Having so much hope going into the season for the Cincinnati Bengals, they came out flat and did not get the job done. New England had an answer for everything Joe Burrow and company tried all day long. If Cincinnati wants to become a Super Bowl contender they have to win games that they are supposed to win.
Defense Was A Liability
New year and the same issues were evident today. The Bengals were not able to stop the run at all. Running Back Rhamondre Stevenson had a field day against the Cincinnati defense, rushing the ball 25 times for 120 yards and a touchdown.
Cornerback Dax Hill was also a problem with multiple missed tackles and loose coverage all afternoon. They need to address the No.2 cornerback position. Jacoby Brissett didn’t light the scoreboard up, but he was efficient all day. The Cincinnati Bengals couldn’t get to the quarterback, and if they expect to compete and get to the playoffs, and eventually the Super Bowl, they have to tighten up on the defensive side of the ball.
Play Calling Was Problematic
This has been an issue for a few years now. With the Cincinnati Bengals having a new offensive coordinator, the hope was that things would change. The Bengals and Burrow simply refuse to run the football. Burrow will struggle to reach his full potential if the coaching staff is unable to take some pressure off of him.
Cincy was mildly successful when they decided to run the ball today. They averaged 4.4 yards per carry today on 16 attempts. Those 16 rushes included four broken plays that Burrow scrambled for. They called 12 rushing plays all game.
Most of the game was filled with short passes and screen passes from Burrow. Cincinnati was never able to get New England out of position, and never really made New England feel uncomfortable. If the Bengals want to compete with Kansas City in week 2, Burrow and the rest of the Bengals are going to have to open up their playbook and run the football.
Turnovers Were Cincinnati’s Undoing
The biggest takeaway today was turnovers. The Cincinnati Bengals lost the turnover battle 2-0. A defense that has so much potential got worked over by an offense being quarterbacked by a guy who’s been a backup for most of his career. Cincinnati forced zero turnovers in a game most expected them to cause problems all day. The New England Patriots had a great game plan and they executed it to perfection in week 1.
Final Thoughts
This season is going to be a long one for the Cincinnati Bengals if they don’t figure some things out and figure them out quickly. They have to run the football on offense and get to the quarterback on defense. They will not be able to be competitive by only running the ball 12 times. This was a devastating loss to start the season. Burrow and the Bengals will look to bounce back or they will start the season 0-2.
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