The Bengals are a team that continues to befuddle. The truth about their run to Super Bowl LVI is that it was spearheaded by their suffocating defense

The Bengals are a team that continues to befuddle. The truth about their run to Super Bowl LVI is that it was spearheaded by their suffocating defense.

The Bengals are a team that continues to befuddle. The truth about their run to Super Bowl LVI is that it was spearheaded by their suffocating defense, not their explosive offense.

While Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins played a massive factor in that run, it was the defense that helped rack up three straight playoff victories.

It was the defense that made three straight stops in those games. The defense shut Derek Carr down, intercepting his final pass of the postseason, despite the Raiders being nine yards away from the end zone. It was the defense that picked off Ryan Tannehill three times to set up the game-winning field goal at Tennessee. The defense also held Derrick Henry to 3.1 YPC.

It was the defense, that despite being up by only three with the Chiefs having the ball at the Bengals' four-yard line, held Kansas City to a field goal to force OT and then picked off Mahomes in overtime to set up the AFC title-winning field goal.

For some reason, in the years following, the team has spent loads of money on their offense while letting their defense wither away, and despite their defense being the reason why they missed the playoff last season, the team has doubled down on their commitment to offense.

The team has extended both Chase and Higgins despite their losses on defense.

The Bengals are spending an average $125M per year on these three 🤯 Joe Burrow: $55M per yearJa’Marr Chase: $40.25M per yearTee Higgins: $28.75M per year pic.twitter.com/88E1pDgwkw

Since their Super Bowl run, the team has said goodbye to defenders Jessie Bates III, Sam Hubbard, D.J. Reader, and Chidobe Awuzie, The team is also expected to say goodbye to Germaine Pratt and 2024 NFL sack king Trey Hendrickson this offseason.

Even if they keep Hendrickson, players of his quality typically cost around $32 million a season. That would mean the Bengals could be spending almost $160 million on four players. The current cap is set at $279.2 million. That means the Bengals would have 119.2 million left to spend on 49 players if they extend Hendrickson. That's about 2.4 million per player.

The Bengals are in trouble. There is no other way to put it. They do not have the money to put into escrow that would allow the team to move cap space around. They do not draft well consistently with jokes often made that their scouting department consists of six people.

The Bengals used to be the biggest threat to Kansas City in the AFC. Through their desire to appease Burrow, they'll struggle to make the postseason and even if they do, who do they have to stop Mahomes? It's a good day to be a Chief.

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