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The Cincinnati Bengals suffered a stunning upset at the hands of the New York Jets over the weekend for one big reason — the defense was on the field for far too many snaps.
Joe Burrow’s offense couldn’t sustain drives, especially early in the game. And the defense had what felt like its worst tackling peformance since that miserable 2020 season.
The result? The defense played nearly 30 more snaps (84 vs. 56) than the offense on the day as backup Mike White threw for 400-plus yards. Burrow’s offense had just 56 snaps on the day.
It’s a bad trend for the Bengals over the first eight games of a 17-game season. The defense has looked great most weeks, but that could change down the stretch if the unit is simply drained from being on the field for too long all season — it adds up. That means an increased injury risk, too.
Here’s a look at the full snap counts from the humbling defeat:
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