¡Olé! The Cincinnati Bengals took their show to Madrid on Sunday, and the stripes looked right at home at the Bernabéu. Cincinnati spotted the Atlanta Falcons a touchdown on the opening drive, then took over behind Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase on the way to a 34-17 win. It’s the first victory in franchise history in a game played outside the United States.
That’s four straight wins; the Bengals are 6-2, and Pittsburgh comes to Paycor for Sunday Night Football next week. Before we turn the page, let’s
break this one down.
The Good
Joe Burrow, MVP candidate. Burrow went 24-of-29 for 271 yards, three touchdowns, no turnovers, and a 140.1 passer rating, then added a 1-yard sneak for a fourth score. He was nearly perfect in the first half, at 16-of-18 for 234 yards and two touchdowns. His 21 touchdown passes lead the NFL, and he has 16 total touchdowns over the last four games. After last week’s three interceptions, this was the clean, surgical Burrow we know.
Ja’Marr Chase, “best in the world.” That’s how Zac Taylor described him after the game, and it’s hard to argue. Chase answered Atlanta’s opening score with a 47-yard touchdown on the Bengals’ first possession. He had eight catches for 142 yards in the first half alone, the most first-half receiving yards of his career, and finished with 10 catches for 155 yards. His seven receiving touchdowns lead the AFC.
Tee Higgins in the red zone. Higgins only had five catches for 32 yards, but two of them were touchdowns, from 4 and 8 yards out. That’s six touchdown catches on the year, and four in the last two games.
A run game that showed up. For the first time this season, the ground game gave defenses something to think about. Chase Brown ran nine times for 57 yards and added three catches for 18 more, and the Bengals ran for 123 yards at 5.1 yards a carry. One week doesn’t fix a season-long problem, but it’s a start.
Evan McPherson’s leg. McPherson drilled a 57-yarder right before halftime to make it 24-10 and added a 43-yarder in the fourth. He has now made 23 straight field goals, the longest streak in franchise history and the longest active streak in the NFL.
Taking care of the football. Zero turnovers, one week after four of them. Linebacker Barrett Carter also picked off Michael Penix Jr. in the fourth quarter for his first interception of the season.
History, twice. It’s the Bengals’ fourth straight game with 30 or more points, tying a franchise record, and their first win ever outside the U.S. Taylor called the turnout of Bengals fans in Spain “unbelievable.”
The Bad
The run defense, again. Atlanta ran for 157 yards on just 24 carries, a 6.5-yard average, and Bijan Robinson punched in a 1-yard touchdown in the third quarter. For the second straight week, an opponent ran wherever it wanted. Pittsburgh will have watched the tape.
No pass rush. The Bengals finished without a sack, and the box score credits them with zero quarterback hits. Penix was never forced into a rushed decision. Against better quarterbacks, a clean pocket all day gets you beat.
Getting off the field on third down. Long third downs have been a problem all season, and this game was no exception. On a third-and-13, Robinson took a screen past a missed tackle and moved the chains. That’s a drive that should’ve ended.
The slow defensive start. The offense finally started fast, but the defense gave up a touchdown on Atlanta’s opening drive. It’s the third straight week the Bengals trailed early.
The Ugly
The back end units of the defense. This one’s tough to watch from the back end of the defense’s perspective. It will be interesting to see if this is a position that the Bengals explore for possible trade depth.
DJ Turner II was flagged twice for defensive pass interference covering Drake London, and both penalties set up Falcons touchdowns. He also missed the tackle that let Robinson convert that third-and-13 screen. Turner has had many good moments this year, but Sunday was one to forget.
The whole back end, including safeties and linebackers in coverage, struggled to rally and tackle in space. Bijan Robinson, including on that third-and-13 screen, finished with six catches for 47 yards on top of his 100 rushing yards. The safeties and linebackers kept letting Atlanta off the hook on third-and-long, a problem that has followed this defense all season. Jordan Battle had an opportunity at an interception after jumping a route, and let a game-sealing interception through his hands (Barrett Carter later atoned for that mistake).
To be fair, the raw passing numbers weren’t bad. Michael Penix Jr. threw for just 162 yards, Kyle Pitts was held to three catches for 23 yards, and Drake London had five for 68. The problem is timing. The flags, missed tackles, and third-down breakdowns came at the worst moments and kept Falcons drives alive. Against the Steelers on Sunday night, those mistakes will cost points.
Free yards. An offside penalty turned an Atlanta punt into a field goal, and the defense let a late first-half Falcons drive stretch until just 57 seconds remained. Atlanta helped the Bengals out with 12 penalties for 88 yards of its own, plus a missed field goal. A sharper team won’t be so generous.
The bottom line: when the offense scores 30-plus every week, the defense can survive days like this. Come January, it won’t be enough.
Your turn
What was your Good, Bad, and Ugly from Madrid? Is Burrow the MVP front-runner right now, and how worried are you about the run defense with the Steelers coming to town on Sunday night? Let me hear it in the comments.
