Joe Burrow, Bengals left without answers in another deep hole they dug themselves
Three years ago, the Cincinnati Bengals began the 2021 season with a heart-pounding victory. A 1-0 start eventually ended in a trip to the Super Bowl.The Bengals have yet to win a Week 1 game since, and Sunday's latest season-opening failure looks to be the worst of the last three years. After a training camp […]
Three years ago, the Cincinnati Bengals began the 2021 season with a heart-pounding victory. A 1-0 start eventually ended in a trip to the Super Bowl.
The Bengals have yet to win a Week 1 game since, and Sunday's latest season-opening failure looks to be the worst of the last three years.
After a training camp with quarterback Joe Burrow healthy and practicing, with a veteran-filled offensive line, and growth from ascending ancillary weapons to fit alongside Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati fell flat again in a 16-10 defeat to the New England Patriots.
And Burrow doesn't have an answer for why, yet.
"We'll have to watch the tape and learn from it," Burrow said of the team's third-straight opener loss.
The tape will point to a lot of similar problems from last year.
Burrow, who said his offensive line played well, was sacked three times including twice in the opening three drives. The Bengals failed to move the chains in all three drives while the Patriots already found the end zone to take a lead they wouldn't give up.
Tee Higgins being out with a hamstring injury wasn't ideal, but the Bengals' passing game looked as bottled up as ever. Burrow averaged a mere 5.7 yards per attempt and only threw beyond the sticks a few times.
"They were doing a good job keeping everything in front," Burrow said of New England's secondary. "Take what the defense gives me.
"Like I said, we'll watch the tape."
New England's defense is well coached and has talent in key spots, but Cincinnati can't accept that as to why just 10 points were put up at home. This offense was supposed to look evolved and more balanced, featuring an uptick of under center calls that open up space down the field.
For most of the game, it looked as incompetent as it's been in the Burrow era.
There were definite missed opportunities. Burrow dropped a dime to Mike Gesicki in the back corner of the end zone, but the former Patriots tight end couldn't secure it on the ground and turned a perfect pass into a drop. The very next play, Burrow connected with Tanner Hudson in front of the goal line before Hudson's poor ball security led to a fumble just yards from pay dirt.
Two touchdowns off the board in what ended up being a six-point loss. That's how bad teams lose.
Very few teams come out the gate and look like a finished product in Week 1, but the Bengals continue to fall violently on their faces when the season begins. Even when they managed to do things right, they can't capitalize.
"We'll have to watch the tape, I don't really have an answer for you right now," Burrow said. "I'll have a better answer on Wednesday."
The Bengals' season could hinge on finding that answer.
Bengals’ major problem from last year remains at large after being upset by Patriots
Cincinnati came out flat, again, to start the season.
