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Winners and Losers: Preseason Week 1

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While it was only preseason, man was it great to have football back. We saw an encouraging performance from the Bengals starters in their 30-27 victory over the Chicago Bears. Here are a few of the winners and losers from the first game of the year.

John Ross – Wide Receiver
Winner

I am listing Ross as a winner, despite him falling down on a route resulting in a pick six early in the game. Ross did not play a perfect game, however he had flashes that showed why the Bengals picked him 9th overall in 2017. Ross’s one catch for the night was a short route where he caught the ball about four to five yards from the line of scrimmage, right in front of the defender. Most wide receivers would have fought for an extra yard or two and been tackled, but this is where Ross is different. Ross juked out the defender and turned on the jets, accelerating for 20 yards and nearly scoring. It was the type of play that showed just how dangerous he can be in the open field. Ross also remained in the game and got a lot of targets even after his mistake. It was a good sign that Marvin Lewis left him in rather than benching him for the mistake. Ross got a few red zone targets later in the night, one in which he went up in the air to snag the ball and nearly drug both toes in the back of the endzone. Some will say both feet were down, but regardless he showed just enough to flash his monster upside.

Matt Barkley – Quarterback
Loser

Going into Thursday night Barkley was the second quarterback on the Bengals depth chart, but if he continues with performances like he did against the Bears, Barkley could find himself as a free agent. Barkley showed next to nothing in his time against the Bears, completing just five passes for 64 yards. He was able to lead a few drives resulting in field goals, but gave Bengals fans no confidence if something were to happen to Dalton. Barkley will need to seriously step up his game to avoid being passed up by Jeff Driskel, who played very well.

Geno Atkins – Defensive End
Winner

Geno was his usual disruptive self against Chicago, contributing to the first team defense that held Mitchell Trubisky to only four yards passing. Early on in the game versus the Bears first string offense, Geno bulldozed an offensive lineman to the ground getting right to Trubisky for the sack. It was a reminder that Geno is still one of the league’s most elite defensive tackles. A few plays later Geno rushed into the backfield drawing an offensive holding penalty after the Bears line was forced to hold him to keep him from recording his second sack of the night. A five yard penalty is as good as a sack for the defense. Geno showed us that even if you don’t let him get to the quarterback, he can still be a defensive nightmare. Geno should once again be one the key players on this Bengals defense.

Malik Jefferson – Linebacker
Loser

It is not a huge red flag as this was Jefferson’s first NFL game ever, but Jefferson didn’t flash much. Outside of his one tackle we saw Jefferson miss a tackle on a run to the outside that led to the Bears getting a big gain. As if him being a liability on the ground wasn’t enough we also saw him struggle in pass coverage, getting beat several times. It is likely Jefferson was not ready for the speed of the NFL and will be able to better prepare for their week 2 Preseason matchup, but for someone who was taken in the third round Jefferson must improve. With Vontaze Burfict out for the first few games, Malik has a huge opportunity to showcase what he can do with an expected increase of snaps. Jefferson is still raw and developing his instincts, expect him to improve in week 2.

The Cincinnati Bengals Offense
Winner

After an embarrassing 2017 filled with bad line play and no creativity, we saw a new look Bengals offense against the Bears. With a full offseason of Bill Lazor, young wideouts like Ross, Boyd, and Malone, and a new line, this Bengals offense gave fans hope. The Bengals came out firing and moved the ball very effectively. We saw AJ Green lined up in the slot against linebackers, Joe Mixon lined up wide running wide receiver routes, and we also saw Tyler Boyd shine from the slot. Bill Lazor will not be short on weapons this year, and while it was only one game it appears he knows how to utilize them. We saw one blunder by the first team offense, John Ross’s slip, but was otherwise lights out and appeared to be clicking well. Bill and his new offense bring excitement the Bengals have been missing.

Follow me on Twitter @Pierson242FF, be sure to tweet at me for any Bengals related questions or comments. Who Dey!

Game 12 Recap: Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals

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The Cincinnati Bengals trailed for only two seconds last night.

Punchline: They were the only two seconds that mattered.

