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There’s plenty to digest besides the top pick in the 2020 NFL draft coming out of the Cincinnati Bengals taking a loss to the Miami Dolphins over the weekend.
Star plays, the lack of quit and long-term implications ended up peppered throughout a game that looked over for the first three quarters.
Here are the top takeaways.
Tyler Boyd is the heart: Clone Boyd 10 more times or so and call it a Super Bowl favorite. The man just has no quit regardless of situation and has once again been the No. 1 wideout with A.J. Green missing. All he did Sunday was catch nine passes for 128 yards and two scores while even dragging himself through an injury to get to the line so his team didn’t suffer a game-ending stoppage. He’s the centerpiece of the passing attack going into next season.
Evaluation mode is a full-go: The so-called evaluation mode this season took received a big hit when Zac Taylor had to yank Ryan Finley as starter because things went so poorly. But Sunday showed a bit of an unexpected return to the long-term perspective by Fred Johnson getting some healthy work at left tackle in place of Cordy Glenn. Johnson is a rookie the Bengals claimed on waivers this season and it’s clear they want to see what he and other young guys can do while they try to formulate the offseason plan.
These Bengals aren’t quitting: Twenty-three points in the fourth quarter and the forcing of overtime says it all, if Boyd fighting through that injury to keep the team alive doesn’t. It’d be nice if the Bengals could form a coherent attack in the first half or even consistently, but it’s clear through the actions late in the game that the players keep fighting, even in what seem like meaningless games. The talk from the coaching staff about building the culture and character sounds like typical coach-speak at times, but it’s pretty apparent the message is getting through.
Burrow Time: It’s hard to outright ignore the big draft implications of the day. The Bengals will pick first and though Sunday’s comeback was fun for those who managed to catch it, Andy Dalton clearly isn’t the future. Joe Burow, Heisman Trophy winner out of LSU, likely is. The Bengals cemented the chance to get him in the upcoming draft and now fans can go into Week 17 against the Browns stress free.
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