 41 touchdowns to four ints last season! Jackson is far from a one-dimensional QB. Jackson and the Ravens have really owned the Bengals. The Ravens have won the past four match-ups against the Bengals!
- Safety
The Bengals were brutal with their pass defense. They ranked 22nd in passing yards per game allowed. Their biggest flaw on their backend was their safety spot. Geno Stone registered a 53.1 PFF grade. Jordan Battle also had a PFF grade of 53.1. To be fair, Stone did get four ints, so he had ball skills. He is also 26, so he has a little bit of time to grow.
The Bengals may not have Patrick Mahomes or an unstoppable tush push. However, they still have a Top-3 QB-WR duo and Hendrickson on defense. It appears that Hendrickson wants to stay in Cincy. I hope that Cincy can find a way to defeat the Ravens, too. At least the Bengals are 2-3 against the Chiefs in their last five showdowns.
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