One of the motivating factors behind the Cincinnati Bengals bringing on a new coaching staff headed up by Zac Taylor was fan reaction. By association, ticket sales were a motivating factor.
Yet the Bengals are already having problems in these areas again.
While falling to 0-5 over the weekend, the Bengals reported an attendance of 46,012 at Paul Brown Stadium, which seats 65,535.
That’s tickets handed out, not necessarily the actual number of people in the stands.
A few different things played into Week 5, specifically. The Cardinals weren’t a great opponent. The team was already 0-4 with stars like A.J. Green sidelined.
But this problem isn’t new. The Bengals had the second-worst attendance average in the league last year. By December, regular-season games looked like preseason exhibitions.
The Bengals don’t play at home again until Week 7, then Week 10. They have three home games in December:
- Week 13 vs. Jets
- Week 15 vs. New England
- Week 17 vs. Cleveland
Those could end up like home games for the opposition at this rate.
And while the Bengals have stressed patience, it is worth wondering how the front office will react if numbers are even worse than last year. December numbers from 2018 were with Jeff Driskel under center — not a brand new coaching staff.
