Outlier stats that show the biggest flaws of the 2024 Bengals' defense

Following Evan McPherson’s missed field goal in overtime in Week 5 against the Ravens, Baltimore’s offense took the field with two tight ends and a fullback. Trying to set up the game-winning field goal, the Ravens wanted to establish the line of scrimmage.

The Bengals countered the Ravens’ personnel by putting three defensive tackles and five total defensive linemen on the field. Derrick Henry ran for 51 yards on the play as BJ Hill and Kris Jenkins Jr. got stuck on their blocks, Lawrence Guy got pinballed around and Trey Hendrickson couldn’t get by the fullback.

To add insult to injury, Vonn Bell missed the tackle at the second level on the play that virtually won the Ravens the game.

From a statistical perspective, this play summed up the two biggest flaws of the Bengals’ defense: Being able to win the trench battle with big personnel, and second level tackling.

To find the biggest problems with the Bengals’ defense in 2024, I went through NFL Pro’s statistical database, broke down a bunch of specific splits and looked for the areas where the Bengals ranked 25th-to-32nd in the NFL.

These are the most notable stats and the stories that they tell.

Tackling: 31st in the NFL in yards after the catch allowed over expectation

This one is no surprise for anyone who watched the Bengals this season. No matter what statistical split you’re looking at, the Bengals were a bad tackling team.

They allowed 415 total yards over expected after the catch. The Eagles, the best team in the NFL, allowed just 125 yards after the catch.

While this stat focuses on passing defense, the theme is just as prevalent analyzing the Bengals’ run defense. The second or third level of the defense was responsible for allowing 12 of the 51 explosive runs that the Bengals surrendered.

Germaine Pratt and Geno Stone’s tackling abilities were in the spotlight all season, and the Bengals provided plenty of free yards to the opposing offense.

The worst EPA per rush in the NFL out of base defense (five defensive linemen and two linebackers or four defensive linemen and three linebackers)

Early in the fourth quarter against the Eagles, Philadelphia got the ball and was in a chew the clock mindset. They put big personnel on the field, and the Bengals countered with five defensive linemen.

In a measuring stick moment against the best rushing attack in the NFL, the Bengals got bullied. The Eagles executed a 12-play, 87-yard touchdown drive where they only threw the ball three times. They ran nine times for 58 yards, including three runs of 10-plus yards.

The Bengals’ struggles out of base highlight the lack of depth, explosiveness and stoutness that the defense had up front. The Bengals allowed 14 total explosive runs out of base personnel, including five alone in AFC North play.

The Bengals allowed the fifth-most yards per play out of base. When the opposing team threw the ball, the Bengals had the second-worst pressure rate in the NFL out of base. The Bengals also had the fifth-worst run defense in the NFL when they stacked the box with eight defenders.

When the Bengals tried to establish the line of scrimmage, teams just overpowered them all year.

Pass rush: Second-worst defense in the NFL when they put the quarterback under pressure

All year, the Bengals struggled creating a pass rush. But when they created that rush, the defense was still terrible.

According to EPA/play, which measures defensive value, the Bengals were the second-worst defense in the league when they did get pressure.

That’s because when they got pressure, they couldn't finish.

The Bengals ranked 28th in the NFL at converting pressures into sacks. The Bengals also created fewer sacks when they blitzed than any team in the NFL.

When the defense tried to turn the heat up on opposing quarterbacks, the fire flickered out.

Defensive line rush %

Among the 110 qualified defensive linemen, Sam Hubbard dropped back in coverage at the fifth-highest rate, and Trey Hendrickson dropped back at the sixth-highest rate. No edge duo in the NFL dropped back as much as they did.

The Bengals tried pass rush games, simulated pressures and three-man rushes to try to confuse the opposing quarterback. The plan didn’t pan out.

Motion: 29th in yards per pass on plays with motion

The pre and post-snap communication, pass offs in coverage, details in technique at the line of scrimmage and plastering in coverage all left a lot to be desired this season.

Motions got the Bengals’ defensive backs off-set, and the offenses won those chess matches.

Space in coverage in the secondary

When they faced the Bengals, opposing offenses had the third-shortest time to throw in the NFL on deep completions. The Bengals’ corners were getting beat quickly down the field.

The Bengals also allowed the most average yards of separation (3.1 yards) on completions over the middle of the field.

Quarterbacks could beat the Bengals’ defensive backs deep down the field, and they could also find solid completions over the middle with receivers who had plenty of space.

Here was the most surprising stat that I found: The Bengals’ defense was actually really good against short passes and quick passes. They ranked 5th in EPA per play on short passes, which was right up there with the Vikings, Chargers, Broncos and Eagles.

The defense was that bad against intermediate and deep passes, which outweighed all of the things that the Bengals were doing well against quick game concepts.