The Cincinnati Bengals enter Week 10 of the NFL season with a 3-6 record. Sure, losing Joe Burrow to Injured Reserve played a role, but the defense's play has directly put the team into an unwelcome category.
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The Bengals are 1-4 over the last two seasons in games in which they've scored 38 or more points. This stretch includes consecutive losses this season to the Jets (38 points scored) and the Bears (42 points scored).
According to Pro Football Talk, other teams who have scored 38 or more points in a game have posted a record of 62 wins, four losses, and two ties. The Bengals are also the first team since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger to scored 38 or more points in consecutive games and lose both times.
The AFC North has not had its starting quarterback since Week 2 of the NFL season. Burrow underwent surgery for a toe injury and his return timeline remains uncertain. Mid-December remains an option.
Backup Jake Browning started four games and posted a 1-3 record as the offense struggled, and then the team made an in-division trade to acquire Browns quarterback Joe Flacco. The former Super Bowl champion has since posted a 1-3 record.
Flacco and the offense have4 produced while scoring at least 33 points in three of these games. The defense has just failed to keep teams in check. This unit gave up late scores to both the Jets and Bears during losses.
The Bengals' defense is by far the worst in the league. It ranks last in total defense while allowing 37 touchdowns and an average of 426.6 yards. The Cowboys, for comparison, are 31st after allowing an average of 397.4 yards per game.
The Bengals are 31st in pass defense, 32nd in rush defense, and 32nd in scoring defense. This team has given up an average of 33.3 points per game, putting them on pace for a historic 566.1 points allowed for a full season.
The current NFL record for the most points allowed in a single season is 534 by last season's Panthers. If the Bengals continue to struggle at the current race, the team will stand alone in yet another unwelcome statistical category.
