The Cincinnati Bengals looked great in a Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, which is much better than some might have expected based on the odds and picks making the rounds before the game.
Even better, many of the mistakes or shortcomings from the 21-20 loss are correctable. It’s the winners and positives that should really have the attention of Bengals fans — this team could go places if this is the baseline level of play for the rest of the season.
Winner: Tyler Boyd
Boyd was clearly the most important facet of the offense right from the jump. He was all over the place but especially potent over the middle of the field. He didn’t score two highlight touchdowns like John Ross, but finishing with eight catches on 11 targets for 60 yards isn’t too shabby either. Like last year, the Bengals should be just fine with him as the first target with A.J. Green out.
Loser: Tyler Eifert
Disclaimer: It isn’t Eifert’s fault. The veteran tight end probably would have been more heavily involved and productive if the team didn’t need him in there blocking so often. Bengals coaches gave it up in press conferences this week when they said he’s a better blocker than most think. He is, but it meant he only saw six targets on the day. Some of those were key chain-movers, but totaled just 27 yards.
Winner: John Ross
What a story. Ross had a few notable drops early, then was the recipient of a wicked trick play that he took for a score. He later dropped a surefire touchdown, then scored on the very next play. He finished with 158 yards and two touchdowns to lead the team in receiving, showing that the switch to a new coaching staff could work wonders for his development as a pro — and help the team win.
Loser: Dre Kