The Bengals took on the Browns on Monday Night Football in what was an important divisional matchup for both teams. The Bengals, entering the contest 0-2 in the division, were in big need of a win. However, they fell flat on their face. The Browns ended up dominating all three phases. As you would expect after watching the game, there is no shortage of material to include in the “bad” section. The “good” from this game, meanwhile, is few and far between. The stuff I did manage to pluck from this game is all debatable as to whether it should even qualify. Nevertheless, I was able to cherry pick a thing or two. But make no mistake, the Bengals need to take a look in the mirror after this one, and make some improvements.
The Good:
– RB, Chris Evans
You could argue that only one offensive snap isn’t enough to make this list. But it isn’t his fault that the coaches won’t play him. He came on for one play and made an impact, catching a 26 yard pass along the right sideline to move the chains. Evans has flashed in his limited action, but for some reason, keeps riding the bench.
– QB, Joe Burrow
The offence didn’t have a good day, but Burrow wasn’t bad. He was put in a terrible situation, with the OL looking like revolving doors, and his receivers having consistent trouble creating any kind of separation. All things considered, he was pretty solid.
– LB, Logan Wilson
The defence tried to hold firm, and was solid in the first half, but the floodgates opened in the second half. The defence as a whole was bad from that point onwards, but Logan Wilson, making his return from injury, had a fine game.
– WR, Tee Higgins
Wasn’t the best day for Higgins, but he did catch a 41 yard TD, albeit, in garbage time. He was also held on a deep ball that could have been a TD, had he been given a fair shot. Of course, no call. Maybe a bit of a reach to include him here, but he was one of the better performers on a lacklustre offence.
The Bad:
– OT, Jonah Williams
Williams had a rough day and, quite frankly, hasn’t had a great season. He was blown up multiple times, causing Burrow to take some heat. For someone who was supposed to be the answer at LT, he has been a bigger liability at times.
– The OL as a Unit
Williams got singled out, but the OL as a unit wasn’t great. The interior wasn’t too bad, but overall, you’d like to see the unit as a whole perform better. Run blocking was bad, and Mixon again had little running room. Collins has been up and down this year, and Monday consisted of a lot more down than up.
– WR, Mike Thomas
The Bengals needed some of the depth guys to step up with Chase out. Mike Thomas got the early opportunity, but dropped an easy pass for what would have been a 1st down. I don’t recall him seeing many, if any, snaps after that.
– RB, Joe Mixon
He doesn’t look the same running it, but it is hard to fault him with how the OL is playing. He actually makes this list for his pass blocking, which has been atrocious. Mixon had a couple of whiffs, including one that led to a forced fumble on Burrow.
– Run Defence
Not much to be said here. The Bengals just allowed the Browns to run all over them. Nick Chubb went for 101 yards and 2 TD’s. They also allowed another combined 71 yards and a TD to three other players on the Browns.
– CB, Cam Taylor-Britt
Taylor-Britt made his first career start, but didn’t look close to being ready. He allowed a lot of separation and all his targets were caught. On one, he dove for the pass breakup, but missed, allowing for a big reception. With all of the injuries at the position, he’ll likely see more playing time, but there is short-term cause for concern.
– K, Evan McPherson
McPherson didn’t look like himself on Monday. He missed a field goal towards the end of the 1st half, which allowed the Browns to go get one of their own before halftime. He then missed an extra point in the second half.
– P, Kevin Huber
Huber has had some good moments this year, but at other times, he looks washed. Last year was similar. On Monday, Huber shanked a couple of punts, leading people to call for the promotion of Drue Chrisman.
– S, Vonn Bell & Daxton Hill
Dax Hill was put in a tough spot, having to come in and man the outside CB spot. He was beaten deep by Amari Cooper not long after. However, some of the blame also falls on Vonn Bell. He was giving help over the top, but came down too low, allowing Cooper to get over top of him too.
– The Front Office
The front office is a loser for not addressing an issue that has been glaring since the offseason. It has always been clear that the team was in need of a suitable WR4, but no attempt has been made to bring one in. On Monday, they suffered the consequences.
