The Bengals went into week 7 close to must win territory. It was a chance to get back into the fight for the division, with a loss doing the opposite. At times, things were shaky, specifically on the defensive side. But the unit was able to create a few turnovers, while the offence put points on the board, en route to a win on Thursday Night Football.
The Good:
K, Evan McPherson
McPherson has been stellar this year, and really came up clutch against the Steelers. He nailed all 4 of his field goal attempts, including the game winner late in the 4th quarter. Additionally, he went 3/3 on extra points.
WR, Ja’Marr Chase
Another game where the offence ran through Chase. He was targeted a staggering 23 times, and hauled in 16 of them for 161 yards and a TD. It seems like in every big moment, Chase was there to make the play, whether it was his dusting of Jalen Ramsey for the TD, or his clutch catches late in the game to help get them into field goal range.
WR, Tee Higgins
Higgins was behind Chase in this one, but with those kinds of numbers, anyone would be. But number 5 still had a day for himself too, hauling in 6 balls for 96 yards, which included a 29 yard catch and run TD. He could have also had another late game TD, but Higgins smartly chose to slide, allowing the Bengals to kill most of the clock before kicking the eventual game winning field goal.
QB, Joe Flacco
Flacco knew the assignment in this one–target Chase and Higgins. His pocket management was outstanding, and he was able to sit in there and deliver well placed passes to his star receivers. Flacco completed 31 of his 47 pass attempts for 342 yards and 3 TD’s. The veteran QB also turned some heads with a read option run that went for more than 10 yards–something that apparently wasn’t planned. With that being one of many examples, Flacco’s veteran presence has been a breath of fresh air for the Bengals offence.
RB, Chase Brown
Brown had easily his best game of the season. It helps to actually have running lanes, but he was on in this one. His quick, decisive cuts allowed him to make people miss and his speed was evident when he got into the open field. Brown had a handful of big runs, as shown by his 11 carriers for 108 yards, which comes to 9.8 yards per carry. Impressive stuff.
Run Blocking
As mentioned, the run blocking definitely did its part to help, probably for the first time this season. The left side especially, with Orlando Brown and Dalton Risner shouldering much of the load, with the majority of the runs going that way. This performance, hopefully, will be something they can build on.
HC, Zac Taylor
It was a bounce back week for Taylor, who has otherwise struggled as a play caller this season. There seemed to be more motion utilized throughout the game, which is something that has been desperately needed. He also did well to lean on what was working–runs to the left side, and downfield passes to Chase and Higgins.
CB, DJ Turner
Turner gave up a big play early, but settled in and finished as one of the team’s best defenders. He had his side locked down for the majority of the game. Turner also made one of the biggest plays of the game, snagging the ball out of the arms of DK Metcalf while somehow landing inbounds along the sideline. It was an incredible interception and, in such a close game, was one of the key moments.
S, Jordan Battle
Battle bounced back after a poor outing in Green Bay in week 6. Against the Steelers, his positioning was a lot better and he looked more comfortable in coverage. He was also able to pick off Aaron Rodgers, who was attempting to find Metcalf deep. Of course, the Steelers don’t have the same kind of speed as the Packers do on offence, but the improvement for Battle was still notable. The difference in his tackling was also night and day. Much cleaner, and he didn’t have any misses.
The Bad:
Pass Rush
The Bengals pass rush was beyond anemic without Trey Hendrickson. Guys like Ossai and Murphy almost seem to alternate between weeks where they show flashes and weeks where they show absolutely nothing. The team got no edge pressure, and they also couldn’t keep contain, allowing Rodgers to leisurely roll out of the pocket to locate targets down the field. The interior rush was equally bad. Guys like BJ Hill and Kris Jenkins have to pick up some of the slack in games like this.
Run Defence
The team’s run defence was abysmal in week 7. The run stuffers like TJ Slaton and Mike Pennel failed to make much of an impact, while the rest of the front 7 struggled alongside them. It was a rough day for Demetrius Knight, who missed 4 tackles. Barrett Carter was better, but wasn’t without his own struggles, as well. Jalen Warren rushed for 127 yards on 16 carries, for an average of 7.9 yards. Kenneth Gainwell and Rodgers also combined for another 20 on the ground.
S, Geno Stone
Stone had a poor day in coverage. He got beat a few times, and his terrible angle to the ball led to Pat Freiermuth’s long TD that briefly gave Pittsburgh the lead at the end of the game. His tackling also looked weak, both in terms of effort and technique.
DE, Cam Sample
I still don’t know why he is getting pass rushing snaps. As quiet as the others were, Sample could not generate anything at all. The Bengals have guys on the practice squad who could add more to the pass rush, but they continue giving snaps to someone who doesn’t bring much to the table at this point in his career.
Thubnail Image Via: Keith Allison (CC)