"It's been an obvious failure" - Mina Kimes points finger at Joe Burrow's Bengals as biggest disappointments of the season

Entering Week 17, the Cincinnati Bengals do not have control over their fate as we approach nut-cutting time. Joe Burrow and the Bengals are currently on the outside looking in when it comes to the NFL Playoff Picture.

The margins are slim and there is no room for error as they take on the Denver Broncos on Saturday evening in a game that will have monumental implications for their playoff chances. Few predicted the Bengals would be in this state prior to the season but the defense has stuck out like a sore thumb, often letting the team down when the offense is firing on all cylinders.

ESPN's Mina Kimes also held the same opinion about the Bengals. During an appearance on this week's GoJo and Golic Show, she outlined why she believes the Bengals are the biggest letdown of the 2024 NFL season.

“I really believe if the Bengals were in a different city like the Jets, there would be a bigger outcry over this season from Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase being wasted on offense. I believe it’s close to historically unprecedented with what they’re doing respective to the team’s win record.

"It is jarring to me the ways in which this defense has let them down. It’s a defense that clearly has not been built well. This is a very expensive defensive line. They have drafted and they have continuously tried to address it. It’s been an obvious failure.”

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Where Joe Burrow's Bengals stand in the NFL Playoff Picture

These are bleak times for Cincinnati. The Los Angeles Chargers' Week 16 win over the Denver Broncos reignited some hope they would make the playoffs, but the margins are still too slim to bet on.

A win over Denver will boost the Bengals' playoff chances to 11%, but that's still a long shot. All the while, Joe Burrow has been slinging the ball at an MVP level, but given the deficiencies of the defense, the Bengals have failed to pick up wins even when the offense is putting on a show.

With Tee Higgins' contract a pending issue, it remains to be seen how the front office staff goes about their business in the summer.