The Bengals took on the Baltimore Ravens in a Sunday Night divisional matchup. THey were looking for a key win that would put them in sole possession of first place in the AFC North. Despite falling behind early by two scores, the Bengals clawed their way back. Unfortunately, it was for not, as they came up just short in the end. Holding a strong Baltimore offence to only 19 points is a positive, and there were some nice strides made by the Bengals offence as well. However, there are still some lingering issues that need to be worked out.
The Good:
– S, Vonn Bell
Bell continues his good season. Although known for his downhill play, he has actually looked better in coverage this year than what we have become accustomed to. Though it was a bad overthrow by Lamar Jackson, Bell’s interception was a turning point in the game. Baltimore was driving, looking to go up three scores. Instead, it sparked the comeback, as the Bengals tied it before halftime.
– DE, Sam Hubbard
Hubbard was the most noticeable defender for the Bengals on Sunday. He did a good job in the run game, while also making sure to set the edge and keep Jackson in the pocket. Though he didn’t get home as a pass rusher, the pressure was still felt.
– Defensive Coordinator, Lou Anarumo
The defence bent quite a bit, which wasn’t ideal. However, the defence was able to hold the Ravens to multiple field goals from deeper in Cincinnati territory. Lamar is a tricky player to contain, and his scheme helped give them a chance to win.
– RB’s, Joe Mixon & Samaje Perine
Mixon has had a tough season, but he looked pretty good in this one. A bit more explosive than we have seen this year, and he was hitting the holes. He averaged 5.6 yards per carry, which was nice to see, and is hopefully something he’ll get back to doing more regularly.
Perine meanwhile, continues to be a solid part of the offence, in limited opportunities. He was able to make a few key catches, powering his way forward to get past the 1st down marker.
– The Offensive Line
It wasn’t perfect, but the o-line as a collective unit was pretty solid. The pass blocking grades were generally positive, and better run blocking contributed to a better outing from Mixon. You could make the case about some of the negative aspects from individuals. For instance, Collins did have some struggles against JPP, and seemed to be in the wrong spot on the shovel pass. That said, the performance as a unit was encouraging to see. Volson especially seems to be hitting his stride.
– TE, Hayden Hurst
Hurst had a good showing in his “revenge game.” While the stats don’t jump off the page, his effort and toughness were on display whenever he touched the ball. His 19 yard TD was especially impressive, as he forced his way forward, extending his arm into the endzone.
The Bad:
– Head Coach, Zac Taylor
It was yet another poor showing for Taylor as a play caller. These seem to be piling up now. Though I appreciate his effort to be creative, the failed goalline sequence was not the time. The inside running game had been working up to that point. Not running it once when you start and end at the 2 yard line is extremely questionable, to put it lightly. Conversations need to be had about potentially handing over the play calling duties to Callahan.
– WR, Tyler Boyd
It was a quiet game for Boyd, despite Higgins exiting with an injury. On top of that, Boyd’s error on the Philly Special cost the team 12 yards and an extra shot at the endzone. Instead of taking the loss, the ball should have been launched through the back of the endzone when nobody appeared to be open.
– CB, Tre Flowers
Flowers was one of the main guys tasked with slowing down Mark Andrews. Unfortunately, Flowers ended up trailing him on multiple occasions, allowing just enough separation for the catch to be made. Andrews’ production doesn’t fall solely on Flowers’ shoulders, but a large portion of his 8-89-1 statline does.
– QB, Joe Burrow
Burrow wasn’t bad, per se. He has been taking some heat for checking the ball down a lot, but in all fairness, the receivers weren’t doing a great job of getting open. For me, what didn’t sit well was the interception early in the 3rd quarter. He wasn’t really under pressure, and he just forced it into Ja’Marr Chase, failing to notice Queen lurking right there. Momentum could have been built after the defence forced Baltimore to turn it over on downs. Instead, the Ravens turned the turnover into 3 points.
– P, Kevin Huber
Not a good outing for Huber, who had multiple poor punts. When he could have been pinning the Ravens deeper in their own territory, he ended up giving them field position closer to midfield. While he has had some good moments this year, it seems more volatility is to be expected from Huber.
Modified Homescreen Image Via: All-Pro Reels (CC)