Halftime Observations: Bengals Trail Saints 20-14 With Defense Struggling

NEW ORLEANS — The Bengals trail the Saints 20-14 at halftime. Cincinnati started slow, but they battled back and are within striking distance.

The Bengals are hoping to improve to 3-3 on the year. They never led in the first half.

Here are some of our halftime observations:

Slow Start

The Bengals' started slow on Sunday. Their offense went three-and-out on their first possession and their defense gave up a touchdown on the Saints' second possession of the game.

Cincinnati forced New Orleans to punt on their first drive, but Trent Taylor fumbled on the punt return and the Saints took advantage.

Andy Dalton found Tre'quan Smith for an 18-yard touchdown three plays later and the Saints took an early 7-0 lead.

Burrow in the Bayou

Joe Burrow has completed 17-of-25 passes for 126 yards and one touchdown. He also has 24 rushing yards and another score on the ground.

A few of his passes were a little off-target early in the game. That quickly changed and Burrow has leaned on the quick pass to move the ball up and down the field.

The Bengals have 10 and 12-play drives that ended in touchdowns.

The Bengals Will Win If...

Their defense keeps a shorthanded Saints' offense in check. Burrow is playing well and the offense should be able to continue to move up and down the field.

This Saints' offense had their way with the Bengals in the first half. That has to change if Cincinnati is going to leave the Superdome with a win.

Forcing a turnover or two would help, but they haven't been able to stop the run, which is a big reason why they're losing at the half.

The Saints have 244 total yards and 164 rushing yards. Cincinnati has to slow down New Orleans' ground game if they're going to win.

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