The Cincinnati Bengals are off to an 0-1 start on the 2023 season after a 24-3 loss to the Cleveland Browns in the opener.
For Joe Burrow’s offense, it felt like everything that could go wrong did, as his unit struggled to get anything going in the rain.
Buy Bengals TicketsCincinnati’s defense held up its end of the bargain in spots, but still eventually coughed up 206 rushing yards and a score on a 5.2 average, too.
Before the team starts to prep for a Week 2 showdown with the Baltimore Ravens, here’s a look at the most notable winners and losers coming out of the latest tough start to a season.
Winner: Rookies
Rookie wideout Andrei Iosivas was the starter on special teams as a gunner, confirming his spot and the idea he’ll be one of the first called upon in the offense if necessary. Rookie safety Jordan Battle got a few looks with veteran Michael Thomas on the practice squad.
Loser: P Brad Robbins
Not all rookies had a good showing, though. Robbins’ debut was especially rough, minus one good punt, as he struggled in the slippery conditions. The impact on the game due to consistently losing the field position battle didn’t help an offense that couldn’t find its footing.
Winner: Germaine Pratt
Pratt didn’t need long to show why the team was wise to bring him back in free agency. He had an early sack of Deshaun Watson and then forced a fumble.
Loser: Tee Higgins
Eight targets, zero catches. Just a disaster of a showing for Higgins. Not all his fault considering Joe Burrow’s struggles and some great coverage at times, but the exact opposite of what the offense needed as it couldn’t find a spark.
Winner: RB Joe Mixon
Mixon looked like the only real spark the offense had, running very hard and breaking a few nice ones. He also caught a handful of passes, flexing some nice versatility.
Loser: QB Joe Burrow
No nice way to put it — this was probably the worst game of Burrow’s career. Many factors went into it, including lack of reps, the preseason injury and the weather. But he was simply off and never looked comfortable. It probably fixes itself over time just like last season, but the entire offense croaks if he’s rusty and off his usual game like this.
