The Cincinnati Bengals is a team with heavy duties to make. On offense, not so much. Joe Burrow is an elite quarterback and has elite weaponry. But on defense, they are as bad as an NFL unit can get. Now, they get hit with yet another bad share of news.
Per Ben Baby of ESPN, the Bengals are likely to miss safety Geno Stone for a while due to a soft tissue injury. According to coach Zac Taylor, the player is considered week-to-week.
Stone played four snaps against the Eagles on the Bengals’ preseason debut. It’s more than likely that he will miss the next preseason game. Even if he is fit, the team will probably not rush him and safe him for the regular season. After all, the Bengals defense can’t afford missing one of their starting players.
Stone was one of the few regulars on Cincy’s defense
Stone started all 17 games last NFL season for Cincinnati. He had four interceptions, including a pick-six and 81 combined tackles. He allowed 66.7% completion on opposing quarterbacks and a 97 passer rating. While he was good, he wasn’t stellar. However, considering how bad the defense was, Stone could be considered as one of the few bright spots of the unit.
Geno Stone #22 of the Cincinnati Bengals returns a interception for a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on December 15, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Tycen Anderson is Stone’s backup. He played on special teams’ snaps only last season. This means that if Stone is not fit, Anderson would be thrown into the wolves. A bad unit is not the best thing for a new guy.
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Joe Burrow’s Bengals prevent Dolphins from helping Tua Tagovailoa with free agent weapon
Bengals’ preseason schedule is key for the defense
While preseason is not the place to draw big conclusions, the defense is a worry the Bengals are dragging since last year. On their first preseason game, they allowed 34 points to the Eagles and made Tanner McKee look like the second-coming of Peyton Manning. Hence, the worries about the defense increased.
Now, the Ohio team will visit the nation’s capital to face the Washington Commanders. That should pose another threatening offense to face. Then, they will end the preseason hosting the Colts, who are in the middle of a quarterback battle, so both Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones will be out to prove they deserve the starting job.
