MACON, Ga. — For the second straight week, the Bengals battled back from a 17-3 deficit, but fell on a game-winning field goal as time expired. The same issues that plagued them in the season-opener resurfaced again today. Here are rapid reactions from today’s gut-punching loss to drop the Bengals to 0-2.
1. The Bengals suck right now. I’m going to be flat out honest. Offense looks vanilla, offensive line is abysmal, defense can’t get after the quarterback, no energy, no firepower from the horses at wide receiver, terrible play calling, no accountability, no ANYTHING that got this team to the SUPER BOWL last year.
2. Joe Burrow does not look confident. It could be coming back from his appendectomy. It could be the offensive line. But he does not look like the quarterback who withstood nine sacks against Tennessee and stared down Chris Jones in the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship.
3. The Bengals have the best receiving corps in the NFL, and I didn’t see one shot down the field. And for Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd to BOTH not have a target in the first half is asanine.
4. The offensive line looked like they didn’t have a plan for Micah Parsons. La’El Collins looked terrible trying to block him. How did the Bengals not have a plan for the Cowboys best defensive player?
5. The tone was set on the first drive of the game. Dallas went for it on 4th&2 and converted it into points. They were aggressive, something the Bengals were not at any point in the game.
6. Did I mention the Cowboys were playing with a backup quarterback in this game? It was Mike White 2.0.
7. Every strength of the defense was a weakness today and has been through the first two weeks of the season. Only one sack, Trey Hendrickson has just one TACKLE, Jessie Bates had just THREE tackles and looked lost the whole game covering… Noah Brown?
8. Final thought: maybe the Super Bowl hangover is real. Regardless, the season is on the line next week at the Jets.
Let me be Frank and Cut to the Chase 