Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals finished 2025 with a 6-11 record and a minus-78 point differential, a season that exposed fundamental gaps on both sides of the ball. Their last five games read LWWLL, capped by a home loss to Cleveland on January 4th that crystallized the year’s pattern: flashes of competence sandwiched between defensive collapses. Scoring 24.4 points per game while surrendering 28.9 reveals an offense that can move the ball but a defense consistently overwhelmed, particularly evident in the 24-0 shutout loss to Baltimore and the 39-34 defeat to Buffalo despite 34 points of their own. The Cardinals blowout win and Miami road victory offered false hope; neither masked the structural problems that kept Cincinnati out of contention. As the offseason unfolds, bettors should monitor how aggressively the front office addresses the secondary and pass rush, as marginal improvements could shift next season’s win total significantly. For now, the Bengals enter the draft and free agency with clear work ahead.