The Cincinnati Bengals wrapped up home-field advantage for the opening round of the playoffs with Sunday’s 27-16 win over the Baltimore Ravens.
It wasn’t a pretty game by any means regardless of what the score says, in part because the team probably would have liked to rest starters a bit more before the postseason.
Alas, the Bengals moved to 12-4 on the season and advanced as AFC North champions in title and in benefit (home-field advantage) after some murky waters put forth by the NFL’s on-the-fly playoff adjustments.
Here’s a look at some noteworthy takeaways as the Bengals prep for a playoff showdown with the Ravens.
Joe Burrow's misfires
No reason to panic given what Burrow has shown over his career so far. But he missed multiple surefire touchdown passes in the first half. It’s at least a little concerning given how great he looked on the seven-game tear and right before the Bills game ended in the first quarter. Baltimore again has a tough defense and the offense will throw out some new looks in the playoffs, but worth pointing out.
Offensive struggles
A lot of the offense’s problems on Sunday felt like a product of keeping it very simple in order to not show off much on film. Lots of quick shots to the boundary that didn’t work and check downs. The idea, arguably, is keeping it simple Sunday will give them an advantage when they roll out more complex looks in a rematch with the Ravens a week later.
Injury luck
Playing starters as much as they did on Sunday probably wasn’t what the Bengals wanted to do. A brief check on Tyler Boyd for a concussion and check on Tee Higgins after a midsection shot weren’t bad. But starting right guard Alex Cappa needed helped from the field after getting his leg rolled up on in a bad-looking injury. The Bengals couldn’t afford to lose another starter to that unit, so it’s a worst-case scenario if he has to miss a playoff game.
It gets tougher
Whether Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson returns for the playoff game or it’s Tyler Huntley, the Bengals are going to see a much tougher Ravens team in a week. They’ll also have running back J.K. Dobbins and tight end Mark Andrews. Cincinnati’s defense remains elite and capable of handling any offense, but things don’t project to be nearly as simple when it matters the most.
Consistent four quarters
If there’s a concerning trend lately, it’s the inability to put together a full game. In Week 15 against the Bucs, the Bengals fell behind 17-0 before surging back to win. In Week 16 against the Pats, it was nearly blowing a 22-0 lead. They had a 17-0 lead on Sunday (and 24-7) while being unable to put a dagger in it. They’re still winning, of course, but better teams and a better-performing Ravens squad could knock them from the playoffs if they’re not consistent.
In-game notes
— Bengals stacked the box more than we’ve probably ever seen from them on Baltimore’s first offensive drive. So it goes against a third-stringer.
— Basic, checkdown-filled drive for the Bengals on their first effort. Joe Burrow was a touch off on multiple throws, which was something to watch as the game continued.
— Joe Mixon scored a short-yardage touchdown, then hit one of the best touchdown celebrations in a long time by mocking the NFL for the coin-flip stipulation.
— Bengals defense picked off Anthony Brown twice while running up a 17-0 lead on passes that frankly were simple picks for Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell.
— Slightly concerning was how off Burrow looked at times in the first half, though the touchdown pass to Ja’Marr Chase was nice. But he had missed multiple touchdown throws before that.
— The biggest problem the Bengals were going to have with the Ravens was the running game. That was put on full display before halftime as the ground game pushed the Bengals down the field for seven points despite no serious passing threat at QB.
— Trey Hendrickson destroyed a pocket on his lonesome and Jospeh Ossai scooped up the fumble off the sack for a defensive touchdown to make it 24-7 at half. Exactly what you’d expect from an elite defense against a third-string offense.
— Third quarter, Burrow was facemasked and fumbled, a stunning no-call from officials. That helped the Ravens score three points. Not a major swing, but just enough to force the Bengals to keep starters in the game, which had implications beyond this week.
— Right guard Alex Cappa needed help leaving the field after getting rolled up on in a brutal-looking injury. Right side of the line was already depleted with La’el Collins lost for the season.
— With the score 27-16, Jessie Bates ripped a fumble free from a Ravens defender for a turnover to effectively end it, capping off a superb day for the franchise-tagged safety.
