The Bengals opened the season on the road in a tough AFC North matchup. Though expectations were high, stormy weather conditions and a tough Browns defence proved to be too much, as the Bengals lost by three scores. Heading into another divisional matchup, some improvements will need to be made.
The Good:
S, Daxton Hill
Hill did a bit of everything on Sunday. He was excellent in coverage, flying all over the field and snagging an interception. The young safety only allowed 1 reception for a measly 6 yards. All this while playing every snap. As well, Hill was sent after the QB a few times, and was able to create some problems.
CB, Cam Taylor-Britt
Taylor-Britt was also excellent in coverage in this one. He only allowed 17 yards on 2 catches, while keeping his man locked up for most of the game.
CB, DJ Turner
Turner got more playing time than I expected. Though, in hindsight, it makes sense, with Awuzie playing in his first game off the injury. He only allowed 1 catch for 4 yards, but I was especially impressed with how tight his coverage was on most of his snaps. The tape and his stats matchup.
CB, Chidobe Awuzie
Awuzie continues the trend of DB’s making this list. Back from a torn ACL suffered last year, he only played around half the snaps, which is fine with how well DJ Turner played. Awuzie did put himself on the stat sheet, with his highlight being a fumble recovery earlier on in the game, with the Browns deep in Cincinnati territory.
RB, Joe Mixon
Mixon didn’t explode off the stat sheet, but his lack of opportunity is the reason. In the bad weather, Mixon did show some explosiveness and strung together some nice runs. Unfortunately, he was never given the chance to really get going.
The Bad:
QB, Joe Burrow
This might have been Burrow’s worst game as a Bengal. In the pouring rain, it legitimately looked like Burrow was struggling to even throw the ball 5 yards down the field. Though he improved a little as the game went on, the Bengals were still never able to establish any kind of momentum in the passing game. Down 3 scores late, Burrow watched from the sideline, as Jake Browning entered to finish off the game.
WR, Tee Higgins
8 targets and no catches for Higgins. Not totally his fault, as most of them were not catchable. But that statline is almost as ugly as the game itself.
C, Ted Karras
Karras had a rough go, especially as a pass blocker. The Browns have a good DL, and they were able to generate plenty of pressure from the middle, making difficult conditions even more difficult for Burrow.
G, Cordell Volson
While Karras had a few issues, Volson really struggled for much of the game. In all fairness, it was a tough opponent, and he did not play in the preseason. But going forward, the Bengals will need the second year man to take a step forward after his solid rookie season last year.
Head Coach, Zac Taylor
It wasn’t a good day for Taylor, and these early season struggles are something we have seen from him before. The conditions did not help, but he also did not help himself by abandoning the run game, despite Mixon making plays when he was given a string of carries. As well, his decision to punt from the Cleveland 38 yard line was a poor one, even without considering the touchback that resulted on the play.
Run Defence as the Game Went On
The defence started off well, and the pass defence was good for most of the game. However, the run defence started to go downhill as the game went on. Nick Chubb picked up some steam, and the Bengals offence failing to move the ball put the defence in a tough spot.
Homescreen Image Via: Eli Marshall