Game Overview ::
By mike johnson >>
- Trouble could be brewing in Cincinnati as the Bengals attempt to regroup from an embarrassing Week 1 loss to the Patriots.
- Cincinnati’s run defense was gashed in their first game since losing multiple key defenders in the off-season.
- The Chiefs offense won a Super Bowl in 2023 despite their offense playing at a mediocre level for Patrick Mahomes standards. In Week 1, they looked as dynamic and explosive as they did at any point last year…. good luck to the rest of the league.
- The Chiefs defense clogged up running lanes for the Baltimore running backs, was able to create pressure in the passing game, and eliminated All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews.
- Bengals star wide receiver Jamar Chase still does not have a new contract, but suited up and played in Week 1. Tee Higgins does not appear close to returning for Cincinnati.
- The Cincinnati offense appears to be starting slow again this year, which is becoming a bit of a trend.
How cincinnati Will Try To Win ::
The Bengals managed only 224 total yards of offense in their Week 1 loss to the Patriots and were held scoreless for the first 44 minutes of the game. There are a lot of factors that we can point to with the absence of Tee Higgins, the lack of practice for Ja’Marr Chase, and the return from wrist injury for Joe Burrow. However, when we zoom out we can see that the Bengals had similar struggles to start 2023 as they failed to surpass 300 yards of offense in three of their first four games and four of their first six. The Bengals are often thought of as an offensive juggernaut, but this is a team that has had its share of offensive struggles in recent years when playing at less than full strength. Joe Burrow appeared to be holding his wrist throughout their Week 1 game, Ja’Marr Chase is going to take some time to acclimate to full speed after his “hold-in,” and Tee Higgins is on track to miss at least one more game.
In Week 1, the Bengals led the NFL in PROE (pass rate over expectation) despite averaging over four yards per carry as they seemed set on avoiding a stout Patriots run defense. The Bengals struggled to move the ball in general, and the game moved at a snail’s pace as both teams ranked in the bottom 10 in the league in terms of pace of play for Week 1. This week, however, the Bengals must enter with an entirely different mindset for the Chiefs than they had for the Patriots. Whereas New England was focused on ball control and field position and was never likely to turn things into a shootout, the Chiefs are an explosive unit that can do just that. The high pass rate for Cincinnati in Week 1 was a good sign in terms of their willingness to be aggressive, but one must wonder if they will bring that same approach to Arrowhead. A more balanced approach that focuses on keeping Patrick Mahomes and company off the field seems like the approach Zac Taylor and company could employ in this one. The Chiefs defense bottled up the Ravens running backs in Week 1, and their run defense metrics are misleading because of all the damage that Lamar Jackson did on the ground. Joe Burrow is not Lamar Jackson, and the Bengals can’t rely on his legs to create and sustain offense, so they will likely have to rely more on their ground game.
We should expect the Bengals to get Ja’Marr Chase more involved this week and a heavy emphasis on Zack Moss and a traditional running game. After seeing the success Baltimore had through the air in the short areas with Zay Flowers, Isaiah Likely, and Justice Hill, it may also be possible that we see Chase Brown, Andrei Iosivas, and Mike Gesicki get more chances in that area if we assume the Chiefs attempt to scheme Chase away. All things considered, the Bengals are likely going to have to focus on controlling the ball and getting first downs to sustain drives rather than creating explosive plays downfield.
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