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The Cincinnati Bengals stormed out to a 24-7 advantage over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, only to cough up the lead by the start of the fourth quarter, eventually losing, 31-27.
Cincinnati’s defense couldn’t find an answer for Philip Rivers and the Colts in the second half, while the Joe Burrow-led offense struggled to match.
Here’s a look at some quick notes and instant analysis.
Quick Hits
— Bengals capitalized on a silly Colts mistake early, forcing a turnover and quickly scoring on their first offensive drive. Arguably even better, the play-calling was simplistic and worked in Gio Bernard on a touchdown run, which was potentially a sign of things to come.
— Indeed, Bengals casually made it 14-0 after another defensive stop and quick drive for a score.
— And if things weren’t strange enough, Bengals made it ugly with another stop, then a score to go up 21-0. The third scoring drive featured a Burrow-to-Higgins 67-yard bomb, because why not?
— The 24 first-half points were a high for the Zac Taylor era, an impressive feat considering the blowout loss the week prior.
— Of note was the lack of snaps for guys like Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins. It’s something to watch moving forward, as older guys from the past coaching staff appear to get phased out.
— In typical fashion, Lou Anarumo’s defense collapsed near the end of the second half and coughed up points. It appeared a lack of adjustments let the Colts do whatever they wanted offensively in the third quarter, too.
— It doesn’t help that Philip Rivers was wicked-accurate in the second half, making a mockery of good coverage, even by guys like rookie linebacker Logan Wilson.
— Zac Taylor’s play-calling flopped after an amazing interception by Jessie Bates. He elected for a third-down fullback rush by Samaje Perine, then settled for a 48-yard field goal that Randy Bullock shanked.
Key Stat
7.2: Yards per play for the Colts. While the Bengals did a great job of putting up numbers early, it didn’t matter much if the defense couldn’t hold it together for four frames.
Game Ball
Tee Higgins: Look at the rookie go. Higgins had a big 67-yard connection with Burrow and ended up leading the team in receiving with six catches for 125 yards, including some really tough catches in traffic.
What to Fix
The defense: That’s a little vague, sure. But the unit again collapsed near the end of a half. And the intended game plan was something a veteran Colts quarterback and his offense adjusted to and started to overcome. It’s also notable the gameplan called for so little of Dunlap and Atkins.
Top Takeaway
Transitional year: It might blow up in their face, but this Bengals coaching staff made it pretty clear they’re going to play who they want and where. It wasn’t uncommon to see Dunlap, Atkins and even Carl Lawson watching from the sidelines in key moments in the second half.