The Bengals were on the road in Miami to face the Dolphins, but had already been eliminated from playoff contention the week before. They did come away with the win, but at this point in the season, player evaluation is more of a focus. And while there were some poor performances, it was generally positive on both sides of the ball. Moreover, the fact that several young players have been stepping is something the team can hopefully carry with them into next season.
Winners:
RB, Chase Brown
It was a big day for Brown. He totaled 109 yards from scrimmage, but his biggest impact for the Bengals was shown on the score board. In the 3rd quarter alone, he tallied 3 TD’s, helping to turn a close game into a blowout pretty quickly.
QB, Joe Burrow
Burrow enjoyed the kind of success that we have gotten used to seeing with him. He picked apart a weak Dolphins secondary pretty easily. Accuracy was on full display, and he made a nice scrambling play to find a wide open Drew Sample. The throw went against the grain, and allowed Sample to eat up a lot of space in front of him. On the day, Burrow was 25/32 for 309 yards and 4 TD’s.
WR, Ja’Marr Chase
Chase also continued to do his thing. Even though Higgins made his return, and caught a TD, Chase was still the clear focal point of the offence. He turned 11 targets into 9 receptions for 109 yards.
CB, Daxton Hill
Hill had a great day in coverage, but also really stood out for his work rate and some of the blue collar aspects of his game. He was shedding blocks and getting downlow to help in run support, something this team has needed more of.
CB’s, Josh Newton & DJ Turner
Newton and Turner were also good. I mention Newton first because he has been in a depth role for most of this season, but saw an uptick in snaps. In his bigger role, he did not allow a reception. Even more impressive was the fact that he did it from the boundary and not the slot, where he would usually play.
As for Turner, his strong play in coverage is nothing new for this season. In a defensive unit that has struggled, he has been a bright spot, and that continued on Sunday. It is also worth noting that Turner missed part of the game, as he was dealing with an illness, which allowed Newton to see his increase in snaps.
DE, Myles Murphy
Murphy had a solid game as a pass rusher, but really stood out in this one for his run defence. His ability to get off blocks looks to have improved, and he is also reading things quicker. Murphy is putting himself in position to be a big part of the Bengals defence next year.
G, Dalton Risner
Risner was the Bengals best offensive lineman in week 16. His pass blocking was at an elite level, as he did not allow a single pressure. Further, he was very solid in the run game. A complete game for Risner.
OT, Amarius Mims
MIms also had a good day. He was strong in pass protection, keeping Burrow’s right edge secure. Like Risner, he was also solid in the run game, helping spring runs from the right side..
DT, McKinnley Jackson
There wasn’t anything flashy to Jackson’s game, but when he’s been able to get on the field, I thought he has shown some good things as a run defender. We’re at the point where the Bengals need to be playing him over Slaton. And with Kris Jenkins on IR, this means giving him the starting spot.
P, Ryan Rehkow
The game was close early on, but Rehkow helped to slow down the momentum that Miami’s offence was trying to build. All 4 of his punts landed inside the 20, making it easier for the defence to get off the field.
S, Jordan Battle
It wasn’t a perfect game for Battle, but he showed good hustle in this one. On a couple of occasions, he came from a distance to prevent a big play from happening. His play in coverage also was good in week 16.
Losers:
S, Geno Stone
Stone and Battle have both been up and down this season, but Stone has had more poor outings. This one is especially disappointing, given that both units generally performed well, against a weaker opponent. Tackling, specifically, is his main issue. He just doesn’t seem super willing to do the dirty work.
LB, Oren Burks
Burks gave up a couple of receptions, and ended up being responsible for a good chunk of the Dolphins yardage. As well, he also had a missed tackle. Fellow LB Barrett Carter was also poor in coverage, but his play against the run was good enough to keep him off the list.
DT, TJ Slaton
Slaton’s snaps have been decreasing, but he still hasn’t been very effective. It was another game where he was invisible for most of it. Jackson looks a lot flashier, relative to what you’d expect from a run stuffing NT.
OT, Orlando Brown
After a stretch of some good weeks, Brown wasn’t great against the Dolphins. Thankfully, it wasn’t disastrous like some of his performances earlier in the season. But he was responsible for a sack given up. As well, he wasn’t as effective in the run game.
