The Bengals have swept the Steelers for the first time since 2009. And they did it in style. It was a magnificent performance in all three phases. Needless to say, there are many more good than bad things to talk about from this one.
The Good:
– RB, Joe Mixon
Mixon continued his recent stretch of great play, taking advantage of teams playing the pass. He ran hard and well right from the start, bursting through running lanes and reversing the field when need be. The Bengals workhorse back ran the ball 28 times, turning those carries into 165 yards and 2 TD’s. That averages out to 5.9 yards per carry. His long was 32.
– WR, Tee Higgins
After taking a back seat to Chase for much of the season, Higgins took the spotlight in this one. He caught a team high 6 passes, converting them into 114 yards and a TD. He was a nice down the field threat for Joe Burrow. On the TD, he did well to rise over the defender, high pointing and coming down with the ball.
– QB, Joe Burrow
It wasn’t the biggest statistical performance from Burrow, as he wasn’t needed to do a whole lot, but aside from maybe two mistakes, he was red hot. As mentioned above, he hit Higgins deep on multiple occasions. He also did well to spin away from pressure and scramble into the end zone for an 8 yard TD, making a couple of defenders miss in the process.
– G, Hakeem Adeniji
To be honest, the entire offensive line deserves a shoutout. The running lanes were big from start to finish, and the pass blocking was solid as well. However, Adeniji gets the biggest one here because he seemingly has filled what was previously the biggest weakness on the line. RG. While we don’t want to get too ahead of ourselves, his play in this one is a big reason for optimism regarding the OL. The young player has all the traits necessary to succeed as a starter. If he can turn this momentum into consistency, it would be a huge boost for the Bengals.
– The Entire First Team Defence
Pretty much everyone on the defensive side of the ball deserves a shoutout. Afterall, before exiting the game late in the 4th, the first team defense allowed only a field goal. There was consistent pressure from the DL. Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard were especially good. Each was constantly bothering Big Ben in the backfield, and each picked up a sack. As well, for the second straight week, Hendrickson forced a fumble that was recovered by Hubbard.
In the secondary, Mike Hilton was unbelievable. He was excellent in coverage and was also good when called upon to tackle. His highlight of the game was when he returned an interception for a TD late in the first half. As usual, Awuzie played like a lockdown CB. Even Eli Apple continued his run of good play. He did allow a couple of catches, but for the most part, didn’t allow much separation during the game. His highpoint was an interception early in the first half.
– K, Evan McPherson
McPherson was 5/5 on extra points and 2/2 on field goals. He makes the winners list for his 51 yard kick, in which he had to account for the wind. In the end, the kick went right down the middle. The rookie continues to have a fantastic rookie year.
The Bad:
– CB, Darius Phillips
It is probably nitpicking to even have someone in “The Bad” category after how well the team played, but I decided not to leave it empty. Darius Phillips winds up the lone member in this week’s edition. While he did have a good punt return, his play at CB left a lot to be desired. Mind you, most of his playing time came late with the game far out of reach. Still, he gave up multiple completions down the field, on one occasion, letting a potential interception dart through his hands. As well, he was beaten in coverage for the lone Steeler TD. Coming into the year, there was some feeling that Phillips might leave in the offseason in search of more playing time. However, if this kind of play continues, it will be fair to wonder if the Bengals even desire to keep him.
Modified Homescreen Image Via: Erik Drost (CC)
