Bengals: The biggest reason behind loss is being overlooked
The story of Sunday's AFC Championship Game is getting very muddied for many reasons. Over the next few days and weeks, NFL fans around the country will discuss the officiating of the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals. It's quite simple to understand why. These two teams found themselves in some […]
The story of Sunday's AFC Championship Game is getting very muddied for many reasons. Over the next few days and weeks, NFL fans around the country will discuss the officiating of the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals.
It's quite simple to understand why. These two teams found themselves in some optically-questionable spots. There were debatable calls and controversial moments.
But the reality of things is that the Bengals didn't lose because of officiating.
I'm sure it played a part in it but I'd struggle to portray this loss as a result of one too many flags. The truth is that the Bengals got straight-up beaten in the trenches. They were pushed around from start to finish.
Joe Burrow got sacked five times and endured 12 QB hits. Let me say that again, 12 QB hits! Despite being the least-blitzed quarterback in the NFL throughout the regular season, Cincinnati faced plenty of blitzing from Kansas City.
Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo brought the heat in over 35% of Burrow's dropbacks.
Four of his sacks occurred in the first nine dropbacks of the game but while the sacks diminished, the pressures didn't. Burrow was fighting adversity every step of the way.
That adversity had a name and a face, too. And it's likely to appear in Joe Burrow's dreams for a long time.
Defensive tackle Chris Jones led the Chiefs with six pressures in the game (two sacks) and made damage in various spots. He closed things out with a sack off of Bengals right tackle Hakeem Adeniji that set the costly punt with less than a minute left to go.
Simply put, the Bengals weren't able to overcome a banged-up offensive line for two consecutive weeks. And honestly, that's more than fair. The NFL, especially in the playoffs, usually becomes about who's the healthiest and not the best.
It's hard to ignore that the Bills were 27th in the NFL in pressure rate without Von Miller and that the Chiefs ranked in the Top 5 of the NFL.
The beating in the trenches was evident in the running game, too.
Joe Mixon rushed eight times for 19 yards, a meager 2.4 average per attempt. Samaje Perine did better with five carries for 22 yards (4.4 average) but neither managed to get the running game going for the Bengals.
The Chiefs' defense also finished the night with six tackles for loss.
It doesn't necessarily make it easier to endure, but there's no denying the #1 reason why the Bengals lost was because the offensive line was bad. And when you lose three starters over the final stretch of the season, that is luck playing a factor.
Featured image via Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
