The Bengals missed the playoffs for the third straight season and it wasn't hard to diagnose what kept the team from advancing beyond Week 18.
Quarterback Joe Burrow's toe injury kept him off the field for half the season, the team finished 29th in rushing yards and they struggled to stop opposing teams even when the offense was getting the job done. All three playoff-less seasons have seen the defense finish near the back of the pack in points and yards allowed, which is likely what wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase is referenced when he was asked about how the team needs to approach the offseason.
"Yeah. I mean, everybody pretty much knows what we need," Chase said, via Russell Heltman of SI.com. "I've said it out in the media. All I gotta do is sit back and watch. I can't control that, so all I gotta do is control my production. I mean, at the end of the day, I'm just stating my opinion on what I think we need. So, you know, I sit back, let the organization do what they do, and I just gotta let my play do the rest."
Chase's play has made him one of the most productive wideouts in the league since he entered the NFL, but that won't be enough to lift the Bengals back into the upper ranks of the AFC if the defense remains little more than a speed bump to opposing offenses.