The Bengals travelled to New Orleans, looking to get their season back on track after a loss to the Ravens in week 5. After weeks of the defence carrying the team, it was more of a flipped script this time around.
The Good:
– WR Trio
It was a good day from the Bengals top wideout trip. Ja’Marr Chase put up one of his signature performances, hauling in 7 catches for 132 yards and 2 TD’s. He took advantage of a few opportunities in single coverage, including on both of his TDs. On the second one, he broke a tackle and made a guy miss. The score proved to be the game winner.
For Higgins, it wasn’t the biggest statline, but he made a few nice catches. The biggest positive is that he was able to last with there seemingly being no new issues with his ankle. This after he had to exit vs the Ravens.
Boyd had a solid day for himself. Nothing crazy, but as we have gotten used to seeing, the timing of some of his catches were big. As well, it was good to see him more involved after a very quiet week 5.
– QB, Joe Burrow
It was a big day for Burrow in his return to Louisiana. He didn’t turn the ball over, and was able to get more going down the field. His big plays to Chase were headliners, but his contributions with his legs should not go unmentioned. Not only did he run for a 19 yard TD, but his scrambling behind the line of scrimmage led to multiple plays being extended and converted.
– Joe Mixon – the playmaker
It was another week where Mixon had more running room. Though he only had 8 rushing attempts, the 5.6 YPC was nice to see. MIxon added 4 catches for 23 yards, one of which being a TD on 3rd & goal.
– The Pass Rush
The pass rush was able to get to Dalton early in the game. Things did tail off a bit later, and the Saints were able to score some points. However, they picked it back up late, which contributed heavily to the team’s win. BJ Hill made a big play late and had a good game overall, as did Trey Hendrickson.
– CB, Chidobe Awuzie
Awuzie has been great for the Bengals, week in, week out. Though the competition wasn’t exactly the toughest matchup he’ll ever see, he still was able to do his job and shut them down.
– DT, Jay Tufele
Tufele is a high upside player, but hasn’t seen a lot of playing time since being claimed. However, when Tupou exited on Sunday, Tufele got more snaps. He did pretty well, flashing his potential on an impressive tackle for a loss in the backfield. His ability to penetrate the line on that play was similar to what he had shown in college. At what you could say is a position of need, Tufele reaching his potential would be huge for the Bengals.
– The Offensive Line
It wasn’t a perfect outing, but it was a solid step in the right direction for the OL. Specifically for Jonah Williamd and La’el Collins, who have both had their struggles this year. For a second consecutive week, the unit was able to create more room in the run game. Pass blocking has also been improving.
The Bad:
– Joe Mixon – pass blocker
In an ideal world, the Bengals can have one of their top playmakers on the field for 3rd downs. However, his continuous problems in pass protection have been making it tougher and tougher to advocate for. He had a couple miscues on Sunday, including a total whiff that ended in a sack. His pass protection needs to improve if he wants to stay on in passing situations.
– PR, Trent Taylor
Taylor is usually sure handed, but his lost fumble really put the Bengals in a bad spot, and led to the Saints opening TD. It wasn’t a muff. Instead, Taylor, who had already picked up a good chunk of yards on the return, seemed to just lose control of the ball. Can’t have mistakes like that.
– Run Defence
The run defence was leaky, going up against a team with several weapons in the run game. Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram dashed them for big gains quite often, and Taysom Hill had a couple of his own. The worst of them came on a jet sweep, where Rashid Shaheed took it 44 yards to the house.
– CB, Eli Apple
Apple has had a solid season, but had a few more blips in coverage on Sunday. To his credit, there was a nice hit that may have created some momentum. However, especially considering the competition he was up against with the Saints missing their top 3 receivers, he should have been better in coverage.
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