Did the Cincinnati Bengals just get a “D” grade for their preseason? While Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase looked sharp, the defense is raising some serious eyebrows. Is this just typical preseason vanilla, or are bigger problems brewing for the 2025 NFL season?

The Cincinnati Bengals’ recent preseason performance has drawn significant scrutiny, particularly from analysts observing the team’s defensive shortcomings, prompting a “D” grade from CBS Sports writer Tyler Sullivan. This assessment highlights growing concerns within the NFL community regarding the team’s readiness for the upcoming 2025 NFL season, despite an offense that appears potent.

Unlike previous years, the Cincinnati Bengals opted to give their starting lineup more playing time during the preseason. While quarterback Joe Burrow and star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase showcased their expected offensive dynamism, reaffirming their status as key players, these flashes of brilliance could not overshadow the persistent issues on the defensive side of the ball.

The core problem for the Bengals last season was not their offensive firepower but rather their defensive vulnerabilities, which ultimately kept them out of the playoff picture. The NFL preseason revealed that many of these same defensive “warts” continue to plague the team, suggesting a lack of significant progress in this critical area for the Cincinnati Bengals.

As noted by analyst John Breech, the starting Bengals Defense’s struggles were evident throughout their preseason appearances, notably missing the final game. This consistent underperformance against various preseason opponents has led to widespread speculation about the unit’s ability to compete at a high level when the regular season commences for the 2025 NFL Season.

Despite external concerns, the Cincinnati Bengals organization reportedly remains unperturbed by the preseason grades. Head coach Zac Taylor has reiterated that the defense is undergoing rigorous, full-playbook practice sessions behind closed doors, implying that their vanilla preseason schemes do not reflect their true defensive capabilities.

Linebacker Logan Wilson echoed Taylor’s sentiments, emphasizing that only a fraction of their complete defensive playbook was utilized during the NFL preseason. This strategic choice, aimed at preserving schemes for the regular season, suggests that a more complex and effective defense will be unveiled under defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo when it truly counts for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Evaluating any team’s true potential based solely on preseason results inherently requires significant context. The limited playbooks, experimental lineups, and focus on individual development often mask the strategic depth teams plan to deploy. The real test for the Cincinnati Bengals’ defense, and the team as a whole, begins with the start of the 2025 NFL Season.

Fans and analysts alike are now eagerly anticipating the Cincinnati Bengals’ Week 1 matchup, which will provide the first genuine insight into whether the defensive issues are indeed resolved or if the preseason anxieties were a harbinger of challenges to come. The upcoming games will definitively show if the “D” grade was a fair assessment or an overly harsh judgment for Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase.