The Cincinnati Bengals are entering a season that could make or break the future of this era of the franchise.After three straight years without a playoff appearance, ESPN's Dan Graziano believes the pressure on Joe Burrow and this version of the Bengals has reached a new level. Graziano wrote that it's "now or never" for Burrow and Cincinnati. The Bengals have already shown what they can be at their best behind Burrow, reaching the Super Bowl in 2021 and returning to the AFC Championship Game the following year."Simply put, the results have not matched the talent on the roster in the ensuing years.Bengals Have No More Excuses After Defensive OverhaulDec 14, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Myles Murphy (99) celebrates his sack during the first quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images“Last season was the third year in a row that the Bengals missed the playoffs," Graziano wrote. "It was also their first losing season since 2020, which was Burrow's injury-shortened rookie year. And over the three-year stretch from 2023 to 2025, Cincinnati ranked 10th in the NFL in offensive EPA and 29th in defensive EPA. The problem seems clear."The Bengals' offense hasn't been perfect, but it isn't the main reason Cincinnati has fallen short. When Burrow is healthy, the Bengals still have had enough firepower to compete with almost anyone, but the defense has been the part of the team that has pulled Cincinnati away from true contention, like in the early 2020s.On the positive side, Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden has much more to work with defensively in Year 2. Cincinnati attacked the defensive line, pass rush, and secondary, leaving less room for excuses if that side of the ball struggles again.“A lot of this is on Burrow, who needs to stay healthy to give the Bengals the best possible chance," Graziano wrote. "But if he does and the defense still lets them down, leading to another missed playoff appearance, Zac Taylor's eighth season as their head coach could very well be his last."Taylor is 52-63-1 in seven seasons with the Bengals. He's also 5-2 in the playoffs and helped the Bengals reach back-to-back AFC championship games in 2021 and 2022. "I certainly feel this way about this team," Burrow said last week. "I think we have guys that have been there and done that and also guys who have had a lot of individual success and not necessarily the team success that we're looking for. Guys like Dexter (Lawrence) and guys like Jonathan (Allen), bringing guys like that in is so advantageous to a lot of different people. Players trying to improve makes it easier on coaches. We have guys with so much talent and I'm just excited to put it all together." For more on the Bengals, make sure you check out the video below:Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow