The Bengals were looking to keep the ball rolling after putting together a small win streak over the last few weeks. In primetime against the Bills, it was a game that came with a lot of anticipation. It featured two high powered offences, and there was a lot of scoring early. However, we then saw the defences step it up at various points throughout the game. The performance wasn’t perfect, but a lot of issues that had lingered through much of this season seemed to be addressed in this one, leading to even more optimism as the season continues to progress.
The Good:
WR, Tee Higgins
Higgins had a big game in week 2, but has otherwise been quiet this season. The Bills put an emphasis on stopping Chase, and Higgins was able to capitalize. I wouldn’t say he was super flashy, but he consistently displayed strong hands in some contested situations, and served as a chain mover for Joe Burrow. Higgins led the team in receptions and yards, making 8 of them for 110 yards.
TE, Tanner Hudson
Hudson was just promoted off of the practice squad, and the Bengals made sure to get him involved. He made 4 catches for 45 yards. Nothing super flashy statistically, but on tape, he looked like someone who brings field stretching potential to this offence. Was a promising showing.
TE, Irv Smith
There was thought that Hudson’s promotion might lead to a demotion for Smith, but that was not the case. There was a bit more of a rotation, but Smith was still involved, and he had his best game as a Bengal. He only made 3 catches for 26 yards, but a nice TD grab to open the scoring was included. It was good to see a bounce back game for Smith, especially after his fumble last week.
TE, Drew Sample
Not to be left out by his fellow TE’s, Sample was able to get in on some of the action. He is known for his blocking, but Sample has shown in the past that he can pick up a few yards after the catch when he has a bit of space. This was the case on his 22 yard TD catch. It was a little dump off, and he was able to make a defender miss in the open field before getting to the endzone. Sample also added another 2 catches for an additional 8 yards.
QB, Joe Burrow
Burrow was on in this one. Really, he has been on since 5. Outside of an underthrown deep ball for Chase, Burrow’s accuracy was on point. Even more impressively, his escapability was on full display, and he was able to keep his eyes downfield and complete passes on the run. On the day, he completed 31 passes for 348 yards and 2 TD’s.
RB, Joe Mixon
Mixon didn’t have a big day statistically, but some instances of poor blocking brought that down a bit. Overall, Mixon ran well and, on a few occasions, was narrowly unable to escape shoestring tackles that would have led to bigger runs. Still, he was able to pick up some key 1st downs, including the game sealer, and find the endzone.
CB, Cam Taylor-Britt
Taylor-Britt locked down his opponent throughout the game, allowing very little separation, and forcing Josh Allen to look elsewhere much of the time. When Allen did look his way, Taylor-Britt made him pay by picking off his pass.
DT, BJ Hill
Hill had a few instances of pressure up the middle, and they all seemed to be in key situations. With Hendrickson not quite playing up to his usual standards (though he was still solid), Hill was able to step it up, and even get home for a sack.
LB, Germaine Pratt
Pratt continues to perform quite well for the Bengals defence, especially in key situations. He was second in tackles behind Mike Hilton, and his forced fumble came with the Bills getting pretty deep into Cincinnati territory. Just like his interception last week, it proved to be a critical moment of the game.
CB, Mike Hilton
As mentioned above, Hilton led the team in tackles. Overall, the tackling wasn’t perfect in this game, but Hilton was as reliable as ever. His impact against the run is subtle, but important, and he has also played well in coverage.
P, Brad Robbins
Robbins was tasked a few times with pinning Buffalo deep. While we didn’t see any punts downed inside the 5, he twice left the Bills at the 9 yard line, and at the 12 on another. Not a bad day for the rookie.
The Bad:
Penalties
It was a tough day for the Bengals in this regard. Especially in one sequence with the team in Buffalo territory. A 3rd & inches turned into 3rd & 5 after a delay of game penalty. A holding penalty on 3rd down was declined after Burrow was sacked. Still, the Bengals remained in field goal range, but not for much longer, as a false start pushed them out of it. The delay of game one was especially bad in that situation. And they came close to a couple others, but had to burn some timeouts to prevent them.
G’s, Cordell Volson & Alex Cappa
The pass protection wasn’t horrible, but did have some iffy moments. Especially from the interior. Volson was better last week, but left some to be desired this week. Fellow G Alex Cappa, meanwhile, didn’t have his best game, and penalties didn’t help.
CB, DJ Turner
It is tough to fault Turner, who has been having a good rookie season. But he was beaten by Diggs for Buffalo’s late TD, and then again on the 2 point conversion play. Rough game for him, but it was a tough task. Shouldn’t be anything to panic about.
Homescreen Image Via: All-Pro Reels (CC)