The Cincinnati Bengals imploded in Week 2 during their home opener.
After a strong showing in Week 1 despite a loss to the Seattle Seahawks, the Bengals came out flat and didn’t look like they wanted any part of the San Francisco 49ers in an 41-17 loss.
Cincinnati coughed up 572 total yards on an average of 8.4 yards per play, routinely missing tackles and getting beat in both trenches. There weren’t many winners coming out of this one, as the focus turns to somehow salvaging an 0-2 start.
Winner: Tyler Eifert
He’s back, Bengals fans. Eifert was used sparingly in Week 1 and moved the chains a few times. But he was mostly in there to help the line. Not so against the 49ers — he feigned a block early on, then went out and scored.
Loser: Joe Mixon
Mixon had two big gains over the first one-and-a-half quarters — both came back on flags. He didn’t have room to operate for most of the day as defenders penetrated the backfield right off the snap. This was after only being 50-50 to play as it was, but the problem wasn’t his ankle. He finished the day with 17 yards on 11 carries (1.3 average), and the outlook doesn’t dramatically improve, even with Cordy Glenn back at left tackle.
Winner: Tyler Boyd
Boyd was hot to start the game, getting freed up on smooth route calls and otherwise creating separation of his own. Once again, it’s clear he isn’t skipping a beat after serving as the No. 1 wideout when A.J. Green was out last year. He finished the day with 10 catches for 122 yards on 10 targets, and it’s hard to see how almost any defense contains him — especially once Green gets back on the field.
Loser: Andre Smith
He might have been playing hurt, but Smith fell apart at left tackle Sunday. He had multiple flags on a single drive early and was a weak point in most aspects. The veteran is in there for the injured Cordy Glenn and normally a right tackle, but this was bad compared to how he looked in Week 1. The line can’t afford to keep having the left side be a problem. He ended up leaving the game, and John Jerry played in his place.
Loser: Preston Brown
Brown is the heart of the defense in the middle, so the sloppy tackling falls on his head. He also had a hand in several big whiffs, including missing on a screen that went for a score in the first half.
Loser: Randy Bullock
That’s 0-for-2 on attempts of 40-plus yards for Bullock. He almost missed a routine 37-yard attempt in the first half too and finished the day 1-of-2. Accuracy from longer ranges was always the complaint with Bullock, and it continues to hurt a Bengals offense that can’t always score or get closer because of the offensive line.
