Bengals Evaluation Mode | Myles Murphy Done Enough? Who Should Stay or Go? Defensive Film Review

Welcome back to Bengals On The Brain, Episode 219, presented by First Star Logistics.

It’s like Groundhog Day in Cincinnati, and once again, the Bengals found a way to lose an embarrassing game. This time, after a string of close, strange losses and historically pitiful defensive efforts, the blame squarely falls on an offense that scored zero points in a must-win divisional rivalry game. The offense was terrible, the quarterback stunk, and as an offensive head coach, Zac Taylor will bear the majority of the blame when the offense performs this poorly.

With the team eliminated from playoff contention and only three weeks remaining in the season, the Bengals organization is now entering FULL evaluation mode. For new listeners, or anyone who hasn't experienced this since 2020, this means the focus shifts entirely from weekly playoff strategy to deep, granular evaluations of the young talent currently on the roster. The team must determine which players are merely role-fillers and which can be core parts of a championship-caliber team heading into the 2026 season and beyond.

The primary focus of this evaluation mode is to check in on key young defensive players and assess their progress and viability. We spotlight Myles Murphy, but also look at Demetrius Knight, Barret Carter, Joseph Ossai, Kris Jenkins, and a few others.

The key question for all of them: Are we actively trying to replace them, or can they be integral parts of a future championship roster?

This film review of the Ravens-Bengals matchup highlights Murphy's career-best statistical performance in the NFL.

But is it enough to build around, or is Murphy just another pawn on the chessboard?

The front office must use this evaluation mode to determine which of these role players are good enough to stay and aggressively pursue premier defensive talent in free agency (D-Line, Linebacker, Cornerback) to push these young guys down the depth chart—or at least provide them with better surrounding talent that elevates their play.