Broncos Legend Mark Schlereth, aka “Stink”, went off on Bengals fans this week, and man, he did not hold back. He starts by calling out Cincy fans directly. “You know what you all say—oh, you hate us! You know, we just signed two wide receivers.” In response, he said, “Listen, that doesn’t mean anything to me.”
Schlereth thinks the Bengals completely misallocated their money by paying Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins instead of fixing the O-line. “I believe you build your team from the inside out. You got to take care of your quarterback that way, protect him, be able to run the football, and defend the run.”
.@markschlereth‘s Stink of the Week: The Cincinnati Bengals
“I believe you build your team from the inside-out. You have to take care of your QB that way. But of course you’re going to spend max money on your WRs, which to me is just stupid money spent!” pic.twitter.com/c92cbv6FVP
— Breakfast Ball (@BrkfstBallOnFS1) March 20, 2025
Moving on he put the stat, “Do you know that Joe Burrow is 14 and 13 since he signed his big contract?” It’s not exactly the numbers for a guy getting that kind of money. And let’s talk about that O-line. Schlereth points out that the Bengals were “fifth in the amount of pressures they gave up last year, fourth in the amount of sacks.” And then he dug into their offensive strategy, saying they were in shotgun “more than any other team in football.” That might sound like just a fun stat, but Schlereth explains why that’s a huge problem.
“You can’t effectively run out of shotgun,” he says, It slows down the running back by about half a second, so the O-line has to hold blocks even longer. And, it limits about “30 to 35% of your run game” because the RB is always lined up on one side of the QB, making it obvious to the defense where the play is going. “If he’s on the right side of the quarterback, about 70% of your runs are going to the left. So you’re telling the defense what you’re doing—it’s stupidity.”
Well, he did not miss on Bengals fans “You guys don’t understand football, that’s your problem.” His final verdict is that Cincy spent “stupid money” on wide receivers when they should’ve invested in the trenches. “Money spent on the line of scrimmage is always going to pay more dividends than money spent outside at wide receiver.” Schlereth thinks the Bengals have their priorities completely backward, and he put it straight on their fans’ faces.
The Bengals invested in Tee Higgins, but what about the O-Line?
Well, the Bengals have tried to fix their offensive line, but they’re still struggling to protect Joe Burrow. In 2022, Cincinnati followed the Chiefs’ blueprint to build their O-line. They signed veterans without overspending. Cappa was a top-15 guard, Karras was an excellent pass blocker, and Collins brought toughness and physicality. It might have looked like a smart move for a while, but injuries and inconsistency have kept Burrow under pressure. Over time, the Bengals have gone for quick fixes instead of drafting and developing long-term solutions.
The Bengals was one of the most sacked teams in the league, And now, they leaned on shotgun formations just to give Burrow a chance. That just might be a red flag. He’s a great receiver, but that doesn’t really seem like the best way to keep their star quarterback healthy. Instead of fixing it, the Bengals are committing to Higgins, even with Ja’Marr Chase already in place.
Mark Schlereth might’ve put it bluntly, as throwing “stupid money” at receivers. Cincy ignoring the trenches is a bad strategy. The Bengals know this, they saw what happened in Super Bowl LVI when Burrow had no time to throw. But now, they’re going all-in on their weapons instead of fixing the root problem.
On the other side, Nick Wright also joined in criticizing the Bengals’ roster strategy on First Things First. He argued that if Burrow is truly that great, he shouldn’t need the best receiver duo to win. That didn’t sit right with Tee Higgins’ mom, Lady Stewart, who roasted Nick for On X @TEEHIGGINSMOM #5, attacked Wright: “Shut up d—, opps I mean nick.”
Shut up dick, opps I mean nick https://t.co/WLndSLV62Y
— TEEHIGGINSMOM #5 (@adizlady) March 18, 2025
Her response instantly went viral, with Bengals fans supporting her. Some praised her for defending her son, while others found humor in her take. Fans joked that she got Wright’s name right the first time. While others pushed back against his argument, insisting Higgins would be a key reason the Bengals win a Super Bowl.
To put it together, Higgins and Chase make for a great duo, but none of it matters if Burrow is constantly under pressure. The Bengals once proved they could build a strong O-line without breaking the bank. Now, they’re shifting focus away from that, and it could come back to bite them. If they don’t protect their franchise QB, all that talent at receiver won’t mean much when he’s stuck on the side.
The post Broncos Legend Exposes Bengals’ Mistake in Paying Ja’Marr Chase & Tee Higgins Despite Attempts to Protect Joe Burrow appeared first on EssentiallySports.
