The Cincinnati Bengals are in the midst of a season of futility. With superstar quarterback Joe Burrow out indefinitely, the team has fallen to 3-7 through Week 11. And what's even worse? Their defense has struggled even more than the offense, currently sitting dead last in the NFL and surrendering over 400 yards per game.
As NFL analyst Paul Dehner Jr pointed out, following Cincy's 34-12 thrashing at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, this season only tells a sliver of the story. The team's defensive futility goes back much longer than many perceive.
"[The Bengals] are the worst defense this century after halftime in ALL of the below categories," Dehner posted on X while also providing a chart that validated his statement. "But it's not just that, it's the healthy distance between them and the next worst team. It's truly incredible."
"They have been ESPECIALLY historical in the second halves of games this year."
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Denher Jr is right. Based on the evidence, the Bengals are the 21st-century equivalent of replacing a locked door with a shower curtain: You can just pass right through. Since 2000, Cincinnati has had a defense that's been successful at a 44.39% rate. In that same time span, the NFL average was 55.9.
Despite making it to the Super Bowl just a handful of seasons ago, the last two-and-a-half decades haven't been kind to the team or its fan base. Overall, they have gone below mediocre, with s 194-225-4 record in this century.
That's a figure they will have to improve on one game at a time and one season at a time. They renew those efforts in Week 12, when they host the New England Patriots (9-2, first place in the AFC East)