How Can the Bengals Bounce Back from Their Worst Loss in Franchise History?

The Cincinnati Bengals suffered their largest loss in franchise history after falling 48-10 to the Vikings last Sunday. The Bengals' run and pass game looked lackluster while the defense couldn’t stay off the field. Bengals quarterback Jake Browning got the start despite the Bengals signing Mike White and Sean Clifford. The Bengals attempted to beef up the quarterback room after a Joe Burrow injury that is keeping him sidelined for at least three months. The Bengals opted not to make a move for a proven veteran quarterback and are feeling the consequences. 

Cleaning up the Turnovers

The Bengals came into Sunday's game having forced four interceptions, with Browning throwing three interceptions against the Jacksonville Jaguars last week. Browning threw two more interceptions against the Vikings, and Bengals players fumbled the ball five times, losing three of them. The Bengals lead the NFL in turnovers and turnover margin, something that they have excelled at in recent years. If the Bengals want to get back on track, then they need to take care of the football. 

Offensive Line Woes

The Bengals' interior offensive line unit of Dylan Fairchild, Ted Karras, and Dalton Risner has been one of the worst in the NFL statistically. All three of the interior linemen named are ranked in the bottom 10% of eligible interior linemen; all find themselves in the 60s out of 66 eligible players when it comes to pass block and run block win rate. The Bengals have other linemen that can be rotated in, such as Cody Ford, Jalen Rivers, and Matt Lee, who are all available. If the Bengals can improve to be outside of a bottom-10 offensive line, then Cincinnati has a real chance to get back on track. 

Injuries and Depth on Defense

The silver lining to the Bengals' 38-point loss was the defense being depleted. They were without first-round pick Shemar Stewart, starting cornerbacks Cam Taylor-Britt and DJ Turner. B.J. Hill and Logan Wilson were also dealing with injuries throughout the week and were pulled early from the game when it started to get out of hand. With the defense hopefully becoming healthier, the Bengals have a better chance when they travel to Denver next week to take on the Broncos on Monday Night Football. You could feel the hole in the secondary and upfront, and hopefully, with fewer defensive absences in the future, the Bengals defense can get back on track.