In an effort to recap all of the good and the bad, here is the final Report Card for the season:
RUSH OFFENSE
The Good: Jeremy Hill became the first Bengals player to rush for double-digit touchdowns (11) since Rudi Johnson had 12 in three consecutive seasons from 2004-06. Hill had 794 yards while Giovani Bernard rushed for 730, marking the first time since the 1988 Super Bowl season the Bengals have had two players with more than 700 yards (Ickey Woods 1066, James Brooks 931).
The Bad: The numbers were down across the board when they were expected to climb after Hill's big rookie season. The Bengals averaged 3.9 yards per carry, down from 4.4 in 2014. And their rushing yards fell from to 2,147 to 1,805. Hill had five 100-yard games as a rookie but none this year. Bernard had the lone 100-yard performance (123, and that was in Week 2. The Bengals ranked 13th in rushing offense after being sixth a year ago.
Grade: C-
PASS OFFENSE
The Good: Quarterback Andy Dalton likely was on his way to a top-five finish in MVP voting before he fractured his thumb Dec. 13. Through his first 12 starts, Dalton was on pace to equal his career high of 33 touchdowns while smashing his career low 13 interceptions with eight. He also was on pace for 4,255 yards, which would have challenged his career high of 4,293. Dalton finished with the highest passer rating in the AFC (106.3) and second-highest in the league behind Seattle's Russell Wilson (110.1).
Tyler Eifert set a franchise record for touchdowns by a tight end with 13 despite missing three games and three quarters of a fourth. A.J. Green had another big year with 86 catches for 1,297 yards and 10 touchdowns, marking the second time in franchise history the Bengals have had two receivers with double-digits TDs (Green 11, Marvin Jones 10 in 2013). Speaking of Jones, he bounced back from the foot injury that cost him all of 2014 to set career highs in receptions (65) and yards (816).
AJ McCarron played well in relief of Dalton, throwing six touchdowns with two interceptions. The nine interceptions they combined for was the lowest team total since 1997 when Jeff Blake threw seven and Boomer Esiason had two.
The Bad: The 32 sacks allowed were the second most since 2008, but there's not much else to criticize.
Grade: A
RUSH DEFENSE
The Good: The Bengals only allowed eight rushing touchdowns, which was the second lowest total in franchise history (six in 2013). They held opponents under 100 yards in 10 games, including eight of the final nine. Geno Atkins' 17 tackles for loss were tied for the most by a Bengals player since Brian Simmons had 17 in 1999 (Atkins also had 17 in 2012). Carlos Dunlap added 16 TFLs.
The Bad: The 4.3 yards allowed per carry was higher than the standard goal of 4.0, and it was a product in large part due to the Bengals allowing five runs of more than 32 yards in the regular season and another one in the playoff loss to Pittsburgh. Three of the runs were 55 yards or longer.
Grade: B
PASS DEFENSE
The Good: Dunlap set a franchise record with 13.5 sacks while Atkins added 11, making them the second duo to record double-digit sacks in the same season since the stat became official in 1983 (Atkins 12.5, Michael Johnson 11.5 in 2012). The 42 sacks fell just a little short of the team record of 46 set in 2012.
Safety Reggie Nelson had a streak of five consecutive games with an interception and finished tied for the NFL lead with eight, marking the second time in franchise history a Bengals player has finished first in the category (Deltha O’Neal 10, 2005).
The Bad: The Bengals allowed 248.5 passing yards per game, which ranked 20th in the league. Some communication errors early in the season led to a number of long plays. Five of the six plays of 40 yards or more allowed were in the first five weeks of the season.
Grade: B+
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Good: Punter Kevin Huber had a solid ratio with 22 punts inside the 20 compared to six touchbacks, although four of those touchbacks came in the final three weeks of the season. And his 45.8 average was 1 yard shy of what he posted last year when he went to the Pro Bowl.
Adam Jones averaged 11.2 yards per punt return with a long of 35. And the punt coverage unit was outstanding all year, holding opponents to an average of 6.3 yards per return with a long of 21.
Mike Nugent was 2 of 3 on field goals of more than 50 yards, and Carlos Dunlap blocked a pair of field goals.
The Bad: There were a lot of penalties on kick and punt returns that either negated big plays or needlessly cost the team yardage when there wasn't even a return.
Nugent missed a couple of big kicks, most notably the 45-yarder in Denver that would have given the Bengals a 17-0 lead late in the first half and instead served as the momentum-swinging play in a game they would go on to lose 20-17 in overtime, ultimately costing them the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye.
Grade: B
COACHING
The Good: It can't be underestimated how tough it is to take a team coming off a fourth consecutive first-round playoff and not only find success again, but storm out of the game for a franchise-best 8-0 start. Defensive coordinator Paul Guenther orchestrated the greatest performance in terms of points allowed in franchise history, and offensive coordinator Hue Jackson's ability to get tough with and be more demanding of Dalton led to a dramatic increase in the quarterback's performance, as well as the offense as a whole.
All four losses came against playoff teams, three of which were division champs, as the coaching staff did a good job of keeping the team focused and avoiding the classic trap games against lesser opponents. The loss to then 3-5 Texans doesn’t look as bad in retrospect after Houston finished the year winning six of eight.
The Bad: The fifth consecutive playoff loss doesn't negate everything accomplished in the regular season, but it weighs down the overall grade heavily, just like bombing a final exam in a class you were acing.
And a further hit to the final grade comes from ugly stain resulting from the breakdown in poise and composure in the final minute of the playoff loss to the Steelers.
Grade: B-
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