Off an embarrassing loss to the Jets, in which Cincinnati blew a two score lead, the Bengals looked to bounce back against a middling Chicago Bears team. But as we have seen in recent weeks, the offence showed up in big numbers, while the defence again struggled mightily.
The Good:
The Offence
The offence carried the team in week 9. Yes, Flacco threw a couple of picks, but he was slinging it for most of the game. He completed 31 of 47 passes for a career high 470 yards and 4 TD’s.
The weapons also were all on their game. Pretty much all of them. Higgins went for 121 yards and 2 TD’s on 7 receptions. One of his TD’s was a spectacular catch deep down the sideline. Chase contributed 111 yards on just 6 catches. Chase Brown wasn’t too busy in the run game, but made 8 catches for 75 yards. Even number 3 receiver Andrei Iosivas had a big day, going for 66 yards and a TD on 5 catches.
It wasn’t just the top receivers making big plays. Noah Fant only made 2 catches, but one was a big TD catch up the seam. He had 28 yards on 2 catches. Fellow TE Tanner Hudson also made 2 catches, going for 42 yards total. Mitchell Tinsley rounds it out. The depth receiver made a big play on his lone catch, going for 27 yards.
Beyond the skill positions, the offensive line has now made it three straight games with generally positive reviews. It wasn’t perfect all around, but Flacco had time to get the ball to his play makers.
As a whole, the offence was good in this one, and the unit deserves a lot of credit.
KR, Charlie Jones
Jones got the Bengals on the board on the first play of the game. A lane appeared for him, and he turned on the burners to take the opening kickoff all the way for a 98 yard TD.
The Bad:
The Defence
Joseph Ossai had a sack and a couple of plays against the run. BJ Hill also had a sack. Other than that, it was bad almost all across the board.
The rookie LB’s again looked bad. Demetrius Knight especially struggled, both in coverage and against the run. Caleb Williams was picking him apart.
The defensive line wasn’t able to put up much pressure, and the run defence was even worse. Guys like TJ Slaton and Jordan Jefferson didn’t make much of an impact in the middle. Meanwhile, Shemar Stewart, who is supposed to at least be solid against the run, was getting bullied.
In the back end, Geno Stone continued to miss tackles, as did Jordan Battle. Battle’s missed tackle led to the Bears game winning TD. It might have been the worst play of the year for this defence, and that is saying something.
