3 things we learned from the Bengals’ last-second loss to the Chiefs

Joe Burrow has options at tight end now.

The Cincinnati Bengals are 0-2, but somehow there’s more hope for their season than there was last week.

The Bengals fought in Kansas City and took the Super Bowl champion Chiefs down to the wire before losing 26-25. And some would argue, without some poor calls, Cincinnati would have even won.

So what did we learn from the gut-wrenching game?

Dan Pitcher’s offense will use tight ends more

Mike Gesicki had one of the best games of his career, with seven receptions on nine targets for 91 receiving yards. He led the Bengals in all three categories. But Erick All Jr.’s play was just as encouraging. The rookie tight end had four receptions on four targets plus some beautiful blocks.

The young receivers are going to play a big role

Tee Higgins was out with a hamstring injury. Ja’Marr Chase couldn’t cut loose. And so Joe Burrow had to go elsewhere.

Both of the franchise QB’s touchdowns went to Andrei Iosivas. And the receiver with the most yards was actually rookie Jermaine Burton, who caught a 47-yarder on one of his two targets.

The role of those two will need to increase for this team to have a chance at success, because, as surprising the play of veteran Trenton Irwin has been in the past, it doesn’t seem he’ll be a reliable target for Burrow in games like this.

Irwin was targeted six times and only came away with one reception for five yards. Plus, he had perhaps the biggest blunder of the game, when he let a touchdown pass hit him in the face.

And so it only stands to reason that Burrow will slowly incorporate the guys with higher ceilings into the offense more.

Lou Anarumo has still got it

Fans were furious when the New England Patriots ran all over Anarumo’s unit in Week 1. But then he came back with a brilliant game plan that had Patrick Mahomes confused and kept him to just 151 passing yards (the second lowest total of his career) while picking him off twice.

Anarumo still hasn’t recovered from the loss of Jessie Bates, and so his secondary will allow big plays, like the touchdown Cam Taylor-Britt gave up to Rashee Rice.

But Anarumo’s guys usually come up big when the offense needs them to, like Germaine Pratt’s forced fumble, Akeem Davis-Gaither’s early interception, and Trey Hendrickson’s consistent pressure on passing downs.

The way the defense played with so many injuries on the defensive line tells you that they should be able to keep up with the best opponents on the biggest stages in the future.