I’m an optimist.
Obviously, things aren’t always black and white. Optimists aren’t always optimistic, pessimists aren’t always pessimistic. But generally speaking, I think you can lump most people into one of those two categories.
The Cincinnati Bengals did just about everything they could on Sunday in Pittsburgh to lose.
On paper, it was set up perfectly for the Bengals. The Steelers’ offense was borderline anemic heading into Week 3, while the Bengals’ defense was coming off a show of force in Houston,
where they held the Texans to just six points. We knew Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ offense were going to score their points, and it felt like Cincinnati was on its way to a 3-0 start for the first time since 2015.
Nope.
The defense generated virtually no pass rush and allowed 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers to run around in the backfield like he was 15 years younger. Rodgers is a first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback, so the fact that he led the Steelers to a victory isn’t shocking. The way he avoided pressure like he was Burrow’s age, though, certainly was.
Special teams, which we almost never talk about outside of Evan McPherson—and that’s usually a good thing—was a disaster.
The punt return unit essentially cost the Bengals 10 points. Pittsburgh scored a touchdown after Cedric Johnson’s roughing-the-kicker penalty extended a drive, then added three more after a muffed punt from Ke’Shawn Williams set the Steelers up at Cincinnati’s 14-yard line.
Then, just when Burrow got the ball back with plenty of time to lead a game-winning drive, he was sacked for the first time all afternoon.
And he fumbled.
Game over.
The loss isn’t going to kill them. We’re only through Week 3, and this was their first division game. If they finish the regular season 5-1 in the division and 16-1 overall, they’ll obviously have the No. 1 seed and would be among the favorites to win the Lombardi Trophy.
That’s how you can look at this if you’re an optimist.
That’s how I look at it, and it’s how I’ve always been. It’s probably one of the reasons I haven’t gone insane as a Bengals fan, although I’ll admit I can occasionally drift into borderline delusion.
To me, this is just a bump in the road.
The idea that the Bengals were going to go undefeated—even within the division—was always unrealistic. The AFC North is brutal. These four teams know each other intimately, and because of that, almost every divisional game turns into a slugfest.
Every team, no matter how good, typically has an ugly loss or two during the regular season. If the Bengals were going to have one, maybe it’s better to get it out of the way early.
Of course, that’s the optimist talking.
How about you? Do you see this as a bump in the road during what could still be a championship season, or has the sky already fallen?
Sound off.
Random thoughts about the game:
- Amarius Mims was outstanding against future Hall of Fame edge rusher T.J. Watt. Watt’s star may be fading while Mims’ is rising, but regardless, the Bengals’ right tackle didn’t allow Watt to even sniff the quarterback.
- For the vast majority of the game, the offensive line looked pretty good. The sack at the end just happened to come at the absolute worst possible time.
- The run game, especially when Burrow was under center, looked explosive again. It’s a shame the Bengals got themselves into a position where they had to play catch-up and move away from it.
- The Bengals’ defense came into the game tied for the league lead in sacks, while the Steelers were starting a new right guard and right tackle. You certainly wouldn’t have known it from watching Sunday.
- I am still very much anxiously awaiting my first look at Landon Robinson on the field. He was a healthy scratch again.
- I’m concerned about the secondary. DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. are obviously NFL-caliber receivers. They aren’t in the same league as Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, though, and the Bengals’ secondary—which practiced against the best wide receiver duo in football all summer—looked lost at times.
- Covering tight ends continues to be an issue, and so does tackling. I know Darnell Washington is a massive human being, but Bengals defenders were bouncing off him like he was made of rubber.
- Defenses are not going to let Burrow beat them deep with Chase and Higgins, but that has opened up the underneath passing game—which can essentially serve as an extension of the run game—as well as the middle of the field. I’d like to see Dohnte Meyers get more involved. Getting the ball in his hands in space could force defenses to think twice about devoting so much attention to Chase and Higgins.
- The Bengals’ run defense was incredible against the Texans, but Jaylen Warren and the Steelers gashed Cincinnati all afternoon. Warren averaged 7.5 yards per carry and finished with 127 yards.
- Rodgers completed passes of more than 20 yards to five different receivers. That’s… not ideal.
- I think it’s becoming clear that the Bengals are thin at linebacker and in the secondary. We knew that heading into the season, but I’m surprised it may be coming back to bite them this early.
Now the Bengals come home to face a Jacksonville Jaguars team that just dropped 35 points on New England’s vaunted defense. If Cincinnati’s defense doesn’t look more like the unit we saw in Week 2, the Bengals could be in trouble.
We may be looking at a shootout.
Hopefully, for my blood pressure, we aren’t.
Relative Song Lyrics:
The sun’s gonna rise tomorrow
Somewhere on the east side of sorrow
You better pack your bags west
Stick out your chest, and then hit the road
The sun’s gonna rise tomorrow
Somewhere on the East side of sorrow
Don’t give it a reason to follow
Let it be, then let it go
