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The Cincinnati Bengals pulled off a stunning upset Sunday, taking down the Tennessee Titans in 31-20 fashion.
Despite missing every opening-day starter on the offensive line, Joe Burrow peppered the likes of Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd with targets while evading pressure and stunning a playoff-hopeful Titans squad.
Here’s a look at some quick-hitting analysis after the game went final.
Quick Hits
— Cincinnati’s first drive with the patchwork offensive line wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been, largely because of playcalling that had the ball out fast, plus a few key escapes from Burrow. If that was the start of a trend, the game could’ve been a lot closer than most would’ve expected — and it turned out even better than that.
— Want proof Tee Higgins is the next big thing? His huge toe-tap play on another deep connection with Burrow on the first drive said it all — and so did his usage throughout.
— Jessie Bates continues to play like the outright best safety in the league. He popped up again on Tennessee’s first drive, picking off an iffy Ryan Tannehill pass.
— Bengals didn’t take long to get Quinton Spain in the lineup despite his just getting signed on Friday and called up from the practice squad Saturday.
— Cincinnati sprinted to a 10-0 start, yet Titans responded with a 10-play, 75-yard drive. Bengals made it 17-7 and just kept the foot on the gas pedal, knowing full and well the defense would struggle to protect the lead.
— Solid as the offensive line looks at times, keep in mind the Titans have been downright miserable at applying pressure all year. That’s not meant to discredit — but it’s important context for those confused as to why this line of backups looked good.
— Really hard to ignore the obvious future core of this Bengals defense — Jessie Bates, Logan Wilson and Carl Lawson.
— Not to abuse the same point every week but…Burrow’s not a typical rookie. He’s escaping pressures, looking off coverages, faking movement in the pocket to manipulate coverage and more, all behind a line of backups.
Key Stat
0: The number of sacks allowed by the patchwork offensive line of all backups. Much of the credit goes to Joe Burrow, but big kudos go to those new arrivals like Spain and rookies like Hakeem Adeniji for putting on the effort.
Game Ball
Tee Higgins: How good is the rookie wideout? Higgins popped off for several big gains on the day, including a 24-yarder. He ended up with six catches for 78 yards, making him the team’s leading receiver.
What to Fix
The line: Cincinnati’s line looked better than expected given the circumstances, but keep in mind the mentioned notes about the Titans’ poor defense. With Quinton Spain playing so much already, it’s clear there is an avenue to much better line play coming out of the bye if the key names can get healthy.
Top Takeaway
Getting closer: It’s clear the plan the Bengals had envisioned for this roster is starting to emerge a bit. Massive injuries have gotten in the way, but a talent like Burrow has a way of making up for the problem areas. Hanging with a playoff contender like Tennessee is a good sign — now the task is getting healthy during the bye week.
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