Each had their reasons following Sunday’s 17-13 win over the Seahawks that drew the Bengals to 3-3 on the season.

Anarumo, the Bengals defensive coordinator, was expressing his gratitude for a group of linemen that have come to define his defense.

Just moments after Sam Hubbard sacked Geno Smith on fourth down to give the Bengals the ball with just over two minutes left, it appeared the Bengals defense could finally exhale.

Then the offense generates a whopping four yards in three plays and has to punt again with 1:39 left, putting the exhausted group of Hubbard, Trey Hendrickson, DJ Reader and BJ Hill back on the field.

“And I just walked over to ’em. I said, I’m not putting anybody else out there but you four and I want you for to go win the game for us,” Anarumo said. “And, you know, they just put their helmets on and said, ‘Let’s go.’ And that’s what they did. They wrecked the game at the end of the game for us. And it was great coverage and rush working together really. (Smith) really didn’t have anywhere to go with the ball. So, that was key. But, we had our best guys out there and that was great to see.”

The Bengals showed attitude on defense Sunday, the kind of attitude they showed late in the 2021 season when they took the best shot of Patrick Mahomes twice and advanced to the Super Bowl. That year, the Bengals proved their mettle in key situations. They came up big late against Denver on the road and Las Vegas in the playoffs. They came within a highly questionable call against Logan Wilson from doing it again in the Super Bowl.

Sunday, that attitude came to the surface when they needed it most. That attitude could be seen in the play of the “Core 4” linemen and it could be seen in the person of Cam Taylor-Britt, who took on DK Metcalf and rose to the occasion, taking literally his best shot and getting off the turf to hold the Seattle receiver to four catches on 10 targets for 69 yards.

If the Bengals take on the personality of their defense, they look like the Super Bowl contenders they thought they were.

Hubbard and BJ Hill met at Geno Smith on the final Seattle snap of the day to seal the win that got the Bengals back to .500.

"That's who we are as a defense. Put us in a tough situation we're gonna come out victorious and that's what we did." – BJ Hill

Radio Call of The Game | #GuinnessUS pic.twitter.com/j6y6rygoI9

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) October 17, 2023

The offense? Let’s just say they have quite the mountain to climb.

The run game couldn’t generate a yard on third-and-1 to start the fourth quarter. Joe Burrow played exceptionally well on the first two drives, resulting in touchdowns. Then his play and the play of the entire offense took a nosedive.

Callahan was definitely happy the team won the game. But he knows full well things have to change on the other side of the bye if the Bengals are to become anything close to the juggernaut they were supposed to be coming into this “Super Bowl or bust” season.

“Yeah, I’m pretty salty,” Callahan said. “I don’t know if you picked up on that, but it’s disappointing that we haven’t played to what our standard is. I have full belief that, that we will, and that we’re capable of playing to that. But sometimes you gotta tell the truth. And the truth is, we’re 3-3, and offensively we’ve not played to where we are capable of playing.”

“I just think that there needs to be more production, and offense in general, for everybody not named Ja’Marr Chase.”

Callahan had to take home highlights of a second half that saw Joe Burrow complete 6-of-13 passes for 42 yards. The Bengals achieved four first downs in the final two quarters and a grand total of 53 yards in six possessions. The Bengals scored three points because Cam Taylor-Britt returned a fourth-quarter interception to the Seattle 34. From there, the Bengals moved the ball zero yards

“I was on my couch (Sunday) night, watching it on my iPad, just fuming. We have too many good coaches, too many good players to not play to our standard that we have set for ourselves. And I think that was addressed. Everybody had a had their moment in the barrel (Monday in meetings). I think we’re all aware of what we’ve done thus far and what needs to get corrected moving forward.

“So, it’s nice to have a win. It’s nice getting to make corrections when you win, but we didn’t offensively play well enough to deserve to win that game, players know it, we know it. Our defense played a hellacious game and came up huge in big spots and we did them no favors. And, I think we’re all on the same page there.”

Zac Taylor happy he can make adjustments during bye week to improve offense pic.twitter.com/tv0rHAywJw

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) October 16, 2023

Here are a few areas that need to change out of the bye week:

• Running back production:

The Bengals must find a way to get a yard (or two) when they need it late in games or in the second half. This is something that has haunted them going back to Super Bowl LVI. The Bengals couldn’t pick up a yard against Tennessee in the first half and the offense collapsed. They couldn’t pick up a yard against Arizona twice at the Cardinals 1 and were bailed out by a Cam Taylor-Britt pick-6. They couldn’t gain a yard against Seattle Sunday to open the fourth quarter.

• Tight end production:

The tight end position has never been one that has stuck out in this Joe Burrow offense. But it makes you wonder why we haven’t seen more downfield opportunities like we saw when Tanner Hudson ran a perfect seam route against the Rams in the Monday night win. Burrow clearly doesn’t feel comfortable looking to the tight end, whether a first option or a fourth. The tight end should be a release valve and it’s stuck. The quartet of Irv Smith Jr. (6), Tanner Hudson (4), Mitchell Wilcox (3) and Drew Sample (3) have 16 receptions. Hayden Hurst has 14 for Carolina. This would not be an issue if Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd were putting up big numbers and the Bengals had a ground attack.

• Scheme:

Callahan hinted at it Monday. The Bengals may have Burrow go up under center to see if they can kick-start their run game, which is averaging just 3.46 yards per carry. This will also provide play-action opportunities, offering Burrow the chance to do something he specializes in, deceiving the defense. What the RPO is to shotgun, the traditional under-center formation can be to play-action. The Bengals need to be less predictable from one running back, one tight end formations (11). They’ve shown ’10’ formations. Yes, the Bengals don’t have a great running game or tight end presence right now, but they have the most important piece in a franchise quarterback. Time is now to find different ways to arm and deploy that weapon.

• Tee Higgins:

Playing through bruised ribs, Higgins had two catches on four targets for just 20 yards Sunday. He’s had one breakout game in five. He opened with eight targets and no catches against Cleveland. He had eight catches in 12 targets for 89 yards against Baltimore with two touchdowns. Overall, 14 catches in 36 targets for 149 yards with two scores isn’t going to cut it. If the Bengals can ignite Higgins, that will go a long, long way to returning the offense to the standard that fans have grown accustomed over the last two seasons. No one will ever doubt Higgins’ toughness or desire to play but bigger and better numbers are needed to make everyone feel like he can threaten defenses deep.

• Joe Burrow:

Consistency. That’s the thing the Bengals need most from their franchise quarterback. The first two drives were brilliant against Seattle. He was 17-of-19, including 15 straight completions. The last eight possessions, not so much. Burrow doesn’t have to be spectacular all the time. He just needs to convert third downs when they need it late in the game and not rely on the defense to bail them out. Burrow has proven that he is one of the game’s best at manipulating and reading defenses. He needs to get into a comfort zone where he’s trusting his weapons more to help him deconstruct and dismantle the defenses in front of him. Obviously, he was limited early by his calf injury. But now that he’s moving about and has the bye week to rest even more, Burrow should be able to come out for the final 11 games proving his immense value to the Bengals and that’s he’s capable of leading the franchise to its first Super Bowl title.

The devil is in the details and the lack of executing the details on critical plays has led to hellish results for the offense. Take 3rd-and-1 on the first play of the fourth quarter Sunday. It was designed to be a simple run for Joe Mixon for a first down. Instead, he gets stuffed and the Bengals have to punt, protecting a 14-13 lead.

“It was multiple things that happened,” Callahan offered. “Jonah (Williams) doesn’t come off on the combination (block) on Jordan Brooks and Jordan Brooks is unblocked right in the middle of the hole. And that’s not at all what’s supposed to happen. But even if he does do it, Andrei (Iosivas) is too wide and doesn’t cut, he doesn’t seal off the backside and Jamal Adams is ripping through there. So even if the ball does cut back there, we got a problem on that side too.

“So you’ve got two glaring issues on a play. That’s a critical play in a game on third-and-1, top of the fourth quarter to keep a drive alive. We don’t do it. Things like that, just detailed things, execution things, that has held us back. And so I wish it was one thing. It’s a lot easier to, to address if it’s one particular thing that’s a problem. We’ve just had too many inconsistencies, too much lack of execution, not coached well enough on our end. So, just not in a good place end of the day. So that’s unfortunate. It’s not where we want to be.”

The post Bengals Beat: Brian Callahan Knows It’s Time To Figure Some Things Out While Lou Anarumo Has Something To Build On appeared first on CLNS Media.

Last week in Arizona, their quarterback looks like he is back close to full strength and throwing the ball all over the field to his star receiver, setting new team records.

Sunday, the offense looked as if it were going to continue riding the momentum as Joe Burrow couldn’t miss early. He completed 17 of his first 19 passes, including 15 straight at one point. He threw touchdown passes to Tyler Boyd and rookie birthday boy Andrei Iosivas.

One look into Burrow’s eyes and it appeared the Bengals were going to get behind their franchise quarterback and roll to its second straight win.

Well, they did win, 17-13 against the hard-nosed Seattle Seahawks. But it was not their quarterback that led the way in the second half. It was their rock solid defense that stopped Seattle from scoring touchdowns on four different second half possessions inside the Bengals 10.

The Bengals had 10 defensive snaps in the second half inside their 12 yard line. That’s an amazing accomplishment in today’s NFL.

They allowed five yards and three points over four possessions. That is a stunningly good number. The Bengals won’t make a living like that on most days but thanks to a group of playmakers like Cam Taylor-Britt and pass rushers Sam Hubbard, Trey Hendrickson, DJ Reader and BJ Hill, they lived to tell about it.

“Yeah. It’s actually crazy. I was guarding DK (Metcalf) on one of them — I think it was a back line route — and they threw the ball to him and it was altered because Sam or Trey got back there,” Taylor-Britt told me. “But I knew the ball got altered because I heard the crowd, so I looked and the ball was coming and I was like ‘Oh!’ But it does give me little tips here and there.”

Cam Taylor-Britt explains his great day and a great red zone defense "I want the ball. It's as simple as that… we want to be in those (game-saving) moments" pic.twitter.com/AaNvorzFXx

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) October 15, 2023

Mike Hilton picked off a Geno Smith pass for Jaxon Smith-Njigba at the Bengals 3 on Seattle’s first drive of the second half. It came after a bad Joe Burrow pass for Ja’Marr Chase was intercepted at the Seattle 31. That was just one of several examples Sunday of the defense picking up the offense.

Later in the third quarter, the Seahawks had again driven to the Bengals 5, Cam Taylor-Britt trailed Tyler Lockett in the end zone and was careful not to draw a pass interference call. As Smith targeted Lockett for the touchdown, Taylor-Britt knocked the ball away, saving four points as Seattle settled for a field goal.

Showing out on his birthday @CamTaylorBritt_#SEAvsCIN | CBS pic.twitter.com/WvGZj2E6T9

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) October 15, 2023

Back to Burrow, he was not pleased with the way things turned out. His short answers and body language reflected the enormous frustration the offense was feeling after scoring touchdowns the first two times they touched the ball.

“Our defense stepped up big in the second half,” Burrow told me after. “Offense was really good in the first half; we were horrible in the second half. So, we just have to be able to put together a complete game.”

"Got it done." Joe Burrow was clearly not thrilled but he'll take win. 17-13. pic.twitter.com/sTscf7jlbp

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) October 15, 2023

What changed after those first two drives?

“We’ll watch the tape and see,” Burrow said.

The film will provide Burrow, Zac Taylor and Brian Callahan the roadmap of what happened. The stats tell a hard truth. The Bengals couldn’t pass or run for final 30 minutes.

Even when the other birthday boy Cam Taylor-Britt played Superman and flew threw the air to pick off a Geno Smith fourth-quarter pass and returned it to the Seattle 34, the Bengals didn’t move the ball a single yard. They settled for a 52-yard Evan McPherson field goal.

Burrow was 18-for-22 for 143 yards in the first half. He was just 6-for-13 for 42 yards in the second half. The running game was again absent. Last week, the Bengals couldn’t score twice from the one in the first half on a pair of Joe Mixon runs.

“We’ll have to watch it and see because (we) felt like we had some opportunities,” Zac Taylor said. “(We) felt that we weren’t in a great flow, but it’s really hard for me to put my thumb on it and I’ll have to check it out. And the good news is we found a way to (win).

“I walked off the field and I had I texted Steve Specht yesterday, the St. (Xavier) coach. They had a win on the road and that’s a great job. He said it’s better to win ugly than to lose pretty. And that was the first thing that hit me when I walked off the field today. At times it felt ugly, especially on offense. But again, our defense stepped up and made some big plays for us. It allowed us to get out of there.”

On Sunday, the fourth quarter opened with Mixon getting nowhere on third-and-one at the Bengals 44. The Bengals offense was riding the coattails of the defense on this day.

On Seattle’s final two possessions within the final three minutes, the Bengals front put pressure on Smith to keep him out of the end zone, thanks to a sack from Sam Hubbard to end one possession and up-the-middle pressure from BJ Hill, DJ Reader and Logan Wilson on the final possession to end the game.

“I know they were going to make a play, but at the same time, I knew we had opportunities on offense to put it away and we didn’t,” lamented Burrow.

Chase and Burrow were not on the same page Sunday in the second half. Both stars were muted in their enthusiasm after the win because of it.

“Defense is going to win a championship for us,” Chase declared. “They keep playing like that, it’s going to be a great season for us.”

Chase isn’t wrong. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo deserves a shoutout for the effort Sunday. He received one Sunday postgame as the entire defense received a game ball for helping the Bengals get back to .500 in the ultra-competitive AFC North.

Great team win, now on to the bye

Locker Room Celly | @KetteringHealth pic.twitter.com/2knDVjwL7b

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) October 15, 2023

Burrow insisted like he did after the New England escape last Christmas Eve said he was never going to apologize for a win. And he shouldn’t. Chase echoed Burrow’s sentiments.

“It’s not disappointing — we just hold ourselves to a standard and we’ve got to execute,” Chase said. “As good of an offense as we have, we just have to stay on top of that and not have mental errors like we did today. I think we had a couple of those. I know I had one today. Simple things like that will take us a long way.”

At 3-3, the Bengals have plenty of time to figure things out, with San Francisco on the road coming out of the bye on Oct. 29. And given the Bengals track record over the last two seasons with Burrow and Zac Taylor, there’s reason to believe they will.

There goes that man.#SEAvsCIN | CBS pic.twitter.com/AIRXIWEO1u

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) October 15, 2023

Understand that the Seahawks are a Top 10 defense with a young and aggressive secondary with edge rushers and the best run defense in the NFL. The Seahawks were going to make adjustments when Burrow lit them up over the first two drives. The Bengals had communication breakdowns with their best players when they tried to make their adjustments.

Sunday showed that the Bengals could beat a very physical and mentally tough team like Seattle. DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Kenneth Walker had their explosive plays. But aside from a one-yard TD plunge from Walker on the first drive of the game, the defense held up their end of the bargain. The Bengals won a game that championship teams win, beating a high caliber team when you don’t play up to your standard.

Sometimes high school coaches can offer the best perspective. Steve Specht gave that to Zac Taylor. The Bengals won with an ugly offense. There’s no shame in that. It certainly beats the alternative.

The post Bengals Beat: Defense Shows Its True Colors, Rescues ‘Horrible’ Bengals Offense appeared first on CLNS Media.

Joe Burrow tossed a pair of first-half touchdowns and the Bengals defense intercepted two passes to lead the Bengals (3-3) past the visiting Seattle Seahawks (3-2), 17-13, Sunday before 66,385 at Paycor Stadium.

The Cincinnati defense intercepted Geno Smith twice, sacked the quarterback four times and stopped Seattle twice inside the Bengals 10 in the final three minutes to seal the win.

In all, the Bengals defense faced four red zone chances after Seattle’s game-opening TD drive. They allowed just a field goal in those four chances.

“We have a lot of faith in our defense, especially when they have to go out there — we put them out there in tough spots,” Taylor said. “To have those four low red (zone) stops that they had, they held them to a field goal, two turnovers on downs and a turnover. Exceptional job by our defense. They give you a lot of confidence. It’s a stressful situation. Seattle has a great team. They did a great job in some plays, moving the ball down there. But at the end day, we just have tremendous confidence that our defense is going to figure it out and they did. And they had a huge stop there at the end.”

Burrow finished 24-of-35 for 185 yards and two touchdowns while Smith finished 27-of-41 passing for 323 yards for the Seahawks which had its three-game win streak snapped. Mike Hilton and Cam Taylor-Britt intercepted passes for the Bengals defense, which saved the day after the Bengals offense went ice cold.

“Yes, our defense stepped up big in the second half. Offense was really good in the first half; we were horrible in the second half. So, we just have to be able to put together a complete game,” Burrow said.

"Got it done." Joe Burrow was clearly not thrilled but he'll take win. 17-13. pic.twitter.com/sTscf7jlbp

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) October 15, 2023

Seattle took the game’s opening drive and marched down the field in 11 plays, covering 75 yards. The Bengals appeared ready to hold the Seahawks to a field goal in the red zone but safety Nick Scott was call for pass interference on Tyler Lockett in the end zone.

Kenneth Walker III went in on the next play from the Cincinnati 1 and Seattle led, 7-0.

The Bengals answered with one of their best drives of the season, going 69 yards in 13 plays. Burrow converted two third downs and benefited from a Seattle offsides on fourth-and-one following a Joe Mixon dropped pass on third down.

Burrow connected with Tyler Boyd three times on the drive for 22 yards, including an 8-yard in-slant for a touchdown.

The Bengals defense forced a three-and-out on the next series, highlighted by a key pass breakup by Cam Taylor-Britt who stuck his left arm in and knocked the ball out of the arms of DK Metcalf in front of the Bengals’ sideline.

Burrow remained red-hot on the next series, highlighted by a 31-yard completion to Ja’Marr Chase over the middle. Six plays later, Burrow drifted to his left and fired a strike to rookie Andrei Iosivas for a 3-yard touchdown and a 14-7 Cincinnati lead.

First NFL TD on your birthday? Doesn't get better than that @AndreiIosivas#SEAvsCIN | CBS pic.twitter.com/a3JzzNXMeN

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) October 15, 2023

It was the first career touchdown for the rookie out of Princeton and came on Iosivas’ 24th birthday. And Burrow made sure to retrieve the game ball to mark the occasion.

Joe made sure Andrei got his first NFL touchdown game ball pic.twitter.com/QA5CcrNrli

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) October 15, 2023

Joe Burrow started the game 17-of-19 for 139 yards and two touchdowns. Burrow completed 15 straight passes during one stretch of the first half.

A Jason Myers 55-yard field goal narrowed Cincinnati’s lead to 14-10 at the half.

Burrow threw a ball short for Chase on the opening drive of the second half that was picked off by Tre Brown, giving Seattle the ball at its 31. The Seahawks drove to the Cincinnati 10 before Mike Hilton intercepted a Geno Smith pass at the Cincinnati 3.

Seattle forced a punt and was able to drive to the Cincinnati 5. But Cam Taylor-Britt broke up a Smith pass for Tyler Lockett in the end zone and Seattle settled for a 23-yard Myers field goal to cut Cincinnati’s lead to 14-13.

Seattle lost wide receiver Jake Bobo when he was hit by Dax Hill late in the third quarter and went into concussion protocol.

The Bengals lost their starting left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. to a groin injury late in the third quarter. Cody Ford filled in for Brown for the remainder of the game.

The post Bengals Quick Hits: Joe Burrow Starts Hot, Defense Closes As Bengals Edge Past Seahawks, 17-13 appeared first on CLNS Media.

It’s the rested against the restless.

The Bengals (2-3) need a win to head into their bye week with a .500 mark that would match their record after six games last season.

The Bengals are coming off a much-needed win on the road against the Arizona Cardinals, giving them the chance this Sunday to enter their bye week with a .500 mark.

Ja’Marr Chase led the way in Cincinnati’s 34-20 win last Sunday. Chase hauled in a Bengals single-game record 15 receptions for 192 yards and three TDs. He became the fourth player in league history under the age of 24 to catch 15 passes in a game, and the fifth player ever to post at least 15 receptions, 150 receiving yards and three TDs.

“(With) Ja’Marr, nothing really surprises you,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “You just keep finding ways to get him the ball. It can come in so many different ways because of how flexible he is as a football player and his football IQ.”

What made the feat all the more impressive is that the Bengals were without fellow star receiver Tee Higgins, nursing a rib injury from the loss at Tennessee in Week 4.

Joe Burrow appeared close to fully recovered from his right calf strain, scrambling and running to space to avoid pressure and throwing accurately from moving pockets while completing 36-of-46 passes for 317 yards and three touchdowns.

“It’s something I haven’t been able to do for the last couple of weeks,” Burrow said. “When your quarterback can’t do that — can’t steal first downs, can’t extend plays, can’t find guys downfield — it’s tough to move the ball. So, it felt good. I’m going to continue to get healthier, and I’m excited about that.”

The Bengals are also hoping starting cornerback Chido Awuzie can return from a back issue that cropped up last week in practice and forced him to sit out. Rookie DJ Turner II made his first NFL start in the place of Awuzie.

Behind the rejuvenated Geno Smith, Seattle has scored at least 24 points in each of their three wins since a Week 1 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

“I really like the last three weeks,” Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said. “The second half of the first game, that still kills me the way we were. But the last three games, we’ve stayed in the mode where we’re playing with the same kind of focus, same kind of intensity.

“We feel like were gaining on some things. We’re getting better at some stuff. We finished in similar fashion, which is something that really important to me, telling me how the mentality of our team is. We’ve had three really solid settings we’ve been through. We’ve gained a lot. Hopefully we can keep going.”

No team has been stingier in the NFL in allowing rushing yards per carry. The Seahawks have yielded a league-low 3.18 yards per carry. Linebacker Bobby Wagner has been a big part of the Seattle defense that has led the way during the three-game win streak.

The bye week should also help some injured players like Jamal Adams (concussion) to get healthy.

“I think it allows for some of the guys who were injured to get more healthy, guys like Jamal who we’re working back into the fold, he gets to have a week off after a game like that,” Wagner said. “The biggest thing is just health, giving guys time to get back and get healthy so we can make a run. I feel good about where we’re at.”

Here’s what to look for:

Last week, Burrow showed that he is as healthy as he’s been all season, completing his first nine passes and 22 of his first 26 in carving up the Arizona secondary. Now, can he repeat it against a much better Seattle secondary? Burrow has been in rhythm on the opening drive of the last two games. Against Tennessee, the Bengals failed on third down repeatedly and could only muster the three points from opening drive. Last week, the Bengals QB showed his agility and mobility and found Chase on a scramble for a TD. The Bengals and Burrow were in rhythm for the first two drives, lost it and then found it again. They’ll need more consistency this week.

Last week, the Bengals decided to play it safe with Higgins and give him an extra week to heal his ribs injured in the Tennessee game. With Seattle’s defense on tap, Higgins picked it up in practice this week and said he feels ready to play Sunday, perhaps without a restrictive flak jacket to protect the ribs. If Higgins is willing and able, he will offer some balance to a defense keyed to slow Chase.

Tee Higgins says he could play Sunday vs Seattle without a flak jacket. pic.twitter.com/duegelMzuU

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) October 12, 2023

Thanks to DK Metcalf, this became a bigger story. “I think Spoon will get the best of him,” Metcalf said in propping up Witherspoon, the rookie out of Illinois and – like Chase – a first-round fifth overall pick. Chase responded this week by laughing it off and dismissing it as less than trash talk since it the comments didn’t come from Witherspoon himself. Chase said he wants the battle to come down to facing his opponent face-to-face and win where it matters most. Witherspoon has one interception this season, a 97-yard pick-6 against the Giants in Seattle’s 24-3 demolition of New York. There is always the chance that Riq Woolen and/or Michael Jackson could get their chance.

Classic Ja'Marr Chase on Big Foot, aliens and DK Metcalf pumping up Devon Witherspoon. No hard feelings. pic.twitter.com/z1o6kJAaUM

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) October 12, 2023

All predictions aside, Metcalf is as an imposing physical receiver as the Bengals will face all season. He’s got speed, height (6-foot-4) and size (240) pounds. He’s got only two touchdowns in four games so far but don’t let him get a head of steam. He’s essentially Derrick Henry as a receiver. This will be a challenge for the Bengals secondary and it will be fascinating to see how Lou Anarumo spreads his assets to defend him. He’s got 18 catches in four games and is averaging 14.9 yards per reception.

This is a matchup of the NFL’s oldest coach in Pete Carroll (71) and the sixth-youngest in Zac Taylor (39). Carroll is known for his hard-hitting defenses, featuring 11-year veteran Bobby Wagner at inside linebacker and Jamal Adams at safety. And nothing says toughness better than shutting down the run. The Seahawks allow an NFL-low 3.18 yards per rush. They are coming off a game against the Giants in which they sacked the quarterback 11 times. Carroll is the first coach Zac Taylor faced in his NFL coaching career, losing the 2019 season opener in Seattle, 21-20.

The Bengals did what they were supposed to do in beating a substandard Cardinals team on the road last week. Now it’s time to prove to themselves they’ve really turned a corner heading into the bye with a win over a solid NFC team that is rested coming off a bye. Geno Smith is a crafty veteran at quarterback, who has displayed tremendous maturity in his four seasons with Seattle. Smith has thrown five touchdowns this season and just one interception. In fact, Smith has thrown 40 touchdowns and just 13 interceptions since the start of the 2021 season. The Seahawks have plenty of ways to turn this into a rock fight. The Bengals – on their home turf – need again to strike early and not let Seattle’s talented defense dictate. If Higgins plays – and is healthy – the Bengals should have enough to pass this test.

Bengals 24, Seahawks 20

The post W2L4: What Bengals Need To Do To Beat Seahawks, Head Into Bye With Momentum appeared first on CLNS Media.

The first five weeks of the season, Chase was mostly serious and focused on the task at hand, knowing his quarterback was not at full strength and neither was the offense.

On Thursday, after catching a team-record 15 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-20 win, Chase was in a playful and engaging mood in front of his locker.

Coincidence? Perhaps. But one stroll through the Bengals locker room this week and you can tell the mood is changing.

The Bengals really do need to follow up Sunday’s win in Arizona with a solid winning performance against Seattle heading into the bye.

Chase wasn’t about to get triggered by some proxy trash talking coming from Seattle star receiver DK Metcalf. In all honesty, it wasn’t actually even trash talk by today’s standards coming from Metcalf. It was standing up for his rookie teammate Devon Witherspoon, who will be charged with and likely assigned Chase in coverage during Sunday’s showdown at Paycor.

“I think Spoon will get the best of him,” Metcalf said.

Chase’s response?

“That’s why I didn’t say anything,” Chase said. “Until he say something I’ll say something. But it’s DK. I’m not checking DK. DK’s not checking me. He’s just saying what he wants to say at the end of the day.”

Chase said he intends to let his play do the talking and not get too bogged down in talk.

“I don’t care. I really give zero effs,” Chase added.

Of course, there will be talk. There always is. Remember Chase’s double uno greeting to Minkah Fitzpatrick during the 2022 season opener?

“I love it. It’s sports. I expect people to talk trash to me,” Chase said. “If you don’t talk trash, you don’t like football. I’m usually the one talking first. I don’t think they have time to talk about.”

And when they do?

“I start laughing first,” Chase said. “I haven’t heard anything that’s like, ‘Damn, you said that?’ like damn, it made me think about it.”

In other words, he’s not going faux rage in his mind against Witherspoon. There’ll be plenty of time for that in the heat of battle.

Are there magic words or actions that will trigger him? A line not to be crossed?

“There is no line in trash talking,” Chase told me without missing a beat. “No. There’s no rules to it. That’s why it’s called trash talking.”

Fair enough. That’s what makes Ja’Marr Chase truly an Uno personality in the Bengals room. Every word that comes out of his mouth is true to himself. “To thine own self be true,” Shakespeare famously wrote in Hamlet.

Chase is acting out his own epic play in 17 parts, with the hope of several encores.

Chase is supremely confident. That comes with an intense off-season workout program and in-season work ethic at practice and study of game plans and film. While it was great that he had 15 catches on 19 targets for 192 yards and three TDs, he didn’t need those numbers to boost his confidence.

“I have confidence every game,” Chase said. “It’s not just because I go off and have that many catches. I play with a lot of confidence every game. That’s what I’m here for, to have that confidence, and that confidence probably helps the team. So, you know, I’m just playing my game.”

Chase knows every great NFL receiver needs the mindset of dominating his opponent. He had that against Jalen Ramsey in Super Bowl LVI and he had that last week against a bunch of backups in a banged up Arizona secondary.

“Hell yeah. Hell yeah,” Chase said before being asked if a game like Arizona helps him. His answer was one of the best snapshots of his attitude and what he expects to fight through every game if he playing to his potential.

“It helps, yeah. It helps the defense to double your ass,” Chase said. “Other than that, you should already have confidence as a receiver. That should be your mindset every game.”

Asked if he has his sights set on Brandon Marshall’s NFL single-game reception record of 21, Chase again was honest.

“Brandon really? Damn!” Chase said at first. “I did see that I did. See that. Yeah, I don’t know if I’m gonna get there. I don’t know if I’m get there.”

“I had 18 targets, (actually 19)… I dropped two of them, slant and skinny route in the middle of the field. That was the two I wish I had back but you know, God’s plan man. I appreciate the (coaching) staff upstairs and them just giving me the opportunity to make plays.”

Every @Real10jayy__ catch that led him to his new franchise record pic.twitter.com/qPe0QyHcQl

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) October 9, 2023

While Chase is a dominant personality, his best trait is his aforementioned work ethic. He and Joe Burrow pride themselves on the work they put in to make the Bengals offense click, something it has done with regularity over the last two seasons as the season progresses.

“It’s the standard I want to say,” Chase explained. “They expect us to play like that and practice like that every play. It’s how we make the guys around us better, going harder and just pushing everybody around us (to be better).

“As for me, I don’t really (try to lead) I’m not really much of a talker. I leave much by example, but if I have to speak I can, it’s not something that I always do. But for my most part and if I had to speak up, it will probably be in a receiver room, if anything.”

Chase will get his chance to shine again on Sunday against one of the better rookie corners in football. He plans to let his numbers and production do the loudest talking.

Tee Higgins (ribs) and Chido Awuzie (back) were both limited again in practice on Friday and are questionable for Sunday’s game against Seattle. Zac Taylor indicated Friday that he will see how both of them progress over the weekend and get a better feel for a final decision in the hours before Sunday’s 1 p.m. kickoff. Nose tackle Josh Tupou appeared Friday on the injury report with a toe issue and did not practice. He is also questionable for the game. Linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither (right knee) was spotted with crutches in the locker room Friday and is out for Sunday, missing his second straight game. The Bengals will re-assess his status and use the bye week to determine if a trip to the IR is in his future.

The post Bengals Beat: Appreciating The Directness and Greatness of Ja’Marr Chase ‘I Really Give Zero Effs’ appeared first on CLNS Media.

The Bengals are hoping to be that great team by the end of the season.

Their record is what it is right now at 2-3. But the leaders in the locker room believe they are setting the foundation for later in the season when the stakes are higher and the margin of error diminishes to near-zero.

Whether it’s a rookie like DJ Turner stepping in for the ailing Chido Awuzie (dealing with back discomfort) or a leader like Joe Burrow, or even the head coach, everyone has a standard to meet if the Bengals are to start rising to the expectations they had in the summer.

In the game against Tennessee, the Bengals had a total of 12 official missed tackles in coaches’ bookkeeping records.

Last week, it improved but there were still issues on the perimeter, such as the 41-yard run by Rondale Moore or the 11-yard TD run by Emari Demercado in the third quarter or the open field missed tackle midway through the third for everyone to see when DJ Turner sped past Hollywood Brown on a simple dump off.

Turner is someone who has impressed Zac Taylor from the start of training camp. Turner has fit in well with fellow rookie Jordan Battle and second-year DBs Dax Hill and Cam Taylor-Britt.

“Well and that’s just what our roster is right now,” Taylor said. “I think our roster is what it is because we have trust in those guys and they’ve earned the opportunity to be on the roster and to be on the field. Your youngest player you’ve got out there right now is DJ Turner and I thought he had a tremendous training camp.

“Every opportunity (Turner) got, yeah it wasn’t always perfect, but you saw him just make a lot of plays on the ball. That creates more opportunity for him, obviously Chido being out helped that as well. He took it and ran with it. Same for Cam Taylor Britt last year, he took it and ran with it. Those guys you don’t know until you see them out there and throw them into the fire and because of that some good things have happened.”

Turner said that the early reps in camp and the preseason helped him get more comfortable sooner so he would be ready to contribute in the regular season. That’s precisely what’s happened.

“So it wasn’t like it was a big learning curve,” Turner said. “I had to go through so it was definitely a good thing.”

If there was something to be corrected, defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo was there to correct it and offer a teaching point.

“Everyone gets held to a high standard so you know if I mess up something, it’s going to get corrected. We hold everybody to high standards.”

One thing DJ Turner has worked on is his ability to tackle.

“I wanted to show that I was good at and it showed up this game because a lot of situations happen so to where I had to tackle and so I was definitely positive thing that game,” Turner said.

"Everyone is held to a high standard" DJ Turner on Bengals DC Lou Anarumo pic.twitter.com/pca2IWt8aW

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) October 11, 2023

Taylor has embraced the need to bring his young secondary up to speed and, for the most part, it’s paid off in the likes of Turner, Battle, Hill and Taylor-Britt.

“You gain so much experience with knowledge,” Taylor said. “And you can you can coach it up and show him the clips of it happening around the league or it happened to us into past years of us, but until you get out there and you have to make that split second decision or see it for the first time.

“It’s like anything, you know, you continue to experience your own things and you try your best to learn it. But there’s no teacher greater than just experiences you have and we’re seeing guys, you know, get better and better with every rep that they get.”

Logan Wilson had a pair of missed tackles on the second half-opening drive and so did Cam Taylor-Britt.

When you’re accountable, mistakes get fixed quicker and are less likely to be repeated. That was the model the 2022 Bengals followed when they opened 0-2, 2-3 and 4-4. The players who are most likely to be accountable are also the hardest workers. No one works harder than Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, the two most important players on the roster.

“It’s the standard,” Chase told me. “They expect us to play like that and practice like that every play. It’s how we make the guys around us better, know what I’m saying, going harder and just pushing everybody around us (to be better).”

Both sides of the ball answered that challenge Sunday a couple of times. Trailing 14-10, Cam Taylor-Britt (with the help of Mike Hilton in the slot) picked off a pass for an 11-yard pick-6. Up 24-14, the Bengals allowed Arizona to trim the game to four, 24-20. But a fourth down stop in the red zone extinguished any hope of a Cardinals comeback. Turner, Taylor-Britt, Battle and Hill all played key roles.

With hard work comes accountability. It’s no secret that the offense wasn’t giving the defense a chance in the games in Cleveland and Tennessee. Burrow’s health and the execution of the receivers, running backs and offensive line was not consistent. It was addressed and led to a business-like win in Arizona.

“You have to. You have to or else you’re not going to be able to play well,” Burrow said of the work ethic. “I think that’s pretty constant across the league. The great players all work hard. You can’t miss any reps. You can’t go through the offseason and not work hard and expect to, one, get through an entire season healthy, and two, play really well that whole year. It’s what you need to have if you’re going to have a great team.”

Work ethic leads to natural competition inside the locker room.

“We’re competitive in everything in there,” Burrow told me. “You guys are in there. Guys are playing ping pong and everything. People at this level, they’re competitive in everything they do.”

And accountable.

Tee Higgins said he was feeling better on Thursday and feels like he could play Sunday without a flak jacket. This is very encouraging news for the Bengals. Higgins injured his ribs against the Titans and sat out last week against Arizona. He was limited on Thursday.

Tee Higgins says he could play Sunday vs Seattle without a flak jacket. pic.twitter.com/duegelMzuU

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) October 12, 2023

Chido Awuzie was back on the field for full pads practice on Thursday after a back issue forced him to miss last Friday and Sunday’s game in Arizona. Awuzie was also limited but a good sign that he could be ready by Sunday.

Chido Awuzie participating today in Bengals full pads. pic.twitter.com/vqTn5zrtrk

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) October 12, 2023

The post Bengals Beat: Accountability Is Bengals’ Biggest Strength So Far appeared first on CLNS Media.

Joe Burrow moved around in the pocket like it was 2021. Ja’Marr Chase broke Carl Pickens’ single-game record for catches with 15, two more than the old mark. Chase was targeted 19 times for 15 catches and 192 yards. He caught three touchdowns.

Burrow completed 36-of-46 passes for 317 yards and three touchdowns. Sunday felt like it was supposed to feel at the start of the season, before sluggish start and before the right calf strain of July 27.

Sunday’s win was just one win. But a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Sunday was that critical first step.

“It means nothing if you don’t go out there and build on it,” Burrow said.

“Definitely, you could say that,” Chase said when asked if Sunday could be a turning point. “We definitely needed this win. We needed that New Orleans win (last season) bad too. I just want to say we’re making the right steps forward right now. Just keep pushing and moving forward.”

After the defense opened the game with a three-and-out, Burrow was scrambling, juking, dancing and sliding just like his 2021 and ’22 seasons.

HAVE A DEY JA'MARR #CINatAZ | FOX pic.twitter.com/erentXSl7P

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) October 8, 2023

As much as it meant to show off Burrow’s agility and Chase’s amazing individual talents in a desperately needed win, what the Bengals showed late in the second quarter and midway through the third will mean just as much to this team going forward.

The Bengals showed little to no fight or resiliency in two of their three losses and never felt like they were in the game against Baltimore.

On Sunday, the underwhelming Cardinals went from 10-0 down to a 14-10 up when the Bengals offense went radio silent. The Bengals were driving inside the Cardinals 5 and had two shots from the 1. They decided to run twice and were stuffed both times.

The game was turning in a big way. The Bengals were in big trouble. Then Cam Taylor-Britt picked off Josh Dobbs and returned it 11 yards to give the Bengals the lead for good, 17-14. The Bengals weren’t perfect. They had a chance to add more points in the second quarter when they forced another Arizona punt and got the ball back with a minute left before the half.

CAM'S GOT THE JUICE (AND THE BALL)#CINatAZ | FOX pic.twitter.com/wGIKV1NODg

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) October 8, 2023

But the Bengals could manage just one first down before a Burrow sack just before halftime. Still, the Bengals had done what they needed to do to reclaim momentum in the game.

Burrow and Chase connected twice more in the second half for touchdowns, including the 63-yarder on a perfectly-thrown ball that Chase ran down like the wind on Cincinnati’s first drive of the third quarter. The Bengals led 24-14. They were getting ready to put a stranglehold on the game.

For offensive guru Zac Taylor, it was a thing of beauty.

“They started to cloud Ja’Marr a lot, so the only way to get him away from that cloud really was to get him across the field to the quarter side,” Taylor said. “The protection, again, was outstanding right there. Joe did a great job with his landmark in the pocket.

“It was a great throw, a perfect throw. Not many guys can get that last burst to be able to track it the way Ja’Marr did. That’s a great connection between those two. That’s a play you get one full speed rep up every week. And you want to hit it when it’s there. And I thought those two did a great job connecting.”

That’s the offense. Then a strange thing happened.

The Bengals defense forgot how to tackle. The ineptitude cost the Bengals a 44-yard direct snap run from Rondale Moore and an 11-yard touchdown run by Emari Demercado. The Cardinals carved up the defense and suddenly the Bengals led only 24-20.

After the Bengals went three and out, the Cardinals marched down the field – with the help of the 44-yard run – and had 4th-and-1 at the Cincinnati 16. But instead of breaking, the Bengals bowed their necks. Nick Scott took on a blocker and Germaine Pratt filled in behind and stopped Dobbs for a loss and turned the ball back to the Bengals.

Sunday was not about the Bengals porous defense at times. It was about them making plays when they positively, absolutely had to have them.

As a matter of fact, both sides could point to being clutch if not consistent Sunday. But that’s what successful teams do. They complement each other.

“It shows us who we really are,” Chase said. “We already knew what we were capable of from the jump. We’ve definitely faced adversity from the jump, and right now we’re just getting that wagon going again and moving forward.”.

Just like last year. You remember that? The Bengals were reeling after a last-second loss to the Ravens in Baltimore on Sunday night, heading into the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and a must-have with Saints.

The Bengals were down last year 17-7 in New Orleans and the season was slipping away. They turned things around and captured a 30-26 win to even their record at 3-3.

“This kind of feels like last year in New Orleans a little bit,” Burrow said. “We’re going to celebrate tonight, but get back out there and work (Monday). I knew we had to win it. We had to win in New Orleans last year too. So similar feeling.”

Sometimes in the NFL, it’s not so much about the Xs and Os as it is hanging in until your offense finds it rhythm. Sunday in Arizona, this game had a definitive feel that it was going to be determined by how well the Bengals overcame shortcomings they’re still dealing with.

“Yes. By no means was it perfect,” Burrow told me. “It was hard, that’s a good defense and they were moving the ball well at times. So we had points in that game where we had to come up big and we did.”

Fourth-and-1 stop, two interceptions, two three-and-outs to start the game. There were bright spots, especially the fourth-and-1, where the Bengals look serious about

“That’s a huge play,” Taylor said. “I think it was a four-point game at the time if I’m not mistaken. That was a huge stop. The defense rose to the challenge there. I think Germaine was the one who had the big contact there. That was a critical play in the game for us for sure. That’s a turnover.”

We just don’t overreact to the early point in the season,” Taylor said. “We correct what we can correct. There was never any wholesale challenges needed. We knew how close we were and we knew what it could look like. We’ve got to continue to build off days like today. That’s a big part of it. There was never any overreaction or anything from us.”

The post Bengals Beat: Real Bengals Return As Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase Give Glimpse Into Their Potential appeared first on CLNS Media.

Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase turned back the clock and put on a badly-needed, confidence-boosting show Sunday.

Burrow threw three touchdown passes to Chaseq to lead the visiting Cincinnati Bengals (2-3) past the Arizona Cardinals (1-4), 34-20, Sunday at State Farm Stadium.

Burrow finished 36-of-46 for 317 yards and the three touchdowns.

Chase set a new Bengals’ record for catches in a game with 15 on 19 targets and totaled 192 yards, shattering the old mark of 13 held by Carl Pickens in Oct. 1998.

Evan McPherson also had a pair of 40-yard field goals and Cam Taylor-Britt returned an interception for a touchdown for the Bengals, who had their best offensive day of the season and won for the first time in three road games this season.

HAVE A DEY JA'MARR #CINatAZ | FOX pic.twitter.com/erentXSl7P

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) October 8, 2023

The Bengals and Burrow started fast.

Burrow was 7-for-7 for 56 yards on the opening drive, including a 2-yard TD pass to Ja’Marr Chase in the back of the end zone on third down. Burrow, who has shown limited mobility in his first four games, displayed plenty of agility on his first drive.

The Bengals drove down the field again on their second possession but had to settle for a 40-yard Evan McPherson field goal after Burrow was sacked by Kevin Strong for a 15-yard loss on third down.

The Cardinals began their comeback in the second quarter when Joshua Dobbs connected on a 25-yard pass to Marquise Brown, beating Jalen Davis in coverage. The Cardinals then took the lead in the second quarter when Dobbs hit tight end Zach Ertz for a 14-10 Arizona lead.

Joe Mixon couldn’t gain a yard on third and fourth downs from the Arizona 1 and the Cardinals took over.

Cam Taylor-Britt intercepted Joshua Dobbs on second and 10 from the Arizona 1 and returned it 11 yards to put the Bengals back on top, 17-14, at the half. It was Dobbs’ first interception this season in 137 attempts.

The Bengals took a 24-14 lead when Burrow connected with a sprinting Chase for 63 yards and a touchdown on their first drive of the third quarter.

The Cardinals took advantage of sloppy tackling by the Bengals defense to pull within 24-20 on their next possession on Emeri Demercado’s 11-yard touchdown run around the left end.

But the Bengals answered with an 83-yard drive, capped by Burrow’s third touchdown of the day, a scramble on second down and a throw to the back of the end zone to Chase, who was running along the end line.

The Bengals came out on defense and generated a pair of three-and-outs. Trey Hendrickson had a sack while Jordan Battle had a nice pass break up over the middle.

Burrow had his best start of the season, completing his first 10 passes for 84 yards. Most importantly, he showed his best mobility of the season. His best move came on third-and-goal on the opening drive when he eluded a pass rusher, slid backwards and then fired a dart to Ja’Marr Chase in the back of the end zone for a 7-0 lead.

THERE IT IS FOLKS#CINatAZ | FOX pic.twitter.com/F6UefyyIlt

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) October 8, 2023

The good:

Joe Burrow mobility.
Ja’Marr Chase catching big plays.
DJ Turner fills in for Chido Awuzie.
Cam Taylor-Britt pick-6.
Fourth down stop by Nick Scott and Germaine Pratt.

The bad:
Can’t convert third and fourth down at the Arizona 1.
Tackling throughout the game, especially on Arizona’s third quarter touchdown.
Nick Scott (benched temporarily) pass defense

The post Bengals Quick Hits: Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase And Bengals Race Past Cardinals, 34-20, In Desert appeared first on CLNS Media.

Time for the Bengals to show who they really are.

The message from Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Zac Taylor this week has been simple. Just wait until the real Bengals show themselves. Just wait until Burrow can move normally in the pocket. Just wait until the Bengals start playing with the lead.

After losses to the Browns, Ravens and Titans in their first four games, there’s no more time to wait.

The Bengals had Super Bowl aspirations and expectations coming into 2023. They are now fighting to keep their season afloat and not watch it circle the drain.

The Arizona Cardinals are in full re-build mode, coming off a blowout loss in San Francisco.

The two teams meet this Sunday in Arizona when the Cardinals (1-3) host the Bengals (1-3) in Glendale, Ariz.

The Bengals begin a three-game stretch against NFC West opponents when they travel to Arizona for a matchup with the Cardinals on Sunday. Cincinnati finds itself at 1-3 this season and is looking to bounce back from a 27-3 loss at Tennessee in Week 4.

The Cardinals are playing their first of five games against the AFC and their first of four against AFC North competition.

When the game came out on the schedule in the spring, it featured the potential of a first-ever matchup between former Heisman Trophy winners and No. 1 overall picks in Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow and Arizona signal caller Kyler Murray. But Murray remains on the physically unable to perform list as he aims to return from his torn right ACL last December.

“I don’t think there is any disappointment,” Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said. “We knew his timeline, where he is at, and that’s kind of a day-by-day thing with all the guys coming off an injury. He actually has been very upbeat the whole time but this last couple of weeks I have seen a little bit of a different bounce in his step.”

Instead of Murray, it’s Joshua Dobbs making his fifth for the Cardinals. Dobbs completed 28-of-41 passes for 265 yards and two touchdowns in the loss to San Francisco.

Dobbs can become the first Cardinals quarterback since at least 1970 to start the first five games of a season without an interception. He has throw four touchdown passes without being picked off.

Joe Burrow, struggling through a right calf strain that has limited his mobility, has started a pair of games this season in which the offense has produced just three points, including Sunday’s 27-3 loss at Tennessee.

“I’m still confident in what we have,” said Burrow, who has directed just three touchdown drives this season. “We have to do better. We’ve scored three touchdowns. That’s not near good enough. We’ve got a ways to go. We’ve got the guys in that room to do it. We have the coaches to do it.”

The Bengals could be without a weapon this week as star receiver Tee Higgins suffered a rib injury in last week’s loss to Tennessee and did not practice on Wednesday.

“Whether we lost 27-26 or 27-3, we’re 1-3,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “It doesn’t matter which way you slice it. We have got to find a way to get ourselves back on track. We got our first win. It felt good. But we’ve got to find a way at Arizona to get ourselves back on track and be 2-3.”

The Cardinals released punter Nolan Cooney on Tuesday, signing veteran Blake Gillikin to replace him.

Gillikin averaged 47.0 yards a punt over the last two seasons with New Orleans.

The Cardinals have won all four previous home games against Cincinnati in the 12-game series that dates back to 1973, including a 34-31 win on Sunday Night Football in 2015. This marks Cincinnati’s second trip ever to State Farm Stadium.

The two teams have split the previous 12 meetings.

Here’s what to look for:

In his first four games, Burrow’s immobility in the pocket has resulted in defenses easily collapsing the protection on him. Even if it means not getting a hand on him, they’ve been able to push the offensive line into his throwing path. This has disrupted his passing lanes and his vision. If Burrow indeed feels better, then we should start to see it in his movement and ability to slide in the pocket. Burrow doesn’t need to become Patrick Mahomes or Lamar Jackson but he definitely needs to move more to justify his presence on the field. If he can move, then the Bengals should see a big uptick in the offense. Also, if Burrow is feeling pressure, look for more screens and outs, like they showed on the first drive against Tennessee.

