‘অগ্রহণযোগ্য’ খেলার পর বেঙ্গল ডিফেন্স মুখোমুখি হবে
Ben Baby
Oct 27, 2025, 04:52 AM ET
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Ben Baby covers the Cincinnati Bengals for ESPN. He joined the company in July 2019. Prior to ESPN, he worked for various newspapers in Texas, most recently at The Dallas Morning News where he covered college sports. He provides daily coverage of the Bengals for ESPN.com while appearing on SportsCenter, ESPN’s NFL shows and ESPN Radio. A Grapevine, Texas, native, he graduated from the University of North Texas with a journalism degree. He is also an adjunct journalism professor at Southern Methodist University and a member of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA).
CINCINNATI — Monday was only a meeting of the Cincinnati’s defense after a historically poor showing by the unit. Members of the Bengals defense spent extra time together after the team’s 39-38 loss to the previously winless New York Jets, who became the first team in 2000 to score 35 points and rack up more than 500 yards in a single game. New York accomplished the feat without quarterback Tyrod Taylor and wide receiver Garrett Wilson, who were both out with injuries. Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden said Monday that the players-only meeting was indicative of how “unacceptable” it was and the defense needs to take pressure off the entire team’s other units.
“I don’t know what he talked about — nor do I — but I think it was called for as a necessity there,” Gold said. “Because we can’t do that again to offense and special teams.”
Immediately after the game, Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor said a defensive player needed to step up and lead the group and instill the urgency. Less than 24 hours after the loss, Taylor added that he thinks there are “good players” in that room that add up to smaller accounts that Taylor likened to being “sick right now.”
“It doesn’t have anything to do with ‘we have to change the wolf,” the seventh-year coach said. “As a baseline, we’ve got to be better. And that’s truly at every level of the defense.”
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Through Monday Night Football, Cincinnati ranks near the bottom of several major defensive categories. The Bengals are 30th in points per drive (2.76), last in yards allowed per game (6.2) and 31st in completion rate allowed.
The Bengals assistant and Notre Dame defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo was hired from the college ranks to fix the defense last offseason. But eight games later, Cincinnati hasn’t improved.
The Bengals are leaning toward younger starters, including rookie linebackers Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter, to become too light. And while the group has made good plays, including the first of Sunday against the Jets, the allowed plays have been disastrous, according to Gold.
“We can’t, for whatever reason, be disjointed who will break your back,” he said. “I’ve got to break in there and give them a way to get better” and just remove those stories because there are great things on the other side of it.
Cincinnati (3-5) has its bye week before preparing to face the Chicago Bears (4-3). A Bengals win in Week 10 would draw them even with the Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3), the current leaders in the AFC North. However, before that can happen, the Bengals have several defensive issues to iron out.
Cincinnati is hoping the players-only meeting Monday results in a quick answer.
“He’s not pointing fingers,” Ors said. “It’s not about that. It’s ‘what can we do better, what can we do better, and improve so we don’t have to go through that again.'”
প্রকাশিত: 2025-10-28 04:13:00
উৎস: www.espn.com
