Stop everything. The Cincinnati Bengals — the team that stormed to the Super Bowl in 2021 on a tidal wave of jaw-dropping explosives — are suddenly… ordinary. Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins can’t buy a 20-yard gain anymore. And it’s killing their playoff dreams.
The 2021 Magic That Shocked the NFL
Remember 2021? Rookie Ja’Marr Chase was unstoppable, hauling in EIGHT touchdowns on 25+ yard catches — more than double the next guy. The Bengals ranked 6th in explosive play rate. Defenses were terrified. Cincinnati marched all the way to the Super Bowl on pure fireworks.
The Brutal Fall: Double Teams Crushing Dreams
Fast forward. Opponents finally woke up. They started bracketing Chase and Higgins on every snap. Result? Cincinnati’s explosive ranking crashed: 17th, 27th, 21st, 20th. Even with Burrow healthy, the big plays vanished. Teams are daring the Bengals to beat them without their superweapons.
Burrow isn’t having it.
“You can’t just let teams double them and say, ‘Those guys are out of the game plan,'” he fired back last season. “They’re too good. You HAVE to find ways to get them the ball.”
$551 Million Trio Under Siege
Cincinnati bet the franchise on this passing attack — $551 million total, $250 million guaranteed across Burrow, Chase, and Higgins. Chase still dominated with 125 catches and back-to-back All-Pro honors. Higgins led the AFC with 11 TDs. But the deep bombs? Gone. Defenses adjusted, and the Bengals haven’t answered yet.
Explosive Plays = Wins (The Cold Hard Truth)
Look at 2025: Teams that generated 6+ explosive plays won 63% of their games. The conference finalists? All top-10 in big-play rate. The Super Bowl champion Seahawks feasted on them. Meanwhile, Cincinnati’s defense gave up 122 explosives — second-worst in the league.
- Chase in 2021: 8 TDs on 25+ yard catches
- Everyone else: Max 5
- Current reality: Double coverage everywhere
- Burrow’s message: Force-feed the stars anyway
Can Zac Taylor Unlock the Old Magic?
Coach Zac Taylor knows the shift happened the moment DBs felt Chase’s freakish strength up close. Now every coordinator is copying the blueprint. The question burning every Bengals fan: Will Cincinnati scheme their way back to terrorizing defenses… or watch their $551 million investment slowly suffocate?
The playoffs proved it again — stretch the field or go home. Burrow and his weapons are too dangerous to stay quiet forever. But until those big plays return, Cincinnati remains stuck in neutral. The clock is ticking.