What is his pain tolerance playing with injured ribs? If the star receiver decides to give it a go and dress for the game, then he’ll be a part of the full game plan. Taylor said Friday he has no intention of playing Higgins on any type of limited snap count or holding him for special situations like the red zone.

If the regular starting right corner Chido Awuzie can’t go because of a back issue that cropped up during practice Thursday, then DJ Turner will make his first NFL start. Turner has shown to be more than competent in his first four NFL games as a rookie. Cam Taylor-Britt is coming out of concussion protocol and the expectation is that he’ll play, if cleared. Can the secondary handle Josh Dobbs and force him into his first interception? The Cardinals QB has thrown 123 passes without a pick, the most in franchise history to open a season. Dobbs has completed 66-of-97 passes for a 71 percent completion rate. He has a 106.1 passer rating and has added 144 yards on 21 carries on the ground, including a touchdown.

We’re likely to see a Cincinnati high school rivalry reunion in the trenches as Cardinals starting right tackle Paris Johnson Jr. goes up against Sam Hubbard. Hubbard, of course, starred at Moeller while Johnson attended St. Xavier for three seasons before playing his final high school season at Princeton. Both moved on to play collegiately at Ohio State.

The Bengals have been blown out in their first two road games of 2023. They have scored just three points in each game and have been non-competitive in the second half of each game. The Bengals need to impose their will early in a game against an inferior opponent and take the air and crowd out of the game. Ball security and executing on third down on both sides of the ball will go a long way of ensuring a favorable result and generating desperately needed momentum early in the game.

This is it for the Bengals. The margin of error is all but gone. Joe Burrow will show more mobility and be ready to come out on the attack. A quick start would go a long way toward giving the defense a chance to play its game and pressure the quarterback. The defense will get off the field on third down. The Bengals jump out to a quick lead and deliver a badly-needed solid win.

Bengals 31, Cardinals 23

The post W2L4: All Eyes On Joe Burrow As Bengals Desperate To Break Out vs. Cardinals appeared first on CLNS Media.

That tone is coming from the head coach, who is working hard to keep his ship steady through rough waters over the first four weeks.

Zac Taylor sees an improving Joe Burrow. He sees signs inside the building that a lot fans don’t see when twice this season the Bengals have produced just three points.

Taylor is selling optimism not just to fans but his team.

“I feel good because I know you can look back at a lot of our games and it’s 3-3, middle of the second quarter. We’re 6-6. And at that point, (the defense) is doing their job their point effective. We have to take the pressure off. We have to have a score. We’ve got to have a converted third down offensively, we gotta do something to take the pressure off. Eventually it’s going to get you. That’s what they do. And so we need to tackle better we need to have fewer penalties on third down.”

What Taylor will do is break the game down into two or three critical moments where the game turns. Instead of focusing on the look from 50,000 feet where the team is blown out in the third quarter, Taylor focuses on what the Bengals could do better when the game is still in the balance.

Whether it’s not getting his defense off the field on third-and-7, a pass just off the finger tips off Tyler Boyd on third down or Joe Burrow getting sacked on third-and-7 on an all-out blitz on a seven-step drop, Taylor wants to get across to his team that if they work on fixing the little details on plays like that, they can start getting back into the habit of playing with the lead.

The Bengals need to help out a defense that is fully capable of doing to opposing quarterbacks what opponents have done to Burrow.

Yes, there were some frustrations last week expressed by DJ Reader that everyone on defense has to be committed to doing the little things and play the techniques that don’t allow opposing offenses to grind the Bengals down.

But the flip side of that, of course, is when the offense does its job and plays time of possession and most importantly, puts points on the board to take some stress off.

It’s called complementary football.

“We need to do a better job as a team taking the pressure off each other to where (our defense) can pin their ears back like they did against the Rams, up 19-9. And we just really haven’t given them that opportunity they did against Cleveland was scoring midway through the Cleveland game second quarter, probably three three. And so again, it’s like that was the difference. Last year, we were scoring a little bit earlier. And so then we could play ball more and it didn’t you don’t feel so much pressure with every call on defense or offense.”

As Joe Burrow put it this week, “It’s been a tough couple of weeks, that’s for sure. We’re gonna get through it. We’re gonna get through it we got tough resilient guys in there we got mentally tough guys that have been through a lot so we know how to how to handle these situations. It’s tough right now. But we’re gonna get through it.”

Burrow is confident his arm is there. He hinted that he’s feeling significantly better and could be ready to move more in the pocket.

“My ability to throw hasn’t been effected,” Burrow said. “Mainly my ability to move in the pocket, run for first downs, extend plays, find that extra second. Maybe certain plays I would have slightly extended and found a completion. We’ve done a good job of not turning the ball over. Other than that, We have a lot of room to improve. The calf will continue to get better and we’ll get back to making plays outside of the structure and continue to get better at finding lanes in the pocket to find that extra second to push the ball down the field.”

Aside from controlling their games early and not letting them get out of hand, the strength of the Bengals in the last two seasons is their ability to lean on each other, and not point fingers and implode.

This is where Taylor perhaps doesn’t get enough credit but yet that is where much of his strength lies. The players trust him not to lose it and do things that are uncharacteristic. Obviously, there’s a fine line between being calm and being too cool and saying “everything’s fine” when the building is burning down.

As we pointed out Thursday, the Bengals must do a better job on third down and most importantly, play with a lead earlier in games so they can control the tempo and not the opponent. The Bengals have held a first quarter lead for just over seven minutes this season.

Taylor is a very bright head coach who knows full well there’s an anxious fan base out there wondering what in the world has happened to an offense that was expected to be in the Top-5 in scoring and yards. But patience is something every Bengal has had to practice with the Burrow calf injury.

Taylor, along with offensive coordinator Brian Callahan and quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher, have been sounding the calm tone all along. This is what Burrow appreciates about playing for him.

“They are as good as it gets, so I have the most confidence in the world in our guys and our coaches,” Burrow told me. “Obviously, the first four weeks haven’t been good enough, but we’re going to continue to get better.

“We’ve all been through adversity whether it’s wins and losses, whether it’s injuries, whether it’s mental health, all that so I’m very confident in our ability to fight through this and get through this and become a winning football team.”

“We have to play better,” Callahan said. “We’re going to be a lot better than we have. There’s plenty of things that we work on every week. Offenses evolve, scheme evolves. It’s sort of an ongoing process. Every year is different. So you do find things that that may fit you better as the year goes along and you keep working at it. But at the end of the day, there’s really no other there’s no shortcuts to it, there’s no shortcuts to the process. And we just keep finding things that that we can we can add that help us. And then also executing and playing better sort of across the board.”

Four Bengals are listed as questionable, including Chido Awuzie and Trey Hendrickson with back issues. Cam Taylor-Britt and Tee Higgins also questionable. Linebcaker Akeem Davis-Gaither will miss his second straight game with a right knee injury. Taylor indicated Friday he feels good that Taylor-Britt will be good to go barring any setbacks out of concussion protocol while the back injuries of Awuzie and Hendrickson could certainly test Cincinnati’s depth on defense. DJ Turner II would get his first NFL start if Awuzie can’t go.

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