The Cincinnati Bengals move to 3-3 on the year after gutting out one of the most impressive road wins under Zac Taylor’s tenure as head coach.
It was the way the Bengals beat the Saints and how they rediscovered their identity on offense that will have Taylor’s players and staff leaving New Orleans with plenty of optimism. The Bengals got their mojo back and there weren’t two players happier about it than quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.
Prior to Sunday’s 30-26 win at the Superdome, the Bengals had yet to prove they could overcome a halftime deficit. They flipped the script against the Saints because they trailed 20-14 at the half and it looked like they were going to lose, to be quite frank. But when Cincinnati needed its two best players to carry the team, they delivered.
Bengals vs. Saints:What people were saying after Cincinnati beat New Orleans
Here are three main takeaways from the Bengals’ Week 6 road win over the Saints:
Joe Burrow’s pocket awareness and ability to escape sacks deserves more credit
For the last five weeks, we’ve heard how close the Bengals were to breaking through on offense. Cincinnati had yet to put together a game that left anyone talking about their explosiveness.
In fact, it’s been the opposite.What’s wrong with the Bengals’ offense?
That’s been the main question across local and national media outlets for weeks now. And thanks to Burrow and Chase’s performance against the Saints, that question will go away, at least for now.
Burrow threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns in the win. His pocket awareness was the best it’s been all season. Look no further than the third-and-4 play in the fourth quarter when he escapes a sack and scrambles until he can find Tyler Boyd over the middle for the first down.
It was one of those plays that makes your jaw drop as you question how that even happened. Even his own head coach thought the worst.
“I thought he was sacked,” Taylor said. “I was standing there next to Ja’Marr (Chase). Ja’Marr’s route finished right next to me on the sideline. We both thought the play was over. I had to tell him to get back in it and try to go score. Obivously, he found, I think TB (Tyler Boyd) on the play if I remember correctly. Sometimes when things look really bleak and dead, Joe (Burrow) finds a way out of the mess. You don’t know how he does it. He just does it. It’s special to see when it happens.”
Burrow, as he typically does, downplayed how difficult that play is to make. He chalked it up to simply just making a play when his team needed it most.
“It was third down and the game was on the line, basically,” Burrow said of the play. “I knew I had to make a play so in those situations I know I can kind of extend plays further than I usually would, so I just trusted my training and went and made a play and TB did a great job of getting open.”
That specific play kept the Bengals’ offense on the field and resulted even though they weren’t able to score a touchdown, they walked away with points after Evan McPherson nailed a 52-yard field goal. The game was brought within two points and eventually Cincinnati took the lead.
That play by Burrow should and will be remembered for a long time and is among the many reasons he’s going to get a big-time raise when he gets his next contract.
Chase and Burrow show NFL they remain one of the league’s most explosive QB-WR duos in NFL
It couldn’t have been scripted better.
Chase and Burrow are legends in the state of Louisiana because of the national championship they won at LSU in 2020. All week they were asked about what their emotions would be like playing at the Superdome in front of many fans who cheered for them every Saturday they played at LSU.
Burrow and Chase had yet to connect on an explosive play that resembled any of the ones they had in 2021. Heading into Sunday’s game, the Bengals looked like a shell of themselves on offense, particularly in the passing game. They had yet to execute the big plays they were known for, and Chase has been ready for a big game since his Week 1 performance against the Steelers.
The Bengals’ coaching staff has been heavily criticized by outsiders on the play-calling and play design for Chase in particular.
Safe to say, I think we can end the Chase-Burrow connection in Year 1 was a fluke conversation now.
Chase is an emerging superstar. Not just because of the way he plays, but how he’s preparing for games now. The Louisiana native had over 50 family members and friends in the stands at the Superdome. Rather than letting the distractions get to him, Chase made sure to lock in as he does before every game.
The only people he saw the night before the game were his mom and dad. It was important to him he didn’t let this game get too big for him.
“I didn’t move too much,” Chase said. “I was just trying to make sure I had tunnel vision coming into this game. Just making sure I’m game-like ready.”
With 2:10 left to play in the game, the Bengals’ offense had one more chance to win the game. Not even Chase thought the game would end how it did. Burrow, on his first pass of the drive, fired off a 10-yard pass to Chase who turned it into a 60-yard touchdown play. Chase made two Saints’ defenders missed as he sprinted his way into the end zone.
When asked if he was surprised by the play Chase made to win the game, Burrow smiled.
“That was an unbelievable play by him,” Burrow said. “When the going gets tough, I’m going to try to find that guy and he’s going to make plays for us.…. I’m never surprised by that guy.”
Burrow and Chase once again showed their dominance in the state of Louisiana.
Bengals' run defense struggles and it might get worse before it improves
For five games, Cincinnati’s defense was a top-10 unit against the run. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s group uncharacteristically gave up 228 rushing yards to the Saints.
It’s worth noting New Orleans does have one of the most dynamic running backs in the game in Alvin Kamara. Taysom Hill also is a weapon in the run game and those two players in particular exposed the Bengals on defense.
They couldn’t get off the field because they couldn’t stop the Saints’ rushing attack. New Orleans completed 8-of-17 third downs (47 percent) with Kamara totaling 99 yards on the ground.
It was clear when the Bengals lost defensive tackle DJ Reader against the Dolphins, the run defense was going to take a hit. His absence was even more glaring in Week 6. But despite playing their worst game of the season, the Bengals’ defense, Trey Hendrickson in particular, made the stop to force a Saints’ punt when they needed it most at the end of the game.
The major issue with the run defense is not only are the Bengals going to be without Reader for a few more weeks. They might also now be without Reader’s backup, Josh Tupou, and linebacker Logan Wilson appeared to suffer a serious injury. Wilson injured his right shoulder and Tupou suffered a calf injury.
If the Bengals’ defense loses Wilson and Tupou in addition to not having Reader, Cincinnati’s run defense is going to suffer. There’s no sugar coating it.
Following the game, Taylor was asked about the status of Wilson and he was unable to provide any information. Tupou didn’t return to the game and neither did Wilson.
The concern is real.
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