The Last 3 Bengals Games Have Been Over by Halftime as Team Reaches Historic Depths in Point Differential

CINCINNATI – The numbers are ugly enough on their own.

The Cincinnati Bengals have been outscored 69-9 in the first half of the last three games.

All three have been uncompetitive losses:

Minnesota, 48-10 (34-3 at half)

Denver, 28-3 (21-3 at half)

Detroit, 37-24 (14-3 at half)

It’s just the 43rd time since the 1970 merger that a team has been outscored by at least 60 points in the first half over a three-game span.

The last time it happened was 2019, when the Carolina Panthers were outscored by 63 in the final three games of a 5-11 season.

The only Bengals team to suffer the indignity of it was the 1999 unit, which was routed by 66 first-half points in Weeks 7-9.

That team lost to:

Indianapolis, 31-10 (24-3 at half)

Jacksonville, 41-10 (27-0 at half)

Seattle, 37-20 (28-10 at half)

If we move from any three-game span to the first five-games of the season, the Bengals’ margin is lower.

But the rarity is greater.

Cincinnati has been outscored by 63 in the first half this year, 96-33.

The winless Jets only have been outscored by 56.

The Bengals are just the 20th team since the 1970 merger to be outscored by at least 63 first-half points in the first five games of a season.

But it’s still not a franchise record.

The 2002 team was outscored by 82 first-half points during its 0-5 start on the way to a 2-14 season.

Only the 2011 Rams were worse, outscored by 84 in the first half.

While is takes both the offense and defense playing uncomplimentary football to get blown out by halftime during stretches of games, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said the current run on futility falls squarely on the offense, and specifically on him.

“We’ve hung our defense out to dry a couple times in the first half three games in a row,” he said after Sunday’s loss. “I call the plays on offense; I put this thing together. I’ve got to be better for this football team. It just hasn’t been good enough. I put that on myself, and we’ve got to get that fixed. I’m confident that we’re going to get it fixed. It’s disappointing and frustrating that again we’ve scored three points three weeks in a row in the first half. You’re not going to win against these teams we’ve been playing against when you do that.”

In case you’re wondering, the Green Bay Packers have the fourth-best point differential in the first half this season at 25, outscoring its opponents 47-22.