After falling to 0-2, the Cincinnati Bengals faced a must-win game in Week 3 against the New York Jets, lest their season fall apart in the first month.
They won, 27-12.
Joe Burrow’s offense found new life on the road, exploding out of the gates for big plays while the defense put on another strong showing. The result was a win that put them back on track just before a Thursday night game against Miami.
Here are some quick items to know following the game.
Quick Hits
— Bengals started very aggressive on offense, winning the coin toss and taking the ball before getting into a heavy dose of passing with some creativity mixed in. They converted two third downs of eight-plus yards before Samaje Perine caught the game’s first touchdown.
— Defense looked a little asleep to start this game just like last week, but a dropped pass by the Jets bailed them out and assisted in holding New York to a field goal.
— Second offensive drive, a Ja’Marr Chase turnover in traffic stalled things. On the third, Jets attempted a blitz and Burrow burned them with a heater to Tyler Boyd, who turned around and took it 56 yards after a hit to score.
— Fourth drive? Near-50-yard pass to Tee Higgins (who took a headshot a few weeks removed from being in concussion protocol), the flag added 15 more yards.
— A Logan Wilson interception set up three more points on a day where the Bengals just had everything going their way.
— DJ Reader went down with a knee injury and was quickly ruled out.
— The pass-rush, without Reader, caused a fumble on the first drive of the second half. Cincinnati pounced on that chance with a Ja’Marr Chase touchdown to put the game effectively out of reach.
— While the rushing attack stalled for most of the day, Samaje Perine came in late at running back and put this one on ice while grinding out the clock.
— An Evan McPherson miss late is starting to become a little concerning.
— Jessie Bates got the game-sealing pick off a tipped pass.
Key Stat
5.1: Yards per play for a Bengals offense that found new ways to get unpredictable and move the ball down the field.
Game Balls
QB Joe Burrow: Burrow looked more like his usual self in the pocket and was therefore notably more comfortable moving the ball down the field. He finished with 275 yards and three touchdowns.
LB Logan Wilson: The star linebacker grabbed another interception and had a strong overall day despite his unit missing Germaine Pratt’s starting snaps.
Top Takeaway
Borderline expected: This is how it went last year, too. The Bengals started slow, then won a blowout in Week 3. Same thing this year, as the offense got in gear and now looks primed to go on another run potentially.
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