Bengals Collapse Yet Again: Defense, Coaching, and Discipline Doom Cincinnati In a Heart-Shattering Loss to the Bears
The Cincinnati Bengals are officially broken. There’s no sugarcoating it. After another fourth-quarter collapse, a 47-42 loss to the Chicago Bears says it all. The offense fought with much heart as Joe Flacco played through the pain, but the defense and coaching staff threw it all away.
This loss was more than just another disappointing Sunday; it was embarrassing. The Bears brought in over 500 total yards and averaged about 8 yards per rush, with rookie running back Kyle Monangai racking up 176 yards in his first NFL start, per Pro Football Reference. A seventh-round pick made this defense look like it belonged in preseason. Let me repeat that, a seventh-round pick.
The game started strong as Charlie Jones brought in a 99-yard kickoff return for a score, bringing Paycor Stadium to their feet. But just moments later, the defense gave it all back. The Bears answered with a Philly Special touchdown, as D.J. Moore passed to Caleb Williams, setting the tone for the game. Every time the Bengals gained momentum, the Bears countered back.
And yet, Joe Flacco, at 40 years old with an injured shoulder and all, threw for 305 yards in the second half. That’s one of the best single half passing performances by any quarterback this season (StatMuse). He led the Bengals back with two touchdowns in 49 seconds, giving Cincinnati a late 42-41 lead that felt like pure magic. Then the defense collapsed, again.
Caleb Williams, who looked shaky for most of the day, delivered a 58-yard touchdown pass to Colston Loveland, sealing the win and exposing the same issues that have plagued Cincinnati all year: no tackling, no adjustments, and no urgency. PFF graded multiple Bengals defenders below 40 for tackling in the game, and it showed.
Fans are exhausted from hearing “we’ll fix it.” We’ve been hearing that for weeks now as head coach Zac Taylor continues to praise the team's fight, but fight doesn’t fix missed tackles. It doesn’t excuse mental mistakes, and it doesn’t make defensive coordinator Al Golden suddenly competent. You can’t call this a playoff team when the defense can’t stop anyone.
Flacco, Higgins, Chase, and even Chase Brown did more than enough to win this game, but when your defense is giving up 47 points to a Bears team missing its starting running back, that falls on the coaching staff. It’s on the organization, and it’s on the front office for refusing to fix this issue in the offseason.
What’s Next for the Bengals
The Bengals sit at 3-6, slowly falling in the AFC North, and let’s be honest, unless significant changes occur, this season is over. Heading into the bye, or shall I say limping into the bye, they get a week to regroup (or at least try to) before facing a tough Pittsburgh team.
At this point, the question isn’t about the playoffs, but about accountability. Will Cincinnati finally make changes on defense? Will Zac Taylor keep his job throughout the season? And will Duke Tobin finally be held accountable for a defensive roster that can’t tackle or cover?
Joe Flacco and the Bengals offense deserve better. The fans deserve better. A team once built on toughness, grit, and discipline now brings pure frustration and heartbreak.
If this isn’t the breaking point, what is?