The Cincinnati Bengals came out flat offensively against the New York Giants in Week 6 and spoiled a decent defensive performance en route to a 17-7 win.
After weeks of huge offensive outbursts from Joe Burrow and Co., the offensive line collapsed and the defense eventually broke at times after quite a bit of bending in the first half.
Here’s a look at some quick takeaways from the game.
The defensive line is back
With the return of Sheldon Rankins to pair with B.J. Hill (who had a monster revenge game against his old team), the Bengals defensive line looked much better. There were problems — like Joseph Ossai being a complete liability against the run whenever he is on the field. But as a whole, this was the best the line looked all season.
No panic on the offensive line
Yes, the line in front of Burrow was bad on Sunday night, spoiling the idea that this is the best line of his career to date. Yet, it still is. Some of the issues were rookie Amarius Mims simply getting beat. So far, this down showing has been an exception, not a rule. The Giants, somewhat sneakily, have a fantastic front seven.
Quick note on Jermaine Burton
A segment of Bengals fans were not happy that Burton popped up on the inactive list. But the rookie isn’t seeing the field in the base offense much with Tee Higgins back healthy. The team going with Trenton Irwin for what the veteran adds on special teams isn’t all that surprising.
Mistakes
Close games like this, especially where the offense isn’t performing up to standard, can’t afford many mistakes. The Bengals had two critical ones in the second half. DJ Turner got hit with a flag in the endzone that let the Giants move to the one-yard line and then score. And not long after, a penalty took away a score by the offense that they wouldn’t get back. It was out of character at the worst of times.
The outlook…
…not great. Yes, 2-4 is better than 1-5. But in the AFC North, the Ravens and Steelers are now 4-2. The inability for the Bengals to pitch a complete game six contests into the season is an issue. Maybe it all comes together and they go on a run, especially against an easier schedule than in past years, sure. But the offensive line woes need to disappear as fast as they arrived and the defense needs to remain on the upswing.
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