The Cincinnati Bengals have had a pretty frustrating season. After locking down wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to long-term extensions in the offseason, expectations were high heading into the 2025 season. However, an injury to quarterback Joe Burrow in Week 2 derailed the season.
After a 2-0 start, the Bengals have gone 1-6 in Burrow’s absence. The most recent loss, a 47-42 shootout against the Chicago Bears, elicited strong reactions from some of the Bengals’ offensive players following the game. Let’s see what they had to say.
Bengals’ Offensive Playmakers Sound Off After Close Loss
After losing Burrow in Week 2, the Bengals held hope that Jake Browning would be the answer. After four tough weeks, the Bengals pulled off a divisional trade with the Cleveland Browns to bring Joe Flacco onto the roster. A 33-31 Week 7 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers gave fans hope, but the wheels proceeded to fall off with last-minute losses to the New York Jets and Bears in back-to-back weeks.
While players kept their cool a week ago, emotions were high following the tough loss to the Bears, with some on full display. As the Bengals made their way to the locker room following the loss, wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase could be seen saying, “One f***ing stop,” expressing his frustration about the defense after the offense was able to put up 42 points against Chicago.
Based on PFSN’s Defense Impact metric, the Bengals have the worst offense in the league.
“One f***ing stop” Ja’Marr Chase pissed off heading into the locker room after the Bengals 47-42 loss to the Bears. pic.twitter.com/5Em5B5aZzY
— Yanni Tragellis (@yannitragellis) November 2, 2025
While Chase kept it to a small outburst in the tunnel, running back Chase Brown gave the media a full quote following the loss. He said in the locker room, “It sucks, but that’s NFL. You got to play to the last second, you can’t let up even when you feel like the momentum shifted. That would be how I’m feeling right now, just play all the way through.”
Another reporter asked a follow-up question regarding how he felt about the end of the game, and he proceeded to say, “Probably the same that was running through your head, like what the f***, what the f***.”
The reporter followed up, asking Chase, “When does that emotion just change to anger, knowing how differently the season could look if you just close out the last two weeks?”
He replied, “I’d be lying if I said it didn’t set us back from where we want to be. Our mentality was 3-0 going into this bye week, and we could have easily done it. That’s the sickening part, we could’ve easily done it.”
Chase Brown has had it with the defense. “What the f—k.. Finish the f-ing game.” pic.twitter.com/WF9Klk0psc
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) November 2, 2025
It’s easy to see that the emotions are high, especially given how hard this offense has played year after year. Through the first nine weeks of the 2025 season and the 2024 campaign, the defense has been the weak link for Cincinnati. Given how dominant this offense can be, it’s tough to watch this team struggle due to deficiencies on the other end.