The Cincinnati Bengals were riding high heading into Sunday's matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers after back-to-back wins by double digits. As one of the fun surprises of this season, the Bengals have showcased their depth and talent on both sides of the ball and have progressed into a playoff contender rather quickly.
Despite falling into a 24-0 hole during the first half of the game, the Bengals fought their way back to cut the Chargers lead to two points. However, an untimely finger injury on Joe Burrow's throwing hand made things quite difficult for the Bengals' offense throughout the rest of the game. On top of that, Joe Mixon's fumble late in the game wound up being another turning point for Cincinnati that put an end to their hopes of a comeback win.
With the Bengals looking to stay alive in the AFC playoff hunt, every game from here on out is a must-win, and they'll need big performances from their star players if they want to make their playoff dreams a reality this season. As they continue to fight for a spot in the postseason, we'll discuss the two biggest takeaways from the Bengals' disappointing Week 13 loss to the Chargers.
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Cincinnati Bengals Week 13 Takeaways
1. Joe Burrow's health is instrumental to Bengals' success on offense
After dislocating his finger during their tough loss to the Chargers, Burrow found himself battling through pain while trying to match wits with Justin Herbert and LA's high-powered offense. Even though he fought valiantly and helped lead the Bengals on the comeback trail, they fell short and weren't able to keep pace with the high-octane attack the Chargers were dishing out in Week 13.
If the Bengals want to run an efficient uptempo offense, Burrow must be at full strength and be able to throw the long ball for them. With a dislocated finger on his throwing hand, this will prove to be incredibly difficult. Even though he has shown he can battle through the pain and still have a strong impact, the Bengals are much better off if they can have him in the game fully healthy.
Given the timing of his injury, it would be a huge blow to the Bengals were he to miss any of the remaining games on their schedule. However, Burrow may wind up having a quick recovery and be back at the top of his game in no time.
Regardless, the health of Joe Burrow is vital to their offensive success, and the Bengals need him at his absolute best if they want to nab a playoff spot.
2. Cincinnati's play has been very streaky this season
Despite racking up an impressive amount of blowout wins this season, the Bengals have also had their fair share of questionable losses. This weekend proved to be the latest example of this. After a 31-point rout of the Pittsburgh Steelers last weekend, the Bengals came out flat against the Chargers through the first half of Sunday's game.
Although they did snap out of their funk and find new life in the second half, it wasn't nearly enough and they wound up losing in brutal fashion to another playoff hopeful. If the Bengals are to finish out their season on a high note, they'll need to establish some consistency and pull out more quality wins.
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