Coming off a big win over the Kansas City Chiefs, the Bengals were looking to keep the momentum going. Their opponent was a Browns team that they had yet to beat in the Joe Burrow era. The Browns have had the recent advantage when matched up against the Bengals, and this time, the situation was made tougher with Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd both exiting after a play or two. Despite the adversity, the Bengals were the better team, and earned a well deserved victory over the Browns.
The Good:
- CB, Cam Taylor-Britt
Taylor-Britt has come a long way since making his debut in the first matchup against the Browns. He looked green early on, but has settled in nicely in recent weeks. Taylor-Britt made some key plays in coverage against the Browns, and was also a big part of the team’s ability to stop the run.
- DT, DJ Reader
Speaking of stopping the run. DJ Reader was arguably the MVP of the Bengals victory. It seems like I’ve said this in every game he’s played, but Reader did a great job of clogging running lanes. Nick Chubb, one of the league’s best backs, ran for only 34 yards, averaging 2.2 per carry.
- LB, Logan Wilson
Wilson also had a great game, helping out against the run. Reader did well to free up space, and Wilson finished off many of the plays. He was all over the field in this one, totaling a whopping 17 tackles and half a sack.
- LB, Germaine Pratt
Pratt wasn’t always quite as visible as Wilson, but he had a great game as well. Pratt was very sound against the run, and also stood out for his play in coverage.
- S, Jessie Bates
Bates has been somewhat quiet this year. However, he contributed a timely turnover in this one, intercepting Deshaun Watson’s pass with the Browns looking to get back into the game. The coverage has generally been solid, but it would be nice to see him turn it up a notch. Perhaps this can help him generate some momentum going forward. A few more turnovers would be big for the defence.
- WR, Ja’Marr Chase
Chase is always given plenty of attention by opposing defense, but his situation was a bit harder, with Higgins and Boyd both exiting during the first drive of the game. Even still, Chase excelled. It took a few drives to really get going, but there was no stopping him once he did. He accounted for 10 of Burrow’s 18 completions, 119 yards, and 1 TD.
- WR, Trenton Irwin
Irwin filled in for Higgins on the outside. With Chase receiving so many targets, he wasn’t asked to do a lot, but he did well when called upon. Irwin caught 2 passes for 58 yards. The highlight was a 45 yarder off a flea flicker that went for a TD.
- RB, Joe Mixon
Mixon, back from injury, looked good in his return. He went for 96 yards and averaged 6.9 per carry. Beyond just the good stats, it was nice to see his explosiveness, something he hasn’t been able to find at times this year. Mixon got loose for a few big ones, including a 40 yard run.
The Bad:
- Special Teams Penalties
It was not a good day for the special teams units. Tre Flowers and Stanley Morgan were each called for a penalty during a punt return. These penalties are costly, as they significantly hurt the team’s field position. This has been a bit of an issue in recent weeks. It needs to be fixed.
- P, Drue Chrisman
Chrisman has been great since taking over a few weeks ago, but this one was a stinker. He had a shanked punt that went for around 25 yards, and another that was a low hanger. Hopefully it was just a blip, or the Bengals may begin thinking about giving Huber his job back.
- K, Evan McPherson
McPherson wasn’t asked to do much. Only one short field goal and a few extra points. Nothing super alarming about his performance, but the missed extra point is worth mentioning.
