It is safe to say that the Cincinnati Bengals saved their season in Week 4 and found a way to pull off a 34-24 victory for its first win of the year. Joe Burrow is still struggling to regain his efficiency and pinpoint accuracy that he was known for prior to his laundry list of injuries, and the Cincinnati defense allowed former Bengal Andy Dalton to get anything he wanted in the pocket like he was still a member of their team, but when all is said and down, a win is a win.
“We knew we had to come and get one,” Burrow said. “There was really no other option than to figure out how to win this game. And we got it done.”
The Bengals were already behind the eight ball, facing near-impossible odds to make the playoffs.
Only six fortunate teams have ever advanced to the postseason after starting 0-3, and only one, the 2018 Houston Texans, featuring Deshaun Watson, has managed to do it since the turn of the century, in 2000.
Only one team in NFL history, the 1992 San Diego Chargers, qualified for the playoffs after finishing the first quarter of the season 0-4. The Bengals dropped its first three games of the season by a combined total of 12 points, but unfortunately for them, there is no “near miss” column in the standings. The Bengals are in a put up or shut up situation until they can start stringing wins together.
Sunday will not be remembered in Bengals history as their finest hour, but it was a win they had to have if for nothing else to rebuild their confidence and moral. The teams were in a back-and-forth affair, exchanging touchdowns for most of the first half, but the Bengals took the lead and did not surrender it one second before halftime, when Burrow connected with Zack Moss for a one-yard score to go up 21-14. The Bengals would stretch out the lead by 17, 31-14, before the Panthers could respond and get back on the board.
Embed from Getty Images“There was just a different type of urgency this week,” Moss said.
Burrow wrapped up the afternoon with 232 yards on 22-of-31 passing, with two touchdowns. However, things were not all lollipops and rainbows. He made some reckless mistakes that you would not expect from a player of his caliber, none more egregious than a fourth-quarter pick. Scrambling out of the pocket to avoid getting sacked, Burrow slung a pass in the vicinity of his teammate and long-time friend, Ja’Marr Chase, but ended up lofting it right into the hands of the Panthers’ Xavier Woods.
“It’s just contact balance and explosiveness, which is so difficult to put all together in one snap,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “That speaks to who Ja’Marr is.”
It was a mulligan for Woods, who whiffed on a tackle on Chase earlier in the game led directly to a long Cincinnati touchdown.
Dalton, meanwhile, showed his leadership and was solid in his second start after the unceremonious benching of former No. 1 overall draft pick Bryce Young, throwing for 220 yards and two touchdowns against one first-quarter interception. It was not enough to come away with a victory, which is all that matters, but it was likely enough to keep Dalton firmly planted in the QB1 role going forward.
“I’m encouraged that our football team continues to improve,” said Panthers first-year head coach Dave Canales, who is entrusted with rebuilding a team that went 2-15 last season. “But we’ve got to finish.”
Cincinnati still has a chance to get back in the NFC North division race, especially with the Pittsburgh Steelers losing to the Indianapolis Colts, 27-24 on Sunday. They face their division rivals the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns in the next three weeks, with an out-of-conference matchup with the New York Giants sandwiched between. The opponents will no doubt be tougher than the Panthers, so now is the time for the Bengals to buckle up their chin strap and play like they know how to play. After all, they were in the Super Bowl three years ago.
The Panthers honored one of the best defensive ends ever, Julius Peppers, at halftime with his ring of excellence after he became the first player drafted by the franchise to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August.
“Our time is coming, you just have to believe in it,” Peppers told Carolina fans. “Let’s stick together and support our team and keep pounding.”
The Bengals host Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
The Panthers travel to the ‘Windy City’ to square off against Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
