After a disappointing Week 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, are the Cincinnati Bengals due for the dreaded Super Bowl hangover?
Prior to Week 1, the last time we saw the Bengals play football was during a heartbreaking Super Bowl loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Their offseason strategy was straightforward: rebuild the offensive line. The Bengals front office went all-in to protect Joe Burrow. They signed experienced linemen Ted Karras, Alex Cappa, and La'el Collins in free agency and drafted rookie guard Cordell Volson. Four new starting linemen were signed in to help protect Joe Burrow after he was sacked a league-high 51 times in 2021.
There's no better way to put that new offensive line through its paces than against the Pittsburgh Steelers defense, which includes reigning Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt. The outcome felt all too familiar, though. It was the same final score as the Super Bowl (23-20), the same number of sacks (seven) taken by Burrow, and the same outcome.
Does this mean the Bengals are due for the dreaded Super Bowl hangover? We don't think so. Here are 3 reasons Joe Burrow and company aren't due for the dreaded Super Bowl hangover.
Steelers were heavy underdogs at +220 but have gone up 17-3, Super Bowl hangover for the Bengals? pic.twitter.com/b1WxUvDWfD
— ClutchPoints Betting (@CPBetting) September 11, 2022
3. O-line won't face T.J. Watt every night
As expected, the Steelers pushed both Burrow and the new Cincinnati offensive line to the test. The Steelers disguised their coverages and defensive fronts with their own pre-snap motion. They used a lot of deception, continuously shifting linebackers back and forth, mimicking pre-snap blitz looks, or delaying rushes.
The Steelers had seven sacks and 26 total pressures throughout 71 pass-blocking attempts, though keep in mind that Cincinnati had the most offensive plays in the NFL in 20 years (94). The sheer amount of pass-blocking plays exposed the Bengals to more unpleasant highlights like Cameron Heyward pummeling Joe Burrow from behind or stuffing him into a fetal tuck. However, the bigger picture actually suggests the Bengals' o-line was more efficient than the numbers may suggest.
Ted Karras had a perfect slate of 71 pass-blocking snaps without allowing a pressure, according to Pro Football Focus. Alex Cappa, right guard, had three, while La'el Collins, right tackle, had one. PFF gave rookie left tackle Jonah Williams and rookie left guard Cordell Volson seven points apiece.
Looking deeper, only four of the seven sacks were attributed to the offensive line, with two attributed to Volson and two attributed to Williams. Can the o-line improve? Of course. Do they need time? Absolutely. Does this one-game performance mean they haven't improved? Nope.
2. Bengals' D was stout
While the Steelers offense is a farce, the Bengals' defense was outstanding on Sunday.
Despite the Bengals' turnovers regularly giving the Steelers strong field position, the defense limited them to 10 points. Fitzpatrick's pick-six provided the Steelers offense with its first seven points. The defense forced three 3-and-outs from the Steelers in the first half and then forced five punts in the second half to keep the Bengals in the game.
The defense carried the offense to the Super Bowl in the playoffs, and it appeared to be more of the same Sunday. Despite the fact that the defense did not force a turnover, they gave it their all despite the offense doing all in its power to turn the ball over and hand Pittsburgh its scores.
If the Bengals' defense continues to play this well throughout the season, this team should still be a force to be reckoned with in 2022.
1. Joe Burrow won't play that poorly ever again
From the opening play of the game, it appeared like Burrow and the offense were in for a tough day. Cam Heyward outran Volson for a sack. Burrow was late and threw a duck, which Minkah Fitzpatrick returned to the house for a 31-yard score.
Burrow concluded the day with four interceptions, seven sacks, and a passer rating of 61.7. He turned the ball over on four of the six first-half drives.
Burrow was also significantly to blame for some of the sacks in this game. Despite a pretty average pressure rate, the Steelers brought him down seven times on Sunday. He spent too much time looking for huge plays instead of attempting to control the ball and efficiently manage the offense.
On the flip side, we shouldn't see another game like this from the Bengals' quarterback. The first half was as terrible as it could get for Joe Cool. He was routinely late with his throws, misjudged the defense, and underperformed. Burrow's arm strength prevents him from trying to gun throws in or still fitting them when he's late. That was one of the main reasons for turnovers yesterday.
The bottom line is Burrow is too skilled to play this badly over the course of an entire season. He will play better and coupled with their tight defense, the Bengals shouldn't suffer from the dreaded Super Bowl hangover in 2022.
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