Stat of the Jay: Bengals Are On a Franchise-Worst Penalty Run, and the NFL Record Isn't Too Far Off

Jay Morrison | Dec 18, 2024

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) reacts to a penalty during the second half of an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio. / Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

CINCINNATI – The penalties, and the frustration, are mounting for the Cincinnati Bengals.

See Joe Burrow’s profanity-laced sideline conversation with head coach Zac Taylor at the end of Sunday’s win at Tennessee for proof.

The Bengals have committed at least 10 penalties in three consecutive games for the first time in franchise history.

In Taylor’s first 100 games as coach, including playoffs, the Bengals only had two games with 10+ penalties – 10 in the overtime loss at Miami in 2019 that delivered Burrow, and 10 in a 24-10 win at Pittsburgh in 2021.

They committed 15 penalties Sunday against the Titans, 14 of which were accepted. That was tied for the seventh most in franchise history and marked the team’s highest total since setting the franchise record with 17 in 2005 during a 38-7 win against Minnesota.

“The 14 penalties is not us. We addressed every single one of those,” Taylor said. “There are things we can continue to clean up, because a lot of those were pre-snap and had nothing to do with Tennessee. There are things we pride ourselves on being better, and in order to win this next game we are going to have to be better."

The Bengals never had more than 100 penalty yards in Taylor’s first 100 games, but they’ve topped that mark twice in their last three contests – 101 in the home loss to the Steelers in Week 13, and 113 last week in Nashville.

Through the first 11 games of the season, the Bengals had the fewest penalty yards in the league with 424, and their 52 penalties were one shy of Arizona's league lead.

Over the last three games, the Bengals have 35 penalties for 291 yards to rank last in both categories.

Despite the recent run of sloppy play, the Bengals still rank first in the league in fewest penalties and fewest penalty yards in the Taylor era.

Their 492 penalties are 15 better the Rams’ 507.

Their 3,998 penalty yards are 265 better than the Rams’ 4,263.

“Each one in this last game was different,” Taylor said. “I liked the way our DBs competed, and they had some called that were called a little bit both ways. I was happy to see those guys compete, and sometimes you're going to be right there and they're going to call it on you. I like to see our guys going down that way as opposed to giving up access and giving up completions, so I was happy with that.

“Two of them were on the tackles getting out a tick early,” Taylor added. “There were three or four false starts. Aside from the tackles getting out early, those are the ones you can't have. Those are the ones that are not acceptable. It's guys we count on and are about the right stuff, and I know we'll be better on that going forward."

If they don’t get it right this week against the Cleveland Browns, they will be on the cusp of making unfortunate history.

If the Bengals commit 10+ penalties Sunday with one of the flag-happiest officiating crews in the league working the game, the streak of four games in a row would be tied for the second longest in the Super Bowl era. The 1998 Chargers did it six games in a row.

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