Just Now: Bengals As Just Announced The Departure Of QB’After He Make A Big Promises To Fans….
The 2023 season didn’t go according to plan for the Cincinnati Bengals. Joe Burrow was injured around the halfway point of the season, which led to the team finishing 9-8 and missing the playoffs. The absence of a playoff game and injuries weren’t the only things to go awry for the Bengals in 2023.
Let’s take a look at three members of the team last year who, for one reason or another, proved they were a bust.
Sometimes teams sign someone in free agency and hit an absolute grand slam and sometimes, they strike out with the bases loaded. Irv Smith Jr. was an instance of striking out.
The Bengals signed Smith last offseason after things didn’t work out for him in Minnesota. Cincinnati hoped that Smith could be their TE1 for the 2023 season and benefit from catching passes from Joe Burrow the way that C.J. Uzomah and Hayden Hurst benefitted.
Unfortunately, that never happened. Smith had just 18 catches for 115 yards and a touchdown in 12 games and six starts. He was eventually passed on the depth chart by Tanner Hudson and the only real good thing here is that Smith was only signed to a one-year deal. If he couldn’t be the number one tight end in Cincinnati with Burrow as his quarterback (at least for half of the season), then it’s doubtful he can succeed anywhere else.
It wasn’t the usual defensive performance we’ve seen from Lou Anarumo’s group this past year, but new faces and injuries played their respective parts. Still, as the year wore on, things began to take shape with long-term potential being put on display.
Cast your vote for the Cincinnati Bengals’ 2023 Defensive MVP!
Trey Hendrickson, Defensive End:
What a year for the guy who is quickly becoming the best outside free agency acquisition in team history. He had officially had the most sacks in team history with 17.5 (tip of the cap to Coy Bacon’s 21.5 sacks in 1976, before the NFL counted those as an official sack), while knocking loose three other balls. He made his third Pro Bowl in as many years with the Bengals.
DJ Reader, Defensive Tackle:
Reader provides MVP value in two respects. When in the lineup, he’s one of the best run-stoppers in the game, while also providing some surprising pass-rush for a big guy. But, another somber aspect is the effect felt when he’s out of the lineup with injury, which was definitely prevalent in the final three-plus games after leaving the Minnesota game early with a torn quad.
Cam Taylor-Britt, Cornerback:
The second-year defensive back had a great year, co-leading the team with four interceptions. There were a couple of hiccups, including a midseason injury, but CTB has “shutdown corner” potential going forward.
Logan Wilson, Linebacker:
Wilson ended up making a number of game-changing plays for Cincinnati this year, while also leading them in tackles once again (135 total). He co-led the team with Taylor-Britt in interceptions with four, while also logging a sack and two forced fumbles.
Germaine Pratt, Linebacker:
It wasn’t the banner year for the Bengals’ defense, but Pratt made his share of big plays once again. He was second on the team in tackles with 118 in total, along with two sacks, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions.
Mike Hilton, Cornerback:
The veteran slot corner became an uber-important player down the stretch for the Bengals in their end-of-year postseason push. Ten of his 12 tackles for loss (the total was second-most on the team) came in the final seven games of the year. He also had two sacks and was fourth on the team with 84 total tackles.
Jordan Battle, Safety:
Battle stepped in and began to solidify the back end of the defense later in the year. He was a Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie Team choice, given his logged interception, two sacks, and 71 total tackles. The tackle number was no small feat, given the fact that he started just about a third of the games as the player at the top of that stat list.
