Bengals' Defense Holds Their Own Against Giants
The Bengals fell to 2-8-1 on the season following Sunday's 19-17 loss to the New York Giants.
It was their first game without Joe Burrow under center.
The loss of Burrow completely changed Cincinnati’s identity on offense. They aren't the explosive group we've seen flashes from this season. It forces Bengals to rely on their defense to put them in position to win games.
“The standard for the defense just has to raise ten times more with that part [Joe Burrow] being out,” safety Jessie Bates III said before the game. “It’s something that’s not a secret, something that we got to address in the room—we’re going to win games, because of our defense.”
Bates’ comments became a reality on Sunday. Brandon Allen got the start over Ryan Finley and the offensive struggles continued.
Allen was 17-of-29 for 136 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He did not complete a pass longer than 20 yards. Fourteen of Allen’s seventeen completions were under 10 yards.
Giovani Bernard and the running game were non-existent. Bernard ran the ball eight times for 32 yards.
The Bengals’ offense never got into a groove groove. They finished with 155 yards of total offense.
“We never found our rhythm. First down efficiency is where it really got us,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “We were in a lot of 2nd and 8, 2nd and 9, 2nd and 10 it felt like. That’s not a great recipe against that defense.”
The unit had four 3-and-outs and finished 3-of-10 on third-down. All three of their turnovers happened in the second half.
Even with the offensive shortcomings, the defense kept the Bengals in the game.
With their backs against the wall after a nine-play, 76-yard opening drive touchdown, the defense would not allow the Giants in the end zone for the rest of the game.
Vonn Bell was burned by Evan Engram for a 53-yard completion on the Giants’ opening drive. Engram would go on to have six catches for 129 yards, but Bell recovered nicely from his early mistake.
He racked up 10 tackles (seven solo). His biggest play of the game came when Daniel Jones found Engram over the middle, which would have set the Giants up in the red zone. Bell punched the ball out and returned it to the Bengals’ 45-yard line. The team came away with a field goal following Bell’s forced fumble and return.
“It’s a team game. We have to stay unified," Bell said afterwards. "We are all in this together. If the offense isn’t getting it rolling earlier on, the defense has to make something happen. We have to be the spark and we have to be the energy.”
Bell has excelled in the box. He's delivered some big hits on opposing ball carriers. He brings an energy and spark with his play to this Bengals defense. Bell was voted team captain prior to the season and currently leads the team with 84 tackles.
Daniel Jones had a solid day in the air. He completed 16-of-27 passes for 213 yards before leaving the game with a hamstring injury in the third quarter. Colt McCoy replaced Jones and was held to 6-of-10 for 31 yards.
Mackenzie Alexander shined for the Bengals. He had three passes defended and dominated in his matchup with Golden Tate, who he covered for most of the game. Tate finished with four receptions for 36 yards on nine targets.
Wayne Gallman led the Giants’ ground attack with 94 yards and a touchdown on 24 attempts. Seven of those touches and the score came on their opening drive.
Germaine Pratt, Jessie Bates III, Josh Bynes, and Sam Hubbard were all over the field Sunday. Pratt finished with eight tackles while Bates, Bynes, and Hubbard each added seven of their own.
The defense held the Giants to four field goals and forced five punts.
They also came up big with the game on the line. The defense forced a three-and-out to give the Bengals a chance to win in the final minute. That gave Cincinnati on more chance to pull off the upset.
The offense couldn’t come through as Allen fumbled on the first play of potential game-winning drive.
“It’s life in the NFL. It doesn’t come down to that one play," Taylor said. "There was plenty of other opportunities that we could have gotten momentum throughout the game where plenty of other guys could have stepped up. Everyone’s going to remember that last play of the game, but there was so much more that went on than that.”
Cincinnati falls to 1-13-1 in one score games over the past two years.
Allen will start again next week in Miami.
If the Bengals want to pick up a win down the stretch, they are going to need to play a balanced game, which hasn't been the case for most of the season.
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