If you just looked at the final record, you’d think the Cincinnati Bengals had a complete meltdown. A 6-11 finish? In the Joe Burrow era? It feels like a glitch in the Matrix. But if you actually dig into the Cincinnati Bengals game stats, the story isn't about a team that forgot how to play football. It’s a bizarre tale of an elite offense paired with a defense that basically invited opponents into the end zone for a cup of tea and a touchdown.
The Burrow Factor and the Toe That Changed Everything
Honestly, the season died in September. Joe Burrow started hot, leading the team to wins over Cleveland and Jacksonville, but then the toe injury happened. He missed nine games. You’ve seen this movie before, right? The "glass QB" narrative is exhausting, yet the numbers don't lie. Without Burrow, the Bengals went 1-8.
That’s the season right there.
When Burrow was on the field, he was efficient, posting a 100.7 passer rating with 17 touchdowns against just 5 interceptions. He was averaging 7 yards per attempt. Then, enter Joe Flacco. Look, Flacco was actually decent—he threw for 1,664 yards and 13 touchdowns—but the team just couldn't close. They were losing games 38-44 or 42-47. You can't ask an offense to put up 40 points every week just to stay competitive. It's not sustainable.
Why the Defense Was Historically Bad
Let's get real about the defense. It was a sieve. According to the year-end data, the Bengals allowed 28.9 points per game. That ranked them 30th in the NFL. Even worse? They were dead last in rushing yards allowed per game, giving up a staggering 147.1 yards on the ground. Teams weren't just beating them; they were bullying them.
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- Opponent Yards per Play: 6.2 (Ranked 32nd)
- Opponent TDs per Game: 3.5 (Ranked 32nd)
- Defensive DVOA: 16.8% (Ranked 30th)
You can't blame the rookies entirely, but it was a "trial by fire" that turned into a "trial by volcano." Linebackers Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter both notched over 100 tackles, which sounds great on paper. But as any film junkie will tell you, high tackle numbers for linebackers often just mean they’re chasing guys 10 yards downfield after a catch. Their PFF grades were in the low 40s for a reason.
Ja’Marr Chase is Still a Human Cheat Code
Even in a "down" year for the team, Ja’Marr Chase was doing things that shouldn't be legal. He finished with 125 receptions for 1,412 yards. Think about that for a second. He had the most receptions in the NFL by mid-December. He’s the first player in league history to hit 100 catches in a season where his starting QB missed more than half the games.
Tee Higgins wasn't a slouch either. He hauled in 11 touchdowns, providing that classic 1-2 punch that keeps defensive coordinators awake at night. The issue was never the weapons. Between Chase, Higgins, and the emergence of Chase Brown (who finally broke the 1,000-yard rushing mark), the offense was an "A" grade unit.
- Chase Brown's Breakout: 1,019 rushing yards and 6 TDs.
- The Kicking Reliability: Evan McPherson was 25-of-28 on field goals.
- Red Zone Efficiency: The Bengals scored touchdowns on 66.67% of red zone trips (3rd in the NFL).
The AFC North Reality Check
The division was a bloodbath. The Steelers finished 10-7, and the Ravens were 8-9. The Bengals actually went 3-3 in the division, which is the weirdest part of the Cincinnati Bengals game stats. They could beat Baltimore 32-14 on a Thursday night in November, then get absolutely shut out 24-0 by that same Ravens team two weeks later. Consistency was a ghost.
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One week you're watching Cam Taylor-Britt return a 51-yard interception for a touchdown against Russell Wilson, and the next you're watching the secondary give up 400+ yards to a backup. It was a rollercoaster that only went down at the end.
Looking Toward 2026: The Path Back
If you're a Bengals fan, the "doom and gloom" is optional. The core is there. You have the QB, the receivers, and a running back who finally proved he can handle a heavy workload. The offensive line even stabilized a bit, with Dylan Fairchild starting 15 games at guard.
The fix is singular: Defense.
The front office has to spend. Duke Tobin mentioned that when you spend 65% of your cap on offense, the rest of the team feels it. Well, it felt like a bankruptcy in 2025. They need an interior defensive lineman who can actually stop a run and a veteran safety who doesn't get "lost in the sauce" on deep routes.
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Actionable Next Steps for Following the Bengals:
- Watch the Salary Cap: Track how much the Bengals clear this offseason. They need at least two veteran defensive starters to avoid another 6-11 disaster.
- Monitor the Draft: Look for "Interior Defensive Line" or "Safety" in the first round. If they take another wide receiver, the fan base might actually revolt.
- Burrow's Health: Follow the reports on his toe recovery. A full training camp for Joe is the difference between a top-5 seed and a top-5 draft pick.
The window isn't closed, but it’s definitely got some dirt on the glass. The 2025 stats show a team that can score with anybody, but until they can stop a simple power-run play, the record is going to keep looking uglier than the talent level suggests.
Check the official NFL stats pages or the Bengals' team site for the full box score breakdowns of the Pittsburgh and Baltimore games to see just how much the time of possession swung the wrong way in those late-season losses.