Overview

2024: 9-8 record (3rd in AFC North)

• The Bengals lost to the Eagles in their preseason opener (34-27).
• The Bengals have not won a preseason game since Aug. 27, 2022 (def. the Rams). Cincinnati is 0-6-1 in preseason games since 2023, and over its last 12 preseason games has won win (1-10-1).
• Cincinnati has had a winning record in each of the last four seasons. The franchise record for consecutive winning seasons is five (2011-2015).
• After reaching the AFC Championship Game in back-to-back seasons in 2021 & 2022 (winning the AFC in 2021), the Bengals have not reached the playoffs in consecutive 9-8 seasons.
• After a 4-8 start to the season, the Bengals finished the 2024 season on a five-game winning streak.
• Head coach Zac Taylor has led the Bengals to a winning record in each of the last four seasons. The only other Bengals head coach to have four straight winning seasons was Marvin Lewis, who had five straight winning seasons from 2011-2015 (but the Bengals lost in the wild card every season in that span).
• No other Bengals head coach has had more than two consecutive winning seasons.
• During an 11-season stretch from 1992 through 2002, the Bengals went through three different head coaches: David Shula, Bruce Coslet and Dick LeBeau. But over the last 22 seasons (since 2003), the Bengals have had two head coaches: Lewis and Taylor.

2025 Schedule Notes

• The Bengals lone preseason home game will be Saturday, August 23 vs. the Colts
• Cincinnati plays four of its first six games in the regular season on the road.
• The Bengals will play only one divisional game in the first six weeks of the season, and it will come in their season opener at Cleveland.
• Cincinnati will play four primetime games this season, one in each of the first four months of the season.

Week 4 (Sept. 29) – Monday at Denver
Week 7 (Oct. 16) – Thursday vs. Pittsburgh
Week 13 (Nov. 27) – Thursday at Baltimore
Week 16 (Dec. 21) – Sunday at Miami

Offense

Season Averages: Rushing (92.6 YPG); Passing (272.9 YPG), Total (365.5 YPG), Scoring (27.8 PPG) *Season Rankings: Rushing (30th), Passing (1st), Total (9th), Scoring (6th)*

Preseason Recap

• Scored touchdowns on first two possessions (Joe Burrow at QB), but had three scores (TD, 2 FG) over final 11 possessions.
• Joe Burrow was 9-of-10 passing in the preseason opener, for 123 yards and two TD passes
• The other two QBs for Cincinnati – Desmond Ridder and Jake Browning – combined to go 13-for-30 passing (43.3% completion percentage) for 153 yards, 1 TD pass and 1 interception.
• 15 different players had at least one reception last week, led by tight end Tanner Hudson (6 receptions, 62 yards, 2 TD catches)
• Ja'Marr Chase: 4 receptions, 77 yards, 1 TD reception
• The Bengals, who had the league's third-worst rushing offense last season (92.6 YPG), rushed for just 57 yards on 19 carries (3.0 yards per rush).

Last Season Recap

• Finished in the top 10 of the league in scoring and total yards, the second time in the last three seasons they have finished in the top 10 in both categories.
• Offense has finished in top 7 in scoring in three of the last four seasons.
• Had the league's top passing offense, averaging 272.9 pass YPG.
• Has finished top 10 in passing offense in three of the last four seasons.
• Last season, QB Joe Burrow led the NFL in pass attempts (652), pass completions (460), pass yards (4,918) and touchdown passes (43). All were career highs.
• Burrow also had a completion percentage of 70.6%, also a career high.
• In 5 seasons (69 games), Burrow has 140 TD passes and just 46 INTs
• Last season, WR Ja'Marr Chase led the NFL in receptions (127), receiving yards (1,708) and TD receptions (17) (all career highs). And he did not catch his first TD pass until Week 3 vs. Washington.
• While Cincinnati averaged less than 100 rushing yards a game last season, it did have eight games in which it ran for 100 or more yards, and went 6-2 in those games. (3-6 when held under 100 rush yards).
• RB Chase Brown rushed for 990 yards last season. The rest of Cincinnati's running backs combined to rush for just 356 yards (3.5 yards per carry). (Note: Burrow was third on the team in rush yards – 201).
• The Bengals finished tied for the second-most lost fumbles last season (13), finishing ahead of just the Cowboys (14) in that department.

Defense

Season Averages: Rushing (124.8 YPG); Passing (223.5 YPG), Total (348.3 YPG), Scoring (25.5 PPG) *Season Rankings: Rushing (17th), Passing (21st), Total (25th), Scoring (25th)*

Preseason Recap

• Defense allowed scores on five of the Eagles' first six offensive possessions (3 TD, 2 FG).
• Defense forced one turnover (INT) and had two sacks last week.
• Allowed 432 yards on 73 plays (5.9 yards per play).

Last Season Recap

• Finished 25th in both points allowed and yards allowed. It's the first time since the 2019 season that Cincinnati has finished 25th or worse in both categories.
• Cincinnati has finished in the bottom half of the league in total defense (yards allowed) in eight of the last nine seasons. The Bengals best finish in total defense over the last nine seasons came in 2022, when they finished just 16th.
• The Bengals have finished in the bottom half in scoring defense in six of the last seven seasons, the lone exception coming in 2022 (finished 6th in scoring defense, which is also the last time they reached the playoffs).
• Cincinnati was 7-2 when it held opponents under 350 total yards, but was 2-6 when opponents had more than 350 total yards (0-5 when opponents had more than 375 yards in a game).
• One of the league leaders in takeaways, finishing tied for 7th in opponent turnovers (25).
• It was the first time since 2015 that the Bengals finished in the top 10 in takeaways (6th).
• One of six teams that allowed at least 20 rushing touchdowns and 20 passing touchdowns. (the others: Tennessee, Cleveland, San Francisco, Carolina and Dallas).
• Cincinnati was one of two teams that allowed at least 20 rushing touchdowns and 30 passing touchdowns (Carolina was the other team).
• Cincinnati finished in the bottom 10 in sacks with 36 (T-25th). It was the second time in the last three seasons the Bengals finished in the bottom 10 of the league in sacks.

2025 NFL Draft Recap

• Note: The Bengals had only six selections in this past draft, their fewest in a single draft since 2022 (6).

First Round

• No. 17 – Shemar Stewart (Defensive end – Texas A&M)
  • Note: The Bengals ranked in the bottom 10 (25th) in sacks last season (36)

Second Round

• No. 49 – Demetrius Knight (Linebacker – South Carolina)
  • Note: The Bengals ranked in the bottom 10 (25th) in total yards allowed last season (348.3 YPG)

Third Round

• No. 81 – Dylan Fairchild (Offensive lineman – Georgia)
  • Note: The Bengals ranked 30th in rushing last season (92.6 rush YPG)

Fourth Round

• No. 119 – Barrett Carter (Linebacker – Clemson)

Fifth Round

• No. 153 – Jalen Rivers (Offensive lineman – Miami, FL)

Sixth Round

• No. 193 – Tahj Brooks (Running back – Texas Tech)