One thing was clear about the Bengals’ defense in their first preseason game: their first unit was not ready to play.
It was not that they were out of shape or didn’t know their scheme; it was that they seemed to be just walking through the motions. Lackadaisical is probably the best word for it and that is one of the worst things you can say about a team. There were definitely some good performances from some of their young players, but the first group was uninspiring.
There are several reasons why this may have happened.