Onward and upward!
I woke up Sunday morning and felt great. I even called a friend and asked how he felt about the upcoming Cincinnati Bengals game against the Chiefs. He said he didn’t think we’d win, but the Bengals would look better than they did the week before.
I said I thought we’d win.
In the end, he was right. I was wrong.
I woke up on Monday morning.
And, I felt great.
Yes, the Bengals lost by one point to the Chiefs.
Yes, the Bengals are starting again at 0-2.
But….
I saw a Bengals team that is nowhere near full strength lose by one point to the Chiefs, a team who won the last two Super Bowls, beat the Ravens in Week 1, and are heavy favorites to be the team to beat at the end of the season.
The Bengals were without Tee Higgins, there was ZERO depth at the defensive tackle position by the end of the game, they missed a few opportunities by shooting themselves in the foot, and still, it came down to just one point.
The Bengals didn’t play their best game of football. I highly doubt what we saw on Sunday is the best we’ll see of them this season.
They were merely better than they were in Week 1. The Bengals team we saw this Sunday would beat the Patriots by two scores.
So, considering the Bengals lost on Sunday, I walked away feeling about as good as I possibly could.
I know the fact they’re starting 0-2 (again) is problematic and the symptom of a much larger problem. What’s done is done, though. The slow starts are a 2025 Bengals problem now. We’ve still got a lot of football left to be excited about.
If the Bengals looked like they did against the Patriots, I’d be singing a different tune, of course.
Life is better when you look at the bright side.
Reactions to the game after some time to think:
- I was very happy to see more of Drew Sample and Erick All. All is going to be a major asset for the Bengals in the years to come, I think. Mike Gesicki and Joe Burrow obviously have some good chemistry. The tight end room is a strength this year. Last year, it wasn’t.
- Ja’Marr Chase’s outburst aimed at the referee was incredibly frustrating and very disappointing. The ref said Chase used abusive language, and based on Chase and Burrow’s reaction, I have no reason to doubt abusive language was used. Chase will probably be fined, and he should be. This reminded me so much of the self-inflicted wounds from the Bengals in their 2015 playoff loss to the Steelers.
- The loss of both BJ Hill and Sheldon Rankins in the middle of the game was, and still is, devastating. Hill and Rankins are the starting defensive tackles on a roster that is already paper-thin at the position. The Bengals have allowed the seventh-most yards on the ground so far this season, and missing both of their starting defensive tackles isn’t going to help. Something needs to be done.
- I’m not going to blame referees. Any team that puts themselves in a situation to lose the game because of a bad call has lost because they put themselves in that situation, not because of the call. The Bengals lost on Sunday because they couldn’t score when they needed to the most, and they kept shooting themselves in the foot.
- Trey Hendrickson could have another career year if he gets some help. Right now, he doesn’t have much help. Hendrickson got a rookie left tackle benched because the only way to stop him was to hold him.
- I really like what I’m seeing from the secondary. It is so much improved from where it was last year. Considering it’s only Week 2, I think they could be one of the better units in the league. For the most part, everyone had a solid game. Mike Hilton did struggle in coverage, though. In fairness, that’s not really what they pay Hilton to do.
- Chase Brown hit the hole hard when he carried the ball. He only did that four times to Zack Moss’ 12 attempts, but he averaged 7.8 yards per carry to Moss’ 2.8. I’d like to see a little more even split for carries from here on.
- Jermaine Burton showed why he could have been one of the steals of the draft. He only had one reception, but it was on a 47-yard bomb.
- Evan McPherson is always going to help the Bengals more than he hurts them. A kicker who can somewhat regularly nail 50-plus-yard field goals is a massive weapon.
- On the first drive of the game, the Bengals had a first down on the Chiefs’ six-yard line and they settled for a field goal. There was another drive where they had a first down on the Chiefs’ 12-yard line. Again, field goal. The red zone trips, especially the ones when the Bengals get a fresh slate of downs inside the 10-yard line, have to turn into touchdowns. The Bengals aren’t going to the playoffs if they have to settle for field goals most of the time.
- Trent Brown was better in Week 2, but he still looked like he was on skates at times. I’m excited for Brown to get his feet under him, and I’m excited for Amarius Mims to get on the field.
- Cam Taylor-Britt had one of the most incredible, athletic, impossible interceptions I’ve ever seen, and I’ve watched corners pick off passes for a long time. That’s going to be one of those highlight plays we see in NFL commercials 10 years from now.
- On a big day for Bengals tight ends, Tanner Hudson had zero snaps. He was active for the game but was dealing with a knee injury this week. If the Bengals are going to bring in outside help for DT, and they should, Hudson could be a prime cut candidate.
- I’ve seen people question why Daijahn Anthony was in the game in such a huge situation. It’s a fair question, considering he’s a rookie and his penalty gave the Chiefs a shot at a game-winning field goal. He wasn’t in to give Geno Stone or Vonn Bell a break. He was in because, with no other options at defensive tackle, and the lack of a pass rush, the Bengals needed every defensive back they had on the field. It was the right call and Anthony almost made an incredible play. The game is not on him, though.
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The Bengals host the Washington Commanders in Week 3 on Monday Night Football. The Commanders are 1-1 after falling to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1 and beating the lowly Giants in Week 2. Winning is tough in the NFL, so I don’t need the Bengals to win big, but I do need them to win. Rookie quarterback Jaden Daniels looks electric. This isn’t going to be a gimme game for Cincinnati.
The Bengals already have the cards stacked against them by getting off to a 0-2 start. They did get to the playoffs in 2022 after they lost the first two games of the season, but getting to the postseason after a slow start to the season isn’t very common.
Make no mistake about it, the Bengals’ backs are against the wall. This is a must-win game. It’s frustrating to have to say that considering it’s Week 3.
Buckle up. They’re not dead yet.
Here they come to snuff the rooster, ahh yeah
Yeah, here some the rooster, yeah
You know he ain’t gonna die
No, no no, you know he ain’t gonna die
