This past Sunday, our offense scored 38 points, but the Bengals still dropped a crucial game to a division rival.
What Went Wrong
Cincinnati looked like they had the game locked down, with multiple different 10-point leads in the second half. The offense looked spectacular, with QB Joe Burrow throwing for 392 yards and 5 touchdowns. Receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins both had incredible performances 19 catches, 276 yards, and four touchdowns. Even punter Ryan Rehkow put on a clinic averaging 50.6 yards per punt.
The running game, however, was lackadaisical and ended up contributing to the loss. The biggest issue was defense. Burrow was quoted last week saying that he would have to play “perfect” and he was right. Deep in the fourth quarter, Burrow threw a rough interception that let the Ravens tie it up and send it to overtime. The defense gave the offense a chance, but they stalled out and McPherson missed a game-winning field goal due to a bad hold.
Speaking of defense, DC Lou Anarumo’s unit had a pathetic showing, allowing 520 yards and 41 points. Every time the offense would put the defense into a winning position, the defense would let up a deep play. The team relied on prevent defense, a strategy in which the defense moves back and allows the offense to get plays in front of the defense. The main goal is to not allow a touchdown, but it resulted in huge plays. Charlie Kolar, who had 32 yards coming into the game, had a 55-yard bomb and a touchdown. The unit as a whole has looked incredibly concerning, ranking out at 31st in the league allowing 29 points per game. The pass defense and rush defense have moments but overall it implodes throughout the game. The pass rush is also plain garbage outside of Trey Hendrickson. While they gave the offense a chance, getting a fumble recovery in Baltimore territory, they shouldn’t have been in the situation to begin with. After the missed kick, Ravens RB Derrick Henry rumbled for 51 yards to put them into field goal range to end the game. The defense is lackluster at best, and if they want to be competitive, it has to get better.
Moving Forward
After such a gut-wrenching loss, the Bengals need to make a change. Head Coach Zac Taylor’s seat is boiling after this game. The defense is empty of talent, and Burrow can only do so much. 5 touchdowns and 350+ yards in a loss is not something that should ever happen. The next four games will be crucial, with games against New York, Cleveland, Philly, and Las Vegas. All of these teams are struggling, and if they can win out and go into the bye week with an above .500 record, there will be hope for the team. If not, Zac Taylor should count his days… as a head coach, of course.