A 38-yard Chris Boswell field goal as time expired provided the winning margin for the Pittsburgh Steelers in a 23-20 knuckle biter. The game wasn’t helped by the loads of questionable calls by the officials on both sides. In fact, the most painful moment was a horrible third-quarter holding call on Giovani Bernard that wiped out a long AJ Green touchdown reception. The Bengals settled for a field goal instead of a touchdown. Think those four points would’ve made a difference?

How Things Went

The Cincinnati Bengals fought well in a game that featured so many bone-crushing hits, you’d think Chuck Norris had bought a ticket. (Wait, bought a ticket? Who are we kidding? Chuck would just step over the stadium wall and grab a churro from behind the counter). Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict was taken off the field on a stretcher. Joe Mixon left with a concussion. Pittsburgh receiver Antonio Brown took a helmet to the chin while catching a fourth-quarter touchdown pass. The Steelers also lost LB Ryan Shazier with a back injury, and Big Ben was slow to get off the turf a few times.

Even with all that, Cincinnati played well enough to win and responded well when they got a bad break. After Mixon left in the second quarter, Cincinnati plugged in Giovani Bernard and continue their 95-yard touchdown drive. Bernard’s holding call didn’t result in a punt. Instead, Andy Dalton completed a 27-yard pass to Brandon LaFell on 3rd and 16. That led to a field goal.

The offensive line was punching holes in the Steel Curtain all night. The team finished with 130 yards on the ground. The Bengals were playing with such confidence, you’d think they were leading the division. And the Steelers were getting pushed around to the point that … well, you’d think they were the Bengals. But in the end, the game ended the same way many others have – a slim win by Pittsburgh.

Player of the Game

Green had himself a time, gaining 77 yards on seven catches and nabbing a pair of TDs. Amazingly, those were his first-half numbers. He was shut out the rest of the game.

Playoff picture

The Cincinnati Bengals playoff chances took a serious blow with this loss. More serious than when Ivan Drago caved in Apollo Creed’s skull during their exhibition match. They are now 5-7 and behind three 6-6 teams (Chargers, Bills, and Raiders) that are “in the hunt” for a wild card spot. We’re not exactly sure what needs to happen for Cincinnati to get in. And it was a long night, so we don’t feel like figuring it out.

Game 11 Recap: Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals

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For once, the Cincinnati Bengals are involved in a sweep – the good kind. The kind where you do the sweeping.

Cincy took home a victory for the second time against Cleveland in 2017, this one a 30-16 win at Paul Brown Stadium. It kept the Browns winless and, more importantly, kept the Bengals in position to make some noise in the AFC wild-card race. They are currently an eight seed. Some things still need to happen (a good start would be a Baltimore loss to Houston on Monday night). But if the offensive line can replicate today’s performance, the Bengals may be playing more than 16 games.

How Things Went

The Cincinnati Bengals were in control practically the whole way. They took the lead on an eight-yard touchdown pass from Andy Dalton to Tyler Boyd with just over five minutes to go in the first quarter. The O-line paved the way for 152 rushing yards and allowed only one sack. Dalton distributed his 18 completions among seven skill players. The defense notched four sacks and six tackles for loss. It was an all-around solid effort against a quality opponen-hahahahahahahah! Sorry, we knew we couldn’t say that last part and keep a straight face.

The only things we’d like to change are the numerous times that Cleveland almost intercepted Dalton and the fact that DB Dre Kirkpatrick led the team in tackles. It’s usually not good when a defensive back is your leading tackler because it means the other team is getting the ball beyond the defensive line and into the second level.

Cincinnati Bengals Player of the Game

Joe Mixon. The rookie from Oklahoma broke the 100-yard mark for the first time as a pro, reaching 114 on 23 carries. He also added 51 yards on three catches. Mixon is coming into his own. We can tell because he’s earned his best accolade of his short career – our pick as Cincinnati Bengals player of the week.

What This Means Going Forward

Dare we say it, next week is the game that defines the rest of the Cincinnati Bengals’ season. The Pittsburgh Steelers come to town. Cincy can stay alive in the wild-card chase, exact revenge on its biggest rival, and give itself a huge confidence boost all in one shot. Sounds good?

Game 10 Recap: Cincinnati Bengals @ Denver Broncos

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First the good thing, then the unbelievable thing.

The good thing is that the Cincinnati Bengals eeked out a 20-17 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday. The unbelievable thing is that the Bengals, now 4-6, are only one game behind the sixth seed for the final AFC wild card spot. Several other teams are in the mix as well, and there’s a lot of football left to play. But the mere fact that the team still has a chance at the postseason makes us feel like Uma Thurman after she got that adrenaline shot in Pulp Fiction.

The win was uglier than John Travolta thrusting a needle into your heart, but we’ll take it.

How Things Went

If you read the final stats without seeing the game, you’d roll your eyes, groan, and think ‘typical Bengals.’ Cincinnati generated less than 200 yards of total offense. The running game needed a syringe to the chest. The offensive line gave up two sacks and eight tackles for loss. Somehow, though, Andy Dalton threw three TD passes and the Bengals didn’t trail after taking the lead with 12:55 to go in the second quarter. Vontaze Burfict notched 12 tackles to lead the D.

Cincinnati Bengals Player of the Game

We’ll go with Dre Kirkpatrick (insert smile here). He picked off a Brock Osweiler pass in the end zone and returned it 101 yards … and still didn’t score. Which brings us back to that smile. On the 20-yard line, the ball jumped out of Kirk’s hands, untouched, like a poodle who realizes his owner is taking him to the vet. He fell on the ball at the one. Dalton threw a short touchdown pass on the ensuing “drive”, so hopefully he bought Kirk a beer after the game to thank him for the gift.

What This Means Going Forward

Each member of the Cincinnati Bengals should read that part about only being one game out of the playoff spot. They should copy it, tape it to the back wall of their lockers, and get temporary tattoos of it on their forearms. Achieving that will require better numbers than the team got today, but it can be done.

Game 8 Recap: Cincinnati Bengals @ Jacksonville Jaguars

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AJ Green, as usual, provided the highlight of the day for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Said highlight will garner thousands of searches on YouTube. It will be talked about for days. It will definitely give his team’s playoff chances a hard pop. (OK, you get the idea – we’re trying to spin this as positively as we can, and it’s not working).

Green and Jacksonville Jaguars defensive back Jalen Ramsey were ejected near the end of the second quarter after Green grabbed Ramsey in a headlock, slammed him to the turf, and started throwing punches. It was one of several things that went wrong for Cincinnati in Sunday’s 23-7 loss to the Jaguars. Cincy is now 3-5 and their offense, scoring 12.5 points per game, is harder to find than Waldo.

HOW THINGS WENT

The Jaguars were in control of this game from … ohhh, about the opening kickoff. Cincinnati ran the fewest plays in team history (37) and were outgained 407-148. Jacksonville didn’t even need super rookie RB Leonard Fournette, who was benched for breaking a team rule. They rushed for 149 yards and had all the points they needed when Marquise Lee caught a 3-yard TD pass with just under seven minutes left in the first half to take a 10-0 lead.

The Bengals were only down 13-7 when Green was ejected. But the fight cost Cincinnati arguably its best offensive player. The team was effectively toast after that. Cincinnati only gained 25 yards the rest of the way. The defense was on the field for 40:14 and was gassed beyond belief. Heck, we’re impressed they only gave up 23 points, even if they didn’t sack quarterback Blake Bortles.

CINCINNATI BENGALS PLAYER OF THE GAME

Ben-Gals cheerleader Sarah. She made the 2017 Pro Bowl. Seems like she’s long overdue for some recognition.

WHAT THIS MEANS GOING FORWARD

If Green is suspended for his WWE-audition-tape-in-pads, it could very well be the biggest punch in the gut to the Cincinnati Bengals’ playoff chances. Green’s absence in any game severely hurts the downfield passing attack, which is the team’s strength. It could mean the difference between a win and a loss. That’s extra maddening with three toss-up games next on the schedule and little margin for error in the AFC North standings.