The Cincinnati Bengals beat the Baltimore Ravens this week in Joe Burrow’s return, improving to 4-8 on the season. The Bengals have a long way to go to make the playoffs, but they aren’t entirely out of it yet. If the Bengals want to make an improbable comeback and make the playoffs, they are going to need a few players to step up. Here are five players the Bengals are going to need to step up if they want to make the playoffs this year.
Geno Stone
Geno Stone played his best game of the season in week 12 against the Patriots when he had 13 tackles and an interception returned for a touchdown. He didn’t play nearly as well against the Ravens, though the rest of the defense played exceptionally well. If the Bengals are going to make the playoffs, they will have to stop some strong passing attacks from Buffalo, Baltimore, and Miami, and Stone will need to be a big part of that.
Demetrius Knight
Demetrius Knight has had an occasional flash of good play, but hasn’t lived up to his hype as a second-round pick. The Bengals have struggled in coverage against tight ends, and a large part of that is the linebacker play. Knight is going to have to step up in both the run game and the passing game, whether that is in coverage or rushing the quarterback, and make some plays to help the Bengals make the playoffs.
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Barrett Carter
Demetrius Knight’s partner in the middle of the Bengals defense, Barrett Carter, is one of the linebackers who has played worse than Knight this season. His missed tackles have been game-changing for the Bengals, and his coverage over the middle hasn’t been any better. The Bengals don’t need Carter to be a star, but they need him to make tackles that he should make and do just a little more in coverage.
Joe Burrow
This one may surprise some people, but Burrow didn’t play great against the Ravens, especially in the first half. He did play better in the second half, but we know Burrow is capable of more. If not for five turnovers, that game would have had a chance to go a different direction, and you can’t count on the defense to get five interceptions each week. The Bengals will need Burrow to play better if they want to run the table and secure a playoff spot.
Wide Receiver Three
This one isn’t so much a player, but a position. Andrei Iosivas and Mitchell Tinsley have made plays at times, but haven’t been consistent enough as the Bengals’ receiver three. With teams attempting to take away Chase and Higgins, whoever the third receiver in the game is will need to make plays to force the opposing team to adjust. The third receiver on the field doesn’t need to be a star, but he needs to be reliable and make timely plays.
