The Bengals were looking to start a winning streak, after a much improved performance in their win over the Giants in week 6. Facing a struggling Browns team, a win was the expectation. And while there were issues that showed up, the performance in Cleveland was good enough to put another check in the win column.
The Good:
DE, Trey Hendrickson
Another game, another outstanding performance by Hendrickson. He was a consistent force off of the edge, making life difficult for Watson and Thompson-Robinson. The star DE got home for 2 sacks, while pressuring the QB all game.
DE, Sam Hubbard
Hubbard, after a rough start to the season, has strung together a couple of good games. He picked up a sack and an interception. Hubbard also played the run well, helping to limit damage done by Cleveland RB’s.
WR’s, Ja’Marr Chase & Tee Higgins
There wasn’t a ton of volume for the two WR’s, but on a day where Burrow completed only 15 passes, the duo accounted for 9 of them. They each caught a TD, with Chase totaling 55 yards and Higgins going for 82.
OT, Amarius Mims
Mims had a tough assignment, having to go up against an elite pass rusher in Myles Garrett. But when the two were matched up against each other, Mims was able to keep things clean for Burrow. A good showing for the rookie 1st rounder.
KR, Charlie Jones
Jones got the Bengals off to a quick start by taking the opening kickoff 100 yards for a TD. He doesn’t add much offensively, but standing out like this in the return game will help add some security to his roster spot, and possibly earn him more offensive opportunities going forward. Jones now has a punt and kickoff return TD less than a season and a half into his career.
DT, BJ Hill
Hill continues his good stretch since returning from injury. Though he wasn’t able to get a sack, his pressure helped contribute to what was a strong defensive effort from the Bengals, and a poor offensive showing from the Browns.
LB, Logan Wilson
Wilson was all over the field on Sunday. He had 10 total tackles, 6 solo. Wilson played the run well, but also had a good day in coverage. A good, complete performance.
The Bad:
OT, Cody Ford
Ford replaced an injured Orlando Brown at LT. Although Burrow was kept relatively clean, Ford himself struggled. Had it not been for Drew Sample and the RB being assigned to help out, things really could have been rough. Ford was getting beat often, but luckily, the assistance proved to be an effective workaround, from a pass protection standpoint.
K, Evan McPherson
McPherson missed another field goal this week. This miss was from 50 yards out. While his roster spot is not in danger, the misses are beginning to pile up. McPherson will need to reel things back in and be more consistent than he has been in the last while.
Offensive Play Calling
I’ll cut Taylor and Pitcher a little slack this time, as they needed to have multiple guys assisting Cody Ford with his matchup on the edge. But overall, the play calling was still vanilla and predictable. Some changes need to be made to the play calling to add a spark. And maybe give some opportunities to Jermaine Burton.
RB, Zack Moss
Moss salvaged his day with 33 receiving yards on 3 catches. However, Chase Brown out-carried him 15-6. On those 6 carries, he only managed to pick up 7 yards. Brown is starting to get a real grip on the RB1 position for the Bengals.
Modified Home Page Image Via: Eli Marshall