The Cincinnati Bengals almost pulled off the upset in Kansas City, losing 26-25 on a last-second field goal.
Given the upset at the hands of New England in Week 1 and just how terrible everything seemed there, it was a good sign just to see the team look competent against a contender, regardless of the result.
Here are some quick takeaways from the game.
Rise of the TEs
All the offseason chatter about more under-center looks seemed to imply a heavy does of tight ends in 2024. That finally happened on Sunday, with Mike Gesicki and Drew Sample involved through the game. Most surprising was Erick All Jr., the rookie who had fallen during the draft after a rash of college injuries. He appeared to have the best rapport with Burrow and it’s easy to envision him taking over TE1 in the near future. Tight ends combined for x catches on the day.
DL Depth is a concern
The Bengals were counting on rookies McKinnley Jackson and Kris Jenkins Jr. to be key interior defensive line depth. The former is on injured reserve an the latter is recovering from a minor surgery. Sunday, B.J. Hill was ruled out with a hamstring injury and Sheldon Rankins got dinged, too. The defense can’t afford to go into Week 3 with Zach Carter and Jay Tuefele as starters, so something will have to give. Rankins eventually returned, then got hurt again.
Andrei Iosivas
Yoshi delivered. That’s the takeaway. That offseason hype that suggested he was a breakout candidate came true. He ran a wicked route on his first touchdown catch and dragged feet in a way that would make Chad Johnson. Then, on a fourth down in the third quarter, he ran a route that left a defender alone and helpless for an easy touchdown. This ability to be more than a point-of-catch guy by running nasty routes that give him space will help him realize the potential he has to be the outright Tee Higgins replacement in 2025.
0-2 isn’t the end
In a normal year, an 0-2 start is, historically, a disaster. But due to the injuries to Burrow and others last season, the team’s schedule isn’t nearly as difficult in 2024. Now the Bengals appear to have shaken off the sluggishness and aren’t even fully healthy yet, with the offense missing Tee Higgins. They get winnable games against Washington and Carolina over the next two weeks to really get right after looking good on Sunday against a Super Bowl favorite.
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