The Bengals were looking to get the ball rolling after an unexpected 0-2 start. It was yet another winnable matchup, this one coming on the road against the New York Jets. After slow starts in each of the previous two games, it was clear from the coin toss that the Bengals wanted to break quickly, electing to receive for the first time this year.
The opening few plays were very telling. The first being a play action pass (something I had been calling for more of) that went for 13 yards. A few plays later, Burrow threw it out wide, only to have the ball thrown back to him across the width of the field. With the ball in his hands, he looked deep, but the pass fell incomplete. Still, the aggressiveness was a breath of fresh air after how the previous two games had been.
The drive continued with Tee Higgins picking up multiple big gains, and Tyler Boyd getting one of his own. Burrow eventually found Higgins for what many thought was a TD. However, it was ruled that his back heels came down out of bounds. A play later, on 3rd & goal from the 12, Burrow scrambled to his left and found Samaje Perine for the TD. With that, the Bengals had their first lead of the season. 7-0.
The Jets would kick field goals on each of their first two drives, but the Bengals would respond with another TD. Burrow found Boyd over the middle. He was able to bounce off a tackle and take it the distance, covering 58 yards in total. 14-6 Bengals.
On their next drive, a deep pass to Higgins, plus an unnecessary roughness penalty, put the Bengals into Jets territory. They got down to the 4 yard line, but the drive stalled out. McPherson’s chip shot made it 17-6 Bengals. A Logan Wilson interception then led to another field goal, making it 20-6.
The defence continued their near dominant performance, forcing multiple punts. However, the Jets would add one more field goal before the half to make it 20-9 at the break.
Joe Flacco was strip sacked by Trey Hendrickson on the opening drive of the 2nd half, and the fumble was recovered by BJ Hill. This led to a 5 yard Ja’Marr Chase TD, extending the lead to 27-6.
From there, the Bengals would proceed to wear down the clock with their possessions. The Jets did add a couple more field goals, but it was far too little, too late. 27-12 final.
The Bengals improve to 1-2, and will face the undefeated Dolphins in an important Thursday Night Football matchup.
Modified Homescreen Image Via: Alexander Jonesi (CC)