The Bengals entered week 5 with much to improve, following a blowout loss to the Titans. While there were still some hiccups, the difference in this game was drastic. Burrow’s health seems to have improved, and some backups were able to fill in nicely while a couple of starters missed due to injury.
The Good:
QB, Joe Burrow
The stats for Burrow look good. Very good. 36/46 for 3 TD’s and a pick is certainly quite the day. However, it is what we saw with our eyes that really jumped out. Of course, Burrow’s tape backs up the stats, but the fact that he was actually able to move around the pocket, scramble outside of it, and scramble up the middle is such a great sign for his health. Burrow’s limited mobility cramped the offence in the first 4 weeks. His improved health now gives a fresh outlook for the rest of the season.
WR, Ja’Marr Chase
Chase set the Bengals single game franchise record for catches in a game with 15. Midweek, he said that he is always open and he was, in fact, always open. Burrow and Chase sliced through the Cardinals defence, connecting on short, intermediate, and deep passes. His 3 TD’s jump off the page, and his 63 yard TD was the highlight of the game.
WR, Trenton Irwin
Though not quite as flashy, Trenton Irwin also had a career day. He took advantage of the increased usage with Tee Higgins being out. Irwin was second on the team in receptions, with 8, which he turned into 60 yards. He also just missed a deep shot off a flea flicker. Overall, good day for Irwin, who dealt with some competition for his spot during the offseason.
CB, Cam Taylor-Britt
I said up above that Chase’s 63 yard TD was the highlight of the game, but Taylor-Britt’s pick 6 might rival it. This play came right after the Bengals got stuffed at the 1 yard line on 3rd and 4th & goal. Down 14-10 at the time, this play shifted the momentum, and the Bengals were able to stay in front the rest of the way.
DE, Trey Hendrickson
This is something I find myself saying after most games, but Hendrickson was a consistent force as a pass rusher. His 2.5 sacks were a huge boost to the defence, but the amount of disruption he caused, even when not getting home, was enough to keep Dobbs uncomfortable.
CB, DJ Turner & S, Jordan Battle
The two rookies saw an increased amount of snaps in this one, both looking quite good. Turner especially was impressive, given that he was filling in for the injured Chidobe Awuzie on the outside. While he wasn’t perfect, his athleticism was on display, and you could see the knack he has for making plays and getting his hands on the ball.
Battle, meanwhile, saw roughly half as many snaps as Nick Scott. That was an increased share for the rookie. He had some growing pains in the preseason and in limited snaps in the first few weeks of the season. However, he seems to be improving. The potential for Battle to earn an even larger share of the snaps seems to be there for the taking.
CB, Mike Hilton
After a rough week, Hilton bounced back in the slot. He made some key plays against the run, and was rock solid in coverage. Hilton allowed only one catch for a very measly gain.
The Bad:
The Offensive Line
The offensive line, outside of Jonah Williams, wasn’t a bright spot in this game. Though Burrow’s mobility seems to be improving, I was still uncomfortable with the amount he had to scramble. Brown got beat around the edge more than I would have liked to see, while Volson doesn’t seem to be getting any better. Improvement is needed.
Run Defence
The run defence wasn’t bad on a consistent basis, but some big runs were given up, which helped lead to some Arizona points. As well, they allowed a big gain to be picked up on an end around. Overall, it wasn’t nearly as bad as what happened against Tennessee, but improvements are still needed.
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