The Cincinnati Bengals came in Week 8 with a lot of hope to not only make a run, but also for a chance to win the AFC North with Joe Flacco under center. But, despite an easier matchup against the New York Jets, they fell 39-38.

While Flacco and the offense put together an impressive performance, the defense for the Bengals continued to be a major issue that needs addressing. It's been a problem all year, and against the Jets, the issue was even more apparent.

After the Bengals' disappointing 39-38 loss to the Jets, something needs to change. And while not the only change coming, according to Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team, the Bengals are cutting ties with a veteran defensive tackle.

After the Week 8 loss, the Bengals are making some changes to their defense. One of those changes is coming in the form of the release of veteran journeyman defensive tackle Mike Pennel.

He's played in all eight games for the Bengals this season, recording 15 tackles and one tackle for loss on 133 defensive snaps for Cincinnati.

Pennel played only 25 percent of the snaps, but with how much the defense struggled, finding any way to improve is paramount for the Bengals.

While he's not been the worst player for the Bengals, he hasn't been great either. There are a lot of issues on the defense, and Pennel is only a small part of the troublesome defense.

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But after Week 8, the Bengals are making a change to their defensive front. The Bengals allowed Breece Hall to run for 133 yards and two touchdowns, Isiah Davis to go for 65 yards on seven attempts, while Isaiah Williams and Justin Fields added 25 and 31 yards on the ground, respectively.

The defense needs to be better for Cincinnati, and while Pennel was only a small part of things, the Bengals' front office and Zac Taylor needed to make some changes to the defense.

There's still a lot of work the Bengals need to do to fix the defense, but Pennel's release is the first move the Bengals are making after a brutal loss to the Jets in Week 8. Cincinnati's defense will look to have a better day against the Bears, who are coming off a tough loss of their own against the Baltimore Ravens.