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Ben Baby, ESPN Staff Writer
CINCINNATI — When Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow scooted up to the microphone following the team’s 17-13 win over the Seattle Seahawks, the season outlook wasn’t as bleak as it seemed a few weeks ago.
After losing three of its first four games, Cincinnati posted back-to-back wins to even its record at 3-3 heading into the team’s bye week. But despite being at the .500 mark entering Week 7, Burrow was bemoaning another rough offensive outing.
“Not where we want to be,” Burrow said about the offense. “We’ve had moments. But we just gotta put it all together.”
Through the first six games, the Bengals are still searching for championship form. Cincinnati’s star-studded offense is one of the least productive in the NFL, with the unit ranked last in yards per game and averaging 14.3 points per contest, which is 29th in the league. The defense hasn’t been elite but has come up with timely turnovers. Of its eight interceptions, which is tied for the NFL’s second-highest total, six of them have been in the second half.
That leaves plenty of room for improvement as Cincinnati chases its first Super Bowl. Here are the key themes of the Bengals’ 3-3 start.
Opportunistic defense
The defense has produced big plays in important spots to fuel the team’s deep playoff runs the past two years.
That trend has continued into 2023, especially in the two victories preceding the bye week. With the Bengals trailing the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5, cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt returned an interception for a touchdown to give Cincinnati its first halftime lead of the season. One week later against Seattle, the defense didn’t surrender touchdown after the Seahawks’ first drive of the game, finishing with two interceptions while holding Seattle to 1-for-4 efficiency in the red zone.
Interceptions and red zone defense have been critical aspects to the team’s wins. The Bengals are fourth in the NFL in interceptions per attempt, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Cincinnati is also 11th in defensive red zone efficiency, allowing touchdowns on 47.8% of opponents’ drives inside the 20-yard line.
Creating turnovers has played a vital role in the team’s success under defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. Against Seattle, he said the team had 14 strip attempts (trying to cause fumbles).
“We didn’t get one out but we ended up getting the interceptions,” Anarumo said, “which is key.”
Offensive struggles
Cincinnati structured its scheme around Burrow’s lack mobility early in the season as he dealt with a calf strain suffered in training camp. Though Burrow has looked healthier the past two games, Cincinnati’s offense still sputtered against the Seahawks, failing to score a touchdown after its first two drives.
The Bengals are 29th in points per drive and Bengals coach Zac Taylor said the lack of points has been the most disappointing thing about the offense.
“That’s clear as day,” Taylor said. “We haven’t scored enough to really take the pressure off our team. We know we’re capable enough to do that.”
The inability to create explosive plays or sustain drives have been key contributors. The Bengals are last in the NFL in yards per attempt after leading the league in that category in 2021, when it reached the Super Bowl. In 2022, the Bengals were sixth in total first downs and ranked fifth in touchdowns per drive.
That efficiency has disappeared in 2023. Cincinnati leads the NFL in three-and-out percentage (29.9%) and is last in yards gained per drive. Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said everyone carries blame for the offensive struggles.
“Some of it is we miss some throws,” Callahan said. “We’ve dropped some balls. We’ve given up some sacks. Everyone has had a moment in the barrel, if you will. Overall, better consistency allows us to score more points.”
The road ahead
The Bengals are still in contention for a playoff berth and division title, but the odds are against them.
The Bengals have an 18.2% chance of making the postseason and are at 5.4% odds to win the AFC North, according to ESPN Analytics. Cincinnati also has the toughest remaining schedule, which includes a Week 8 trip to the San Francisco 49ers and games against the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs.
“We put ourselves in a position to continue to control the things we need to control and we don’t have to look around and do the standings check and stuff,” said Taylor. “It’s still too early in the season for that.”
One way Callahan suggested the Bengals could try to improve after the bye is by putting Burrow under center more often.
In 2021 and 2022, the Bengals were under center on 29.3% of all offensive plays that weren’t kneeldowns. That number is just 2.2% this year, likely because of Burrow’s calf injury. Callahan said going more under center could help with aspects of the run game and play-action pass.
“As Joe [Burrow] has felt more comfortable and really, back to pretty close to normal, that’s something we can hopefully do more of,” Callahan said.