Bengals Safety Taylor Mays Out for Season

As they have for most of the season, the Cincinnati Bengals‘ defense put the hammer down on the New York Jets in last week’s 49-9 win, but the victory did come with a cost, as the team suffered several major injuries – including a season-ender to versatile safety Taylor Mays.

According to ESPN.com, on Wednesday, the Bengals placed Mays on the dreaded injured reserved list with a dislocated right shoulder, meaning his season is officially over.

Mays injured the shoulder while making his lone tackle of last week’s game on the final play of the first half, and he wasn’t the only Bengal to leave the game early, as middle linebacker Ray Maualgua suffered a sprained MCL and a concussion. Fortunately for Cincy, Maualgua won’t be lost for the rest of the year, but is expected to miss 3-4 weeks.

While the wins have continued to pile up for the Bengals (6-2) lately – vaulting them to the top of the AFC North standings – the injuries have too – especially on the defensive side of the ball. Along with Mays and Maualgua, the Bengals will be without cornerback Leon Hall (Achilles tendon) and defensive tackle Devon Still (elbow) when they take on the Miami Dolphins tonight. Defensive end Wallace Gilberry (groin) and linebacker Michael Boley (hamstring) will also be limited in tonight’s action.

Of course, you never want to catch the injury bug, but this recent string of defensive injuries couldn’t have come at a worse time for a team that is contending for its third-straight playoff berth. While the offense has certainly shined lately, it’s been the Bengals’ defense – which comes into today’s game ranked eighth in the NFL against the rush and 11th against the pass – that has given Cincy a chance to win games by holding opponents to fewer than 25 points in each of its last four victories.

In terms of today’s match-up, the severely short-handed Bengals are still three-point favorites on the road against the Phins and with their offense rolling, they might be able to afford allowing a few points over their season average. I still like the Bengals to cover -3 today, but look for these injuries to make a lasting impact on Cincinnati’s playoff chances down the line this season.