Brutal. Just brutal. For the third straight year, the Cincinnati Bengals are 0 - 2, and what began as a season filled with ceaseless optimism has quickly become an impending nightmare.
As the Kansas City Chiefs lined up for a 51-yard field goal with three seconds remaining, the game already felt in hand. The Chiefs don’t lose these games. Patrick Mahomes doesn't lose these games. And of course, they didn’t.
Once the ball left Harrison Butker’s right foot, it was obvious. A no-doubter – right down the freaking middle. Ballgame.
The Bengals had their chances today. The Bengals offense, for the most part, outplayed the Chiefs offense, and the Bengals forced the Chiefs into three turnovers, including two interceptions of Mahomes. But in the most critical moment, the Bengals weren’t up to the task. They weren’t clutch.
A fumble here, a missed extra point there, throw in a game-deciding pass interference penalty why don’t ya? When it’s all said and told, the Bengals weren’t a lesser team – just a sloppier one.
Sloppiness…it’s defined the Bengals season thus far. Two losses, both winnable games. The Bengals took seven points off the board last week when tight end Tanner Hudson fumbled on his way to the endzone, and this week, the Bengals spotted the Chiefs seven points when Joe Burrow fumbled and the Chiefs’ Chamarri Conner returned it 38 yards for a touchdown. A fumbled punt return by Charlie Jones last week set the Patriots up in field goal range, and of course, they converted.
That’s ten points this season gift-wrapped to opponents due to lost fumbles, and seven taken off the board because of them. The Bengals lost two fumbles in all of 2023. They’ve lost three in 2024. Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy…
The Bengals won’t be getting much reprieve next week either. The Washington Commanders come into town fresh off their first win of the season, and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels has been an electric playmaker. The number two pick has Lamar Jackson-like athleticism at the QB-position, and if the Bengals have any hope of avoiding a disastrous 3 - 0 start, they’re going to need to clean up their act quickly.
Making matters worse is the continued decimation of the Bengals defensive line. B.J. Hill left the game with a hamstring injury, and Rankins left the game with his own hamstring injury later in the game. It’s Week Two and the Bengals are already down both of their starting defensive tackles – and that’s not even mentioning injuries to rookie DTs Kris Jenkins Jr. and McKinnley Jackson, and defensive end Myles Murphy in the preseason. It’s too early for injuries to be deciding seasons, and yet, that’s where the Bengals stand.
As tough as it is to admit right now, there were some positives to take away from this game. Burrow looked like a completely different player this week than in the opener. He was decisive, mobile, and accurate. One week after looking mediocre and uncomfortable, Joe Burrow was Joe Cool once again.
The running game also took steps forward, and the tight ends showed up in a massive way. Zack Moss churned out tough yards on the ground and Chase Brown gashed the Chiefs to the tune of 7.8 yards per carry, while tight ends Mike Gesicki, Drew Sample, and Erick All Jr. combined for 14 receptions and 151 yards receiving. It was nice to see rookie receiver Jermaine Burton step up with a huge 47-yard catch for his first-career reception too.
That’s pretty much where the positives end. The O-line was mostly solid, but three sacks allowed – all on third down, including the sack-fumble return for a touchdown – puts quite the damper on their performance. Ja’Marr Chase was limited to 35 yards and his unsportsmanlike penalty in the fourth quarter was a cherry on top of an extremely forgettable day for the fourth-year receiver. Andrei Iosivas caught both of Burrow’s touchdown passes, but a drop on 2nd and 6 with 3:30 remaining led to a Chiefs sack on the next play. The Bengals were forced to punt, and the rest is history.
0 - 2. It’s only two games, but this feels monumental. Three seasons in a row, all beginning with two losses. The Bengals have managed to climb their way out of this mess before, but can they really keep going down this path and remain a winning team? The number one seed in the AFC might already be out of reach for Pete’s sake! Sure, upcoming games against the Commanders and then the Carolina Panthers seem winnable, but that’s how we all felt about the New England Game. With this Bengals team, nothing is guaranteed.