I know it was the Las Vegas Raiders, but c’mon – that was a satisfying win. It doesn’t mean the Cincinnati Bengals are back, and it doesn’t mean the Bengals have made up for their miserable start, but for once, it was nice to watch the Bengals smoke an inferior opponent for their first home win. They haven’t played like it much, but today was a reminder that the Bengals, at their best, are a force.
If it wasn’t clear from the opening snap, it was clear after a botched handoff in the third quarter by Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew that resulted in a brutal turnover – the Bengals are a far, far better team than the Raiders. It wasn’t as close as the seventeen-point margin.
Of course, the Bengals' own star quarterback was a big reason the Bengals made today look so easy. It’s becoming old hat at this point – another day, another brilliant game by Joe Burrow (minus a not-entirely-his-fault pick six). He started the game fifteen for fifteen. He had four touchdown passes halfway through the third quarter, and finished with his second five-touchdown game of the season. He’s ridiculous. At this point, there’s not much else to say. Burrow is playing at an MVP-level. It’s just a shame the team hasn’t put together many MVP-level performances, but (for the most part) they did today.
This was, without question, the best day the Bengals have had on the ground in 2024. The blocking up front, and especially up the middle, was causing problems for an expensive Raiders defensive line, and second-year running back Chase Brown had the first 100-yard game of his career. His downhill running kept the Bengals on schedule all day. Burrow and the passing offense barely had to break a sweat.
It was also quite the day for the defense too, which finished with two fumble recoveries and five sacks. Defensive end Trey Hendrickson continues to be absurd, collecting a career-high four sacks on the day against a beleaguered Raiders offensive line. He now leads the NFL with eleven sacks, and is making a potent case for the Defensive Player of the Year award. Second-year safety Jordan Battle also had a prominent role in this matchup, being almost exclusively matched up against rookie sensation Brock Bowers. Tight ends have been a traditional bugaboo for the Bengals, and Bowers entered the game with the most receptions of any tight end in the league and the second-most of any player period. Bowers made a few plays and caught two touchdowns, but otherwise, was held in check.
Head coach Zac Taylor, meanwhile, has earned all the criticism he’s gotten this year, but his decision to go for it on fourth down on their first drive of the game was admirable. Considering last week’s fourth down debacle, adding another immediately to start the next game might have obliterated whatever was left of Taylor’s already-flimsy job security. The big difference against the Raiders? Well, for one, it worked, but more importantly, Taylor didn’t take the ball out of Burrow’s hands. He let his superstar QB take the reins instead of calling a play with a predetermined outcome. It set the tone: from here on out, the Bengals are going to play like the more desperate opponent, no matter who they’re playing.
It wasn’t all clean though. After taking a 31 - 10 lead in the third quarter, the Bengals went on a stretch that included three punts and the aforementioned pick six. They almost allowed the Raiders to get back into the game with that period of ineptitude. Against better opponents, that won’t fly. As if on cue, the Bengals will have four days to prepare for a trip to play the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night. If they have any interest in beating the Ravens (who demolished the Denver Broncos 41 - 10 today, mind you), the offense can’t get into a funk like that.
Another important development has been the expanding role of Mike Gesicki, who caught the first two touchdowns as a Bengals against the Raiders. He’s become one of Burrow’s most dependable targets over the middle of the field, and with rookie tight end Erick All’s season now in jeopardy following a scary non-contact injury early in the second quarter, Gesicki’s role is more essential than ever. Tee Higgins’ health also remains a big question-mark after missing his fourth game. Gesicki will need to be central to the game plan moving forward if the Bengals are going to make their much-anticipated second-half run.
On a similar note, the role of second-year receiver Andrei Iosivas has never been more in question. He had another touchdown in the red zone today (his fourth), but that’s where his effectiveness begins and ends. Of his four touchdowns on the season, none has been longer than ten yards, and his missed block that led to the pick six underscored a major, reoccurring issue: Iosivas can’t be trusted. His hands are suspect, he doesn’t get a ton of separation, and he doesn't do the little things. He’s a glorified Auden Tate.
Still, let’s savor this win. Who knows how many more performances like that we’ll get? The Bengals came into this season expecting to sweep teams aside, and for one week, they actually did.
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