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Joe Burrow’s injuries and secondary attrition wrecked the Bengals in 2023.
Cincinnati — Pinpointing exactly where the Cincinnati Bengals went wrong in 2023 is not as simple as it looks.
The obvious pick is Week 11 vs Baltimore Ravens, when quarterback Joe Burrow attempted to pass the ball on the sideline but was unable to do so due to a popped ligament in his right wrist. However, it was only one of several concerns that hampered Cincinnati’s chances of making a long postseason run for the third consecutive season.
One could go back to the start of the summer, when safety Jessie Bates III and Vonn Bell went with other teams in free agency, creating a significant gap in the Bengals’ secondary. Another turning point came when the Bengals were unable to identify a suitable starter tight end in free agency.
Of course, there were the injuries that sent Cincinnati out on the wrong foot from the start.
“It was a weird year,” Burrow said on Jan. 8, a day after the Bengals finished 9-8. “Never really felt like we really reached our potential to what we were.”
An injured quarterback
Things appeared hopeless from the second practice of training camp.
That day, Burrow arrived wearing a compression
And in the five games Burrow was healthy, the Bengals went 4-1, including victories against the San Francisco 49ers and Buffalo Bills, as well as a tight home defeat to Houston Texans. All three clubs advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs.
In 2022, the Bengals were.500 through the first eight games of the season before winning eight straight games and winning their second consecutive AFC North championship.
Burrow’s season-ending injury in 2023 occurred on a touchdown throw that gave Cincinnati a 10-7 lead on the road against the Ravens. That game ended with the Bengals losing 34-20.
“An injury happened right where we usually start to take that jump in the year where we have in years past,”
This was part of a terrible season for Cincinnati’s defense. The Bengals lead the NFL in the number of 20-yard or longer plays allowed. Of the 82 plays surrendered, 65 were passing plays.
When third-round selection Jordan Battle replaced Scott midway through the season, Cincinnati’s secondary had three first-year starters (Battle, Hill, and rookie cornerback DJ Turner). One of the growing pains for the youthful bunch was in-game breakdowns that the Bengals were unable to resolve.
“Some things happen during the game that do not happen during the week of practice,” defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo remarked on January 3. “It is difficult to fix if it is not fixable throughout the week. So these are the problems that we have to correct.
But Mixon didn’t hit on big runs. Against defensive boxes with six or fewer defenders, Mixon was 25th in success rate among running backs with at least 20 carries, per NFL Next Gen Stats. Rookie Chase Brown, who had his first career touchdown on a screen pass he converted into a 54-yard score, was last among 76 qualifying running backs in success rate against light defensive boxes.
Entering 2023, players and coaches said having an explosive running game was going to be important. As the Bengals get ready for 2024, that remains a focal point.
“I think we can be more explosive in the run game,” Burrow said. “I think we’ve been efficient. The run game has been able to keep us on schedule. It would be nice to hit a couple of big runs.”
Burrow said Mixon had one of his best seasons and praised how the duo looked at the end of the season. But the Bengals will have to decide again if that group is good enough to push Cincinnati back into title contention next season
