In a pivotal primetime divisional matchup against the Ravens, the Bengals turned in a good showing in the 1st half. The offensive playmakers were good throughout the game, but some key mistakes on offence, and a complete breakdown defensively, caused their lead to crumble away. Now, there seem to be more questions than answers.
The Good:
WR, Ja’Marr Chase
As usual, we’ll start with the good. And Ja’Marr Chase was about as good as he possibly could have been. The tradition of the Bengals top WR gashing the Ravens defence has continued strongly through Chase. On Thursday, he put up a mind blowing 11 receptions for 264 yards and 3 TD’s. Two of his scores were long ones, with the other coming from closer in to almost win the game, had their 2 point attempt been successful.
QB, Joe Burrow
Chase’s success goes hand in hand with Burrow’s. The star QB did miss some deep shots, but the connection to Chase was on point. As well, Burrow was facing pressure all game, and had to make some tough plays off script. He finished 34/56 for 428 yards and 4 TD’s through the air, while adding 6 yards on the ground.
TE, Tanner Hudson
Hudson had a solid game after being pretty quiet in recent weeks. Even with Gesicki getting a lot of snaps, he was able to lead the unit in receptions, reeling in 6 for 42 yards and a TD. He was a reliable target underneath for Burrow, making some catches in key moments.
CB, Mike Hilton
Hilton was one of the bright spots on defence. He didn’t give up too much in coverage in a game where the secondary got beat up. As well, he made some key tackles.
The Bad:
CB, Cam Taylor-Britt
Taylor-Britt’s struggles continue. He was picked on, and gave up well over 100 yards in coverage. After a great start to his career, it looks like bad habits from college have come back into his game. Taylor-Britt has been biting too often on various different route fakes, and can also allow too much cushion at times. His regression has been a big part of the Bengals defensive struggles.
RB, Chase Brown
Brown was having a solid game beforehand, but his fumble in the 4th quarter was just the spark that the Ravens needed to get back into the game. Before the fumble, the Bengals were up 14 points and had the ball. But the fumble was deep in Cincinnati territory, and allowed the Ravens to get a quick TD on the board to make it a one score game.
S, Geno Stone
Stone has not been great in coverage, but his ability as a tackler has especially been alarming. He doesn’t seem eager or willing to be overly physical, and the angles he takes to the ball carrier are atrocious.
LB, Logan Wilson
Wilson is usually a rock for the Bengals defence, but not on Thursday. At times, he looked lost in coverage as he allowed guys to get by him in zone. As well, he was uncharacteristically bad as a tackler, and infamously whiffed when attempting to push Wallace out of bounds on his long catch and run TD.
G, Alex Cappa
Cappa’s play has fallen off a cliff this season. He has routinely let significant pressure come through the middle, and Burrow was running for his life in week 10 as a result. His play in the run game hasn’t been good either. At this rate, he is playing himself into becoming a potential cap casualty after this season.
DT, Sheldon Rankins
Another free agent flop, Rankins has been invisible so far this season. Week 10 was no different. Not only is he failing to get home for sacks, but he is so far off from even just getting pressures. He was brought in to boost the pass rush, but that has not at all gone according to plan.
RB, Khalil Herbert
Herbert didn’t play much at all in his Bengals debut. But the one touch he was about to receive resulted in a fumble at the exchange. Hopefully he can begin to make an impact in his second game as a Bengal.
2nd Half Defence
The defence played well in the 1st half, holding the Ravens to just 7 points. But it all went out the window in the second half. Suddenly, they were getting picked apart in the secondary, they could not stop the run, could not tackle, and were giving up chunk plays left and right. There were individuals who were particularly bad, but the unit as a whole just did not perform at a level that is even close to where they need to be.
Zac Taylor
The story of Zac Taylor’s offence continues to be the same. The star players making mind blowing plays to put points on the board, and coaching mistakes being made that still cost them in key moments. In a 3rd & short and two 4th & short situations, they dialled up a long bomb, all three of which fell incomplete, and were not even close to being complete. His decision to punt from the opposing 40 instead of kicking the field goal was a flashback from the scared football we saw in the Marvin Lewis era.
And while I don’t disagree with the decision to go for 2 to win the game, it was another play call that lacked creativity. Even accounting for the penalties that should have been called. In big moments, something other than “just get open” would be nice to see. Scheme someone open. Suck in the defence. They could line up heavy from under centre and run a play action with the TE leaking out into the endzone. Or why not a Philly Special? Teams like the Chiefs and 49ers scheme guys open on key plays. Zac Taylor does not.
Refs on the Final Drive
The refereeing on the final drive of the game was about as bad as it gets. Early on, they missed a blatant facemask call on Joe Burrow. This had the Bengals in 4th & 10 soon after, a play they converted on by the narrowest of margins. Then, on the 2 point play, not only was a holding call on Gesicki missed in the endzone, but also three facemask calls near the line of scrimmage, including one on Burrow. How these calls get missed is beyond me. It is a continuation of a long standing officiating problem that has plagued the NFL.
Modified Thumbnail Image Via: Maryland GovPics (CC)