The Bengals were given a great opportunity to even out their record, as they got to face a Dallas team without their starting QB. Unfortunately, a lot went wrong throughout the game. While the Bengals did make a strong push to tie the game, they ultimately fell just short. Let’s take a closer look at some of the positives and negatives from the game.
The Good:
– DE, Sam Hubbard
Hubbard looked like the only one who was able to put consistent pressure on the QB. He was a neussiance in the pocket, especially towards the end when stops became crucial. Hubbard was rewarded with the team’s only sack. Honourable mention goes to DJ Reader, who also had a pretty solid game.
– WR, Tee Higgins
It was a lacklustre game for the offence, but Higgins was able to stretch the field a few times. He also adjusted his route to get open for a scrambling Joe Burrow for the team’s only TD.
The Bad:
– Coaching
Among all the negatives in this game, coaching was arguably the biggest one. Zac Taylor’s play calling was as vanilla as it gets. Several runs up the gut out of the same formation, or one with a slight variation. These runs yielded little success, and led to early downs being wasted, which put them in tough spots on 3rd down. Play action was severely undeused and the downfield passing game was almost nonexistent. Adjustments will need to be made.
The defensive side did well in the 2nd half, but you could probably still say that Anarumo didn’t have his best day. The defence played soft at times, which allowed Cooper Rush to pick them apart. Even more frustrating is when it happened on the game winning drive. I would also like to see Anarumo use more of a rotation, especially with a guy like Joseph Ossai, who has tremendous potential as a pass rusher, and can give Hendrickson a break.
– DE, Trey Hendrickson
It has been a disappointing start to the season for Hendrickson. He was invisible for much of the game against the Cowboys. The starters have been playing a lot of snaps, so perhaps this is having an effect. Regardless, we have come to expect more than what we have gotten thus far.
– CB, Eli Apple
From the midway point of last season, onwards, Apple has been very good. He wasn’t terrible in week 2, however, he was beaten a few times by the Cowboys’ depth receivers. Would be nice to see him bounce back against the Jets.
– OT’s, Jonah Williams & La’el Collins
Both Williams and Collinas have had a few struggles to start the year. Week 2 was a tough matchup for each of them, particularly when lined up against Parsons. As good a player as he is, it was pretty discouraging to see him blow by both of them as bady as he did.
Modified Homescreen Image Via: All-Pro Reels (CC)