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The Cincinnati Bengals didn’t put up much of a fight against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 14, losing 30-7. More notably, Andy Dalton returned to the city he called home and got a win in familiar surroundings.
Cincinnati got one big play from A.J. Green to put points on the board. Otherwise, early momentum was dashed by a staggering three fumbles, which put the team in a 10-0 hole.
Given how the team has played this season — and especially without Joe Burrow — it was clear that would be enough. Here are some quick notes and thoughts about the loss.
Quick Hits
— Given how this season has gone, it’s only fitting Giovani Bernard’s first carry was a fumble, ruining his NFL-best streak of 830 without a fumble.
— Right on cue, the next man up fumbled too, which the Cowboys scooped and scored on to make it 10-0. As has been the case for the last few games, Cincinnati’s defense looks good but the offense just isn’t helping.
— It didn’t take long for the Bengals to bench rookie Hakeem Adeniji in favor of Fred Johnson at left tackle. So there’s that.
— Make that three fumbles for the Bengals in the first half, an inexplicable feat against a bad Cowboys defense. Much of the blame goes to Zac Taylor, who again made up another play for Alex Erickson in a key moment.
— It was fun to see A.J. Green get in the endzone for his second score of the year, even if his comeback season has been underwhelming.
— Not that the Bengals had much time to celebrate — the small momentum gained was cut short by a big return after halftime and the Cowboys eventually got in the endzone.
— Bengals again looked lost in the third quarter, which is at some point a reflection on coaching. They haven’t scored a touchdown in that frame since Week 4.
— Brandon Allen got hurt in the fourth quarter but stayed in the game. He couldn’t put juice on his throws, which would explain air-mailing a fourth-down attempt.
Key Stat
9-of-16: That’s the final tally on third-down attempts, a remarkable improvement upon prior weeks without Joe Burrow. Granted, it came against the league’s worst defense, but it at least shows Taylor can draw up a plan that works despite the lack of talent on offense right now.
Game Ball
Jessie Bates: The star safety had another huge day, even saving a touchdown on a Cowboys return after the half. Granted, why the Bengals are risking their best player on special teams is hard to say…but it sure worked there. An all-around solid performance, as expected.
What to Fix
Simple mistakes: It’s ridiculous that sort of thing even has to be said as the Taylor era nears the end of Year 2. But three fumbles in one half to gift a lead to a team that had nothing going for it is brutal.
Top Takeaway
Three more: The slow march to an offseason of change continues for the Bengals. The defense continues to play respectable ball against bad offenses and Taylor’s offense showed hints of life on Sunday, which could maybe make things interesting down the stretch.
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