In the first “official” meeting between these two teams this season, the Bengals came out with a purpose. The disrespect from the league regarding the scheduling/seeding issues, as well as being labeled 6.5 point underdogs seemed to light a fire under them. And at a convenient time too, given the snow. The Bengals played a well rounded game on both sides of the ball, with nothing to really pick apart negatively. It was positive all around, as the Bengals move on to face the Chiefs. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest standouts from this one.
The Good:
- The Offensive Line
With three starting o-linemen out on Sunday, the worst was expected. However, the depth players stepped up big time, for the most part, keeping a clean pocket, and paving big lanes in the run game. Jackson Carman made his first career start at LT, and had arguably the best game of his career. The natural strength, mean streak, and athleticism were on display. At the very least, he has given us some hope for his development, when it previously seemed to be lost.
Max Scharping also looked like he had his best game as a Bengals, filling in for the injured Alex Cappa. Hakeem Adeniji has been solid for weeks now, since La’el Collins was lost for the season. The depth stepping up was huge, and will continue to be critical going forward.
Not to be left out, the two remaining starters also deserve a shoutout. Ted Karras picked up an injury in the 2nd quarter, but still continued to slug it out. Volson, meanwhile, has continued to make tremendous strides as his rookie season progresses. At various points this season, we’ve seen good pass blocking and good run blocking, but this week was probably the best blend of the two that we have seen in a single game this season.
- The Defensive Line
The men in the trenches on the other side of the ball deserve a lot of credit as well. Not only was the Buffalo rushing attack kept under control, but they had Josh Allen under pressure all game. Hendrickson and Hubbard, as usual, were outstanding. Joseph Ossai continues to get better in what is his first real season in the league. The interior guys were also outstanding. Reader made plays against the run and pushed the pocket, while BJ Hill had several flashes rushing the passer.
- RB, Joe Mixon
Mixon was given a solid workload in the snow, and took advantage of a strong performance by the o-line. But even with their good performance factored in, Mixon still ran hard, showing good burst, and the ability to bounce off contact. He consistently picked up solid yardage, en route to 105 yards and a TD on 20 carries. Mixon also added 18 yards through the air.
- QB, Joe Burrow
Burrow was calm and collected in this one. Not that we’ve come to expect anything else. The o-line, for the most part, kept him clean, but he still did well to maneuver around the pocket when need be. Despite the snowy conditions, his ability as a passer was not hampered one bit, as he was airing it out early and often, finding Chase and Hurst for TD’s on each of the first two respective drives. Burrow threw for 242 yards in the game, and added another 31 on the ground.
- TE, Hayden Hurst
Hurst was a key part of the Bengals win on Sunday. He converted some key 1st downs, including one where he hurdled the defender. He also scored an important TD to put the Bengals up 14-0. In total, Hurst caught 5 passes for 59 yards.
- CB’s Cam Taylor-Britt & Eli Apple
Taylor-Britt and Apple both had good games. Aside from a few big plays, things were kept under control. CTB only allowed 3 catches on 6 targets, and a low passer rating when targeted. He also picked off Josh Allen late in the game. Apple also had a pretty solid day, with nothing catastrophic happening against a dynamic passing attack. Apple broke up Josh Allen’s 4th down pass on the play that essentially sealed the victory.
- Field Goal Operation
It was a solid day for McPherson, who went 2/2 on field goals and 3/3 on extra points. His longest field goal was only 28 yards, but the snow can make things challenging, even on the chip shots. The snow can also cause an issue throughout the process. LS Cal Adomitis snapped the ball with no issues, and Drue Chrisman did well to get the ball down.
The Bad:
Not really much to go over here. Playing a team like the Bills, you can expect a few big plays the other way, but overall, it was a great game on both sides of the ball. Chrisman did shank a punt, which might be worth mentioning. To nitpick, you could look at Irwin’s drop. Even Joe Burrow missed an open throw near the goal line. All that said, given the snowy conditions, I am willing to overlook that kind of stuff.
Modified Homescreen Image Via: All-Pro Reels (CC)