The Cincinnati Bengals are 3-2 coming off their bye week, and depending on which side of the bed you wake up on, there’s plenty of reason for optimism or pessimism.
Offense has its moments. The defense had its moments. Unfortunately, there are also special teams, and not necessarily in a good way.
Outside of Evan McPherson, who seems to have decided that missing field goals are for lesser mortals, Darrin Simmons’ special teams units are a frustrating combination of mediocrity and outright disaster.
Let’s start with a guy who keeps the lights on.
Field Goal/Field Goal Block
With 11 men on the field working together, each play has many moving pieces, but the field-goal unit is relatively simple. As long as the long snapper, holder, and kicker are doing their jobs, everyone else just needs to avoid the defense for a snap or two.
Outside of a penalty that pushed the Bengals out of field-goal range, Evan McPherson and the rest of the field-goal unit were perfect.
McPherson now owns the franchise record for most consecutive field goals made at 22, a streak that stretches back to the 2025 season. In 2026, McPherson was a perfect 10-for-10. Most impressive, however, was that five of those kicks came from 50 or more yards, with a long of 58.
Obviously, the offense wants to walk away from each drive with seven points, but that’s not always possible. The Bengals are very fortunate to have a kicker who is so accurate from beyond 50 yards. No one really cares about the kicker until a field goal can win or lose the game in the final minutes.
On the defensive side of things, the only major issue so far this season came in Week 5. Dexter Lawrence was flagged for roughing the snapper against the Dolphins, giving Miami a new set of downs after a successful field goal. The Dolphins eventually scored a touchdown, making it seven by three points.
The Bengals won that game, but those four extra points helped keep Miami within striking distance late in the fourth quarter.
Field Goal Unit: 98% (A+)
Field Goal Block Unit: 85% (B)
Overall Field Goal Unit: 92% (A-)
This is where the real problems begin.
As far as punt coverage goes, the first big mistake came in Week 3 against the Steelers. The Bengals’ defense shut down Pittsburgh in the third quarter and forced a punt, but Cedric Johnson was called for an apparent roughing-the-kicker penalty. That gave the Steelers another set of downs, and what should have been a defensive stop turned into a Pittsburgh touchdown a few plays later.
In the same game, former punt returner Ke’Shawn Williams intercepted a punt that Pittsburgh recovered at the Bengals’ 14-yard line. The defense caught the Steelers on a field goal, but instead of Cincinnati getting the ball with a chance to score, Pittsburgh walked away with three points.
Those two mistakes gave the Steelers possessions that resulted in 10 points in a game the Bengals lost by three.
Meanwhile, Ryan Rehkow’s punting was incredible. His 44.9 yards-per-punt average is among the lowest in the NFL. Nine of his 16 punts were downed inside the 20-yard line, and he recorded no touchbacks.
There weren’t any major mistakes on Rehkow’s part, but his overall production was below average.
The real issue with this unit isn’t necessarily the punter. These are the mistakes being made around him. A roughing penalty and a muffed punt aren’t just bad plays. These are the types of mistakes that can cost a team a game, and against Pittsburgh, they helped do exactly that.
Point Unit: 74% (C)
Punt Return Unit: 49% (F)
Overall Punting score: 61 (D-)
Kickoffs are very different now than they used to be. With touchbacks usually taking the ball out on the 35-yard line, teams have more incentive to kick into the end zone and force a return. That means more opportunities for explosive plays, but it also means more opportunities for mistakes.
For the Bengals, the most glaring mistake came in Week 5 against the Dolphins.
Rookie wide receiver Dohnte Meyers fielded the kickoff at the four-yard line, but his momentum immediately carried him out of bounds, putting Joe Burrow and the offense in the shadow of their own goalposts.
The offense managed to get the ball out near midfield, but the drive ended in a punt. While the mistake didn’t directly cost Cincinnati points, it put the offense in a difficult position and took away any chance to start that possession with favorable field position.
To be fair, Meyers also started that game with an 81-yard kickoff return that set the Bengals up at the Miami 10-yard line. Burrow and the offense took advantage, scoring a touchdown just three plays later.
That’s what’s frustrating about the kickoff return unit. There is clear potential for big plays, but the execution is not always consistent.
On the coverage side, the Bengals haven’t experienced any major breakdowns comparable to what we’ve seen from punt units. Overall, they’ve done a respectable job of limiting opposing returners and avoiding the kind of disastrous plays that can completely flip field position.
Kickoff Unit Grade: 82% (B-)
Kickoff Return Unit Grade: 79% (C+)
Overall Kickoff/Return Grade: 80% (B-)
Darrin Simmons has been the Bengals’ special teams coordinator since 2003. He was named assistant head coach in 2020 and has held the same position since then. Special teams hasn’t usually been a big problem for the Bengals under Simmons, but this season has been different. Outside of McPherson, the unit made some costly mistakes, and some had a direct impact on the outcome of games.
Look no further than Pittsburgh.
The Bengals lost that game by three points, and two special teams mistakes gave the Steelers possessions that resulted in 10 points. It’s impossible to say with certainty how the game would have unfolded without those errors, but it’s hard not to wonder what Cincinnati’s record would have looked like if those mistakes hadn’t happened.
Not all at Simmons. Players have to execute, and there’s so much a coach can control when the ball is snapped. However, Simmons is responsible for getting his units ready, and right now, those units aren’t consistently getting the job done.
A 4-1 record, including a 1-0 start in the division, would be better than 3-2.
Hopefully, the Bengals straighten things out during the bye week. Because without McPherson’s efficiency, Cincinnati’s special teams would get a solid D.