The Bengals took on the Pittsburgh Steelers in the season opener. The late game comeback and resilience shown along the way were encouraging parts of the game, but they were preceded by some very ugly moments.
The Good:
– RB, Joe Mixon
Mixon looked sharp in the opener, rushing for 82 yards, with a long of 31. Especially early in the game, he really had to fight for his yards. The 3.0 average doesn’t quite do his performance justice. It was also great to see MIxon heavily involved in the passing game, something we didn’t see nearly enough of last year. He finished the day with 7 receptions for 63 yards.
– WR, Ja’Marr Chase
Chase was pretty quiet early in the game, but exploded once Higgins left the game with a concussion. He was the focal point of the passing attack, coming away with several key grabs. Chase caught the game winning TD with 2 seconds remaining in regulation, and would have had another had Zac Taylor thrown the challenge flag. He finished the day with 10 receptions for 129 yards and a TD.
– The Defence
The defence was put in some very tough positions in this one, given the 5 turnover committed by the offence. Despite the turnovers, the defence generally played things tight and forced multiple field goal attempts. Given the circumstances, allowing only 20 points in regulation is extremely impressive.
– C, Ted Karras & G, Alex Cappa
The OL didn’t perform up to standard, but new additions Karras and Cappa did their part. Karras especially impressed, earning high grades in both pass and run blocking. Cappa wasn’t spectacular, but he had a solid game, overall.
The Bad:
– The Field Goal Unit
Things were great to start, with Evan Mcpherson kicking a 59 yard field goal. However, things fell apart once Clark Harris went down with a biceps injury. Needing an extra point to win it, Mitchell Wilcox was forced to long snap. It was accurate enough, but definitely lacking in velocity. That, combined with Drew Sample’s inability to secure the edge, led to the kick being blocked.
They got another chance to win it in OT, with a chip shot field goal. Unfortunately, the snap was high and Huber wasn’t able to get the laces out before the kick. McPherson completely shanked it. On this one, you could argue that Huber should have just eaten it, given it was only 3rd down. It would have given them another opportunity to get it right.
– QB, Joe Burrow
Before I get into the bad, I do want to say that Burrow did well to rally the team in the second half, and made some great throws on the last few drives. That said, the 1st half mistakes were just too big to look past. The pick 6 was a bad decision, as he was trying to force the ball with nothing there. This can also be said about some of the others, including one over the middle intended for Boyd.
– Zac Taylor
The question marks surrounding Taylor’s decision making continued into the 2022 season. His play calling was questionable and the severe lack of play action was especially puzzling. As well, Taylor did not challenge the call that ruled Ja’Marr Chase out at the one. Had he challenged, it would have been a TD.
– OT, Jonah Williams & G, Cordell Volson
Aside from Karras and Cappa, the OL didn’t perform up to the standard. La’el Collins even could have been listed here, as he had severe peaks and valleys. But I’ll cut him some slack after he got off to a late start in the offseason, and he was going up against TJ Watt. Volson looked like a rookie playing LG against one of the best DT’s in Cam Heyward. Especially early in the game, he allowed some pressure, and by the end, was responsible for a couple of sacks.
Williams was even more disappointing. Not necessarily because he played *that* poorly, but because at this point in his career, he should be farther along. The former 1st round pick has been a solid starter for the Bengals, but with that pedigree, they need him to be more. In the opener, he gave up some pressures around the edge, and was also responsible for a couple of sacks.
Modified Homescreen Image Via: Erik Drost (CC)