Cincinnati Bengals fans over the years have learned to expect the worst. Yet what happened Sunday at Minnesota was beyond their worst nightmares.
In their first game this season without franchise quarterback Joe Burrow, the , the worst defeat by point margin in franchise history. It was Cincinnati’s 13th loss by at least 35 points.
With myriad problems on offense, at least the Bengals (2-1) have an extra day to prepare. They play at Denver next Monday night.
鈥淔inding the balance of like, knowing, sitting in that feeling, knowing how it feels, going through watching the film and addressing the issues, but not letting this emotion of how you feel after a game like that, turn it into a bad locker (room),鈥 quarterback Jake Browning said. 鈥淭rying to separate what you put on film from the emotion of how you鈥檙e feeling after having a very poor game.鈥
Browning has thrown five interceptions since replacing Burrow during the second quarter of the Bengals’ Week 2 win over Jacksonville. He completed two of his first three passes before Isaiah Rodgers picked off a pass intended for Chase Brown and went 87 yards for a pick-6.
Browning has been pressured on 26 of his 63 dropbacks, a 41.3% rate that’s the fifth highest in the league. Cincinnati quarterbacks 鈥 Burrow, Browning and Brett Rypien 鈥 have been sacked 10 times, tied for fifth most.
Besides Browning’s interceptions, Cincinnati fumbled three times. Two of the turnovers resulted in defensive touchdowns 鈥 both by Rodgers. The other three miscues were converted by Minnesota into 17 points.
The biggest thing the Bengals could do to help Browning would be to address their run game. They are averaging a league-low 2.4 yards per carry. Chase Brown had only 3 yards on 10 attempts, becoming the first player since Saquon Barkley had 1 yard on 13 rushes for the Giants in a 2019 game against the Jets to have 3 yards or fewer and double-digit carries.
The Bengals have only one rush of at least 12 yards in three games.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot we have to prove in the run game,鈥 Taylor said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not pretty right now. We鈥檙e not going to run from that. We have to do a great job identifying the scheme that we鈥檝e got a lot of confidence in to be able to give the running backs opportunity, and our guys need to step up and do a great job with that scheme.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 unfair to put it on a player. It鈥檚 on all of us offensively, collectively, to find a better answer. I do think we鈥檝e faced three challenging defenses early in the season. You can鈥檛 make any excuse for that. We鈥檝e got to find our way to put pressure on them. And stop saying it鈥檚 about the defense. There鈥檚 got to be moments where we attack the defense and put them on their heels. We鈥檝e just got to find some momentum in drives to be able to do that and (on Sunday) we were far from finding momentum on drives.鈥
If the Bengals don’t address their run game quickly, Burrow and the franchise might be playing meaningless games by the time he is ready to return in mid-December. Burrow was in the locker room on Monday, three days after undergoing surgery on his left toe.
What鈥檚 working
Ryan Rehkow leads the NFL in gross punting average at 54.0 yards. Rehkow averaged 54.7 yards on six punts against the Vikings.
What needs help
One area of particular concern for the defense is not stopping the quick passing game. Minnesota’s Carson Wentz completed 9 of 12 passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns when throwing in 2.5 seconds or sooner. Cincinnati has faced 56 quick passes this season, fourth most in the league, and has allowed 41 completions for 375 yards and four touchdowns.
Stock up
DT Kris Jenkins had six tackles, including 1 1/2 sacks, in 26 defensive snaps.
Stock down
WR Andrei Iosivas, fifth on the team with 36 receptions last season, has only one catch this season. He saw 35 offensive snaps on Sunday, but was not targeted.
Injuries
TE Noah Fant is in the concussion protocol. RG Dalton Risner (calf) and RB Samaje Perine (thumb) also suffered injuries during the game and will be evaluated during the week. CB Cam Taylor-Britt (hamstring) and DE Shemar Stewart (ankle) were inactive against the Vikings.
Key numbers
0 鈥 Wins by the Bengals at Minnesota in seven regular-season trips.
31 鈥 Points Bengals trailed by at halftime (34-3), matching the largest halftime deficit in franchise history (31-0 to the Lions in 1970).
12 鈥 Three-and-outs by the offense in 34 possessions. The 35.3% rate is second highest in the league.
What鈥檚 next
The Bengals make their first prime-time appearance of the season next Monday when they visit Denver (1-2). They have won three of their last four meetings against the Broncos, including a 30-24 overtime victory in Week 17 last season that kept their playoff hopes alive for one more week.
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