The White Bengals Go Fishing, But Questions Remain About the Offense
The Bengals crawled back to 2-2 with a double-digit win over the previously undefeated Dolphins. While the defense continues to show out, and we are starting to see the big play come back, the offense still lacks an identity.
Before I get into the content of this piece, I just want to send my prayers to Tua Tagovailoa and his family. He suffered a big hit to the head/neck area in the second quarter of Thursday night’s game, a game that he likely should not have been playing in. As a result, he was forced out of the game and had to be immediately taken to the hospital. It was a scary and completely avoidable moment in a game that should have been a big game for both teams, and it is a shame that his injury will be the thing most talked about from this game. The Dolphins organization needs to be held accountable for their handling of his injury, and I expect this to be the latest in a long line of scandals that have rocked Miami over the past several months.
Redirecting towards the events that actually occurred on the field, the Bengals were able to pull out a crucial victory behind another big game from the defense and just enough from the offense. While the Dolphins were able to rack up a lot of yards, the Cincinnati defense, led by Logan Wilson and Vonn Bell, was able to hold them out of the end zone on all but one drive on the evening, which proved to be just enough to churn out the win. However, while the offense has certainly been better in the last few games than the previous two, it is still leaving a lot of plays on the field. Burrow is missing throws, the run game refuses to get going, and Zac Taylor’s questionable playcalling continues to rear its ugly head in critical moments. While Burrow and Taylor did do enough to still take some positives from this game, they have not exorcised the demons that held them back through September.
Bengals’ Offense Looks Better, but Still Leaving a Lot To Be Desired
The best thing about the Bengals’ offense on Thursday night was that they got back to what made 2021 so exciting: the deep ball. Ja’marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd all caught deep shots that set up Cincinnati scores, which ended up being crucial in a game that was close until the last touchdown. Also nice to see after week one: the offensive line continues to look better in pass protection. After giving up thirteen sacks across the first two games of the season, they have only given up three in the last two, including only one against Miami. While neither the Jets nor Dolphins can boast elite pass rushes, it is good to see the offensive line starting to round into form there. It’s still not perfect, as left tackle Jonah Williams is having a particularly rough season by his standards, but it has improved significantly in recent weeks. Another catalyst for the change in fortune has been their focus on taking care of the football. Five turnovers against Pittsburgh got the season off on the wrong foot, but since then, they have only committed one, and even that was a controversial Ja’marr Chase fumble that many would argue should have been called a drop.
However, to say it has not been sunshine and rainbows for the Bengals’ offense so far in 2022 would be an understatement. Yes, the past two games have been better, and I like that they have gotten off to hot starts in both of them after abysmal first halves against Pittsburgh and Dallas. However, the team cannot seem to sustain a consistent, methodical offensive drive to save their lives. Seeing how Miami head coach Mike McDaniel was able to scheme his players open consistently all day makes me yearn for a play-caller that can add some creativity to an offensive scheme that has no identity right now. On top of that, the run game has been absolutely stymied for four straight weeks against run defenses that aren’t exactly known as the league’s best. Lead back Joe Mixon has yet to top 100 yards or even average more than three yards per carry in a game so far this season, and you can see how it is frustrating him and the entire offense. The blame here should go around; the run blocking has been poor, Mixon is not hitting his holes quickly enough or breaking tackles like we are used to seeing, and the offensive scheme is so predictable that it is easy for teams to tee off on Mixon. These are all fixable issues, but going into Baltimore next week, they need to be fixed fast.
Bengals’ Defense, Take a Bow!
I would like to use this paragraph as a formal apology to Lou Anarumo. I wanted the guy fired after 2020 so bad, as he had just led one of the worst defenses in the NFL for two years in a row. Guys seemed like they were constantly out of position, his disguised zone defenses were not fooling anyone, and the players just never seemed to buy into him as a leader. Two years later, I think he has earned the right to be a head coach in the NFL. All four games this year were either wins or close losses because of the performance of his unit, which has only allowed four offensive touchdowns across four games while recording seven turnovers. Their yards per game total does leave a bit to be desired, but at the end of the day, games are won by the team that scores the most points, and Anarumo’s unit has excelled in keeping opposing offenses out of the end zone.
Of course, a large part of the performance has been spurred by the emergence of stars Trey Hendrickson and Logan Wilson. Hendrickson, coming off of an AFC Defensive Player of the Week performance against the Jets, was held without a sack against Miami. However, watching the game, you could see that he was giving star left tackle Terron Armstead fits all night, and there were quite a few uncalled holds. Meanwhile, Logan Wilson continues to be the team’s Most Valuable Player in 2022, as he has emerged as one of the best young linebackers in the game. While Vonn Bell will get the attention for his two interceptions against Miami (as well he should, he played great), it was Wilson’s play in containing the run sideline-to-sideline that forced the Dolphins into taking those shots that led to Bell’s picks. Wilson is eligible for a new contract next offseason, and I absolutely think he has earned it.
So What Do The Bengals Do Now?
First and foremost, root for the Bills, Jets, and Falcons on Sunday! While the week leading up to the Thursday night games can be frustrating for players and coaches, as they do not have a lot of rest and recovery after playing on Sunday, the extended break before their next outing is certainly a welcome deviation in the schedule. If the three teams previously mentioned can pull off victories against the Bengals’ division foes, the Bengals would go from alone in last place last Saturday to a tie for first place by Sunday evening. Going into Baltimore next Sunday Night is going to be tough, as Lamar Jackson is having an MVP-level season for the Ravens. However, the Bengals’ defense has had a recipe for slowing him down in the past, and the Ravens’ secondary has been bleeding yards and points all season thus far. It is up to Zac Taylor’s squad to take advantage of those factors if they want to get above .500 for the first time this season.
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