After an ominous start to the season, the Cincinnati Bengals are on a roll. They clinched their fourth win in the last five games after beating the Atlanta Falcons, 35-17, at home in Week 7. This propels the Bengals to a tie for first place in the AFC North ahead of their Week 8 matchup against state rival Cleveland. Here we'll look at some takeaways from the Bengals' win in Week 7.
The Bengals appear to be on their way back to Super Bowl fighting form. They trounced the Falcons in quite convincing fashion, leading 21-0 at the opening of the second quarter. Everyone has been waiting for this high-powered and sharp Bengals offense. When this explosive and dynamic attack combines with the Bengals' suffocating second-half defense, it's pretty much over for whomever they are facing.
At the forefront, of course, is star quarterback Joe Burrow. He led the way for the Bengals in this game, putting forth one of his best performances in recent memory.
Here are our four takeaways from the Cincinnati Bengals' Week 7 win vs. the Falcons.
4. Some Bengals injuries to watch
First, the bad news. Offensive lineman La'el Collins stepped out of the game with an ankle injury for a bit before finally returning to the game after Hakeem Adeniji filled in for him. However, when Collins did return, he didn't really make much of a positive impact. He missed or didn't know the snap count on at least one occasion, which resulted in a Burrow sack. Presumably, the chronic back problem isn't helping matters in addition to his ankle. Moving forward, though, it's difficult to determine if things will improve.
Meanwhile, elite edge rusher Trey Hendrickson had a neck injury and was uncertain to return. That's something more to keep an eye on in the coming weeks. He had a sack and a tackle for loss in this game before leaving. Take note that Hendrickson already has 3.5 sacks after seven weeks. If he does miss time, that's a big void they need to fill.
3. Second half supreme
The Bengals are well-known for their explosive offense, but this season, in fact, their defense has yet to give up a score in the second half. What's more impressive is that we're about halfway through the season, and their defense is still dominating the second half of games.
This run is nothing short of spectacular and demonstrates the effectiveness of the team's halftime adjustments. Furthermore, in their last 15 games, the Bengals have allowed only 22 points in the third quarter. It's easy to look at their offense and assume they just kick into high gear in the second half, However, in reality, it's their second-half defense that has been absolutely outstanding.
Kudos to defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo as well as his top defensive weapons. These include Germaine Pratt, Vonn Bell, Sam Hubbard, and the aforementioned Hendrickson.
2. Boyd and Chase make it happen for the Bengals
Bengals WR Tyler Boyd is a player that has been often overlooked when it comes to the Bengals offense. In this game, however, Boyd showed out. He completed 8-of-9 receptions for 155 yards and one touchdown. His previous personal best was 138 yards, which he set four years ago. From his one-handed catch across the center of the field to a deep pass he caught for the 60-yard score, he was absolutely fantastic. Boyd basically showed everyone that he was still a top-level receiver.
And speaking of top-level receivers, Ja'Marr Chase caught 8-of-11 targets for 130 yards and two touchdowns. He has now had back-to-back weeks of getting at least 130 yards and two TDs. He's on fire right now. That is good for him, the team, and of course the fans who've been waiting for him to take over.
Right now, Chase is on pace for 114 receptions, 1,469 yards, and 15 touchdowns this season. All of those figures would be an improvement over his All-Pro rookie season last year.
1. Joe Burrow was feasting
Joe Burrow played his finest game of the season in this one. In fact, it's easily one of the top three games of his career. He was making amazing throws all day, avoided nasty sacks, and was highly accurate for the most part. Joe Cool made good reads and even ran the ball efficiently. By the game's end, his stats included an 81 percent completion percentage, 501 yards, and four touchdowns. That resulted in a 138.2 passer rating, which was the third-best in his brief career. He feasted on the Falcons like crazy.
In addition, Burrow reached 0.6 EPA (expected points added) per play yesterday, according to advanced metrics. That's good enough for the 97th percentile of all games tracked, which is pretty insane. He was not only exceedingly efficient, but he also worked at an extraordinarily high volume.
Prior to this game, there were still some lingering questions as to whether Burrow’s pocket presence and overall output can be attributed to weak competition. Those questions can stop. Burrow is just a great quarterback regardless of the opponent and situation. He is our guy.
Follow Us
Subscribe
