For all of the postgame uproar about the ineptitude displayed by the officiating crew during the Cincinnati Bengals’ heart-wrenching 35-34 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night, they were not the reason for suffering yet another close defeat. Well, at least, they were not the primary reason.

Yes, they were awful, especially when the game was on the line with 38 seconds remaining in the back-and-forth thriller. If you follow the Bengals and/or the National Football League at all, you already know what I’m referring to, since the replay has been shown ad nauseum on the NFL Network and ESPN. It occurred when the officials did not call what appeared to be a couple of clear infractions by the aggressive Ravens defense on a 2-point attempt that would’ve given the visitors a 36-35 lead.

One missed call involved Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki as he was being held, and the other even more egregious non-call occurred when Baltimore’s Nnamdi Madubuike reached inside the face mask of Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow on what should’ve been a roughing the passer call, or hands to the face, or something. Madubuike made his presence known by living in the Bengals backfield most of the evening, finishing with five tackles, three sacks, a forced fumble, and three quarterback hits.

The decision by coach Zac Taylor to go for the two points and a much-needed win was the right one. However, the execution of another questionable play call went awry. Instead of hooking up with Ja’Marr Chase in the back of the end zone for the go-

ahead conversion, a heavily pressured Burrow went to tight end Tanner Hudson, who was well-covered on the play.

The Bengals also would’ve been much better served by not calling a timeout before the attempt, a break in the action that helped Baltimore get its defense set. Even so, it appeared Chase had one-on-one coverage on the left side, and should have been the logical target, especially given the success he enjoyed all evening toying with the Ravens secondary. He finished with 11 catches for 264 yards and three touchdowns, in yet another superlative effort against the AFC North rivals.

Admittedly, the above argument concerning the 2-point attempt is second-guessing and hindsight is still 20/20, but that’s just what we do after games like this one. For Bengals fans, the game turned out to be a microcosm of the disappointing 2024 season; close but no cigar.

It was also a game that showed the several season long weaknesses that continue to haunt the Men in Stripes, and the reasons why they continue to come up short in close games.

The primary reason the team has a 4-6 record, or at least the one I keep coming back to, is the defense, which allows far too many explosive plays and oftentimes seem to have an aversion to tackling. They looked like they came to play in the first half, when they kept Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry in check. The secondary was flying around and the team was gang tackling Henry, and a 14-7 lead at the break was an encouraging sign.

All of that enthusiasm appeared to wane late in the third quarter, especially after Bengals running back Chase Brown coughed up a fumble in what became the turning point of the game. The Bengals were ahead 21-7 when Brown had the ball

stripped by Marlon Humphrey, and the Ravens seized the opportunity. Jackson led them on a short drive highlighted by his long scramble along the sideline that set up a Henry one-yard TD run. In the fourth quarter, Jackson kept the momentum going by tossing three touchdown passes, and the Baltimore offense seemed to wear down a tiring Bengals defense.

Another team deficiency continues to be the offensive line, which greatly missed injured tackle Orlando Brown Jr. last night. Burrow will need the extra time to recover and heal before the Bengals head to LA to face the Chargers next Sunday night after repeatedly getting harassed, battered and bruised by the Ravens defensive front. If the O-line doesn’t get its act together, Burrow may have a difficult time finishing the season without suffering another significant injury.

It’s remarkable how well he played considering he was continuously flushed out of the pocket with little or no pass protection, finishing with 428 passing yards and four touchdowns on 34-of-56 attempts. If that seems like a lot of passes, it’s because it is, and it’s probably way too many. But what are you going to do, when the ground game – just 49 rushing yards — never materializes.

The overall play of the defense and the porous offensive line are just two of the reasons for the Bengals’ 4-6 record. Another has to be the questionable decisions and play-calling from Taylor. Some of his decisions are more than head-scratching, especially the back-to-back deep pass attempts when the team had a 3rd and 2, and a subsequent 4th and 2 after the first long ball fell incomplete. Taylor gets heavily scrutinized and takes the heat because he’s the head coach, and he’s made more

than a few mystifying decisions this season. It makes one wonder if it isn’t time to give an offensive coordinator the play-calling duties.

Another issue for the Bengals this season is finishing games. That was brought up by multiple players following the loss to the Ravens, but finding the answer has eluded the team time and again. Perhaps this team lacks the “it” factor that championship teams possess. Another reason could be as simple as the Bengals lacking the overall defensive talent — with the notable exception of Trey Hendrickson — required to be a contender.

Time is running out and trying to quickly fix the issues going forward is of the utmost importance. The road to the playoffs is looking iffy at best, and another must-win game looms in Los Angeles next Sunday night. Realistically, the Bengals need to win at least six of their final seven, although five wins may be enough to sneak into the postseason with a 9-8 record. They would also likely need some help and that may be wishful thinking at this point.

Not impossible, but if the defense and the O-line don’t perform at a much higher level, it will be wait ‘til next year.

*****

“It was clearly defensive holding before the pass was in flight. It should’ve been called, and that does look like forceable contact to the head of the quarterback. That’s roughing the passer.” – Terry McAulay, a former NFL official for 20 years and three-time Super Bowl referee, commenting while a replay showed a pair of obvious penalties that went uncalled by the officials on

the Bengals’ potential game-deciding 2-point attempt late in their 35-34 loss at Baltimore

***** “Few of us can stand prosperity. Another man’s I mean.” – Mark Twain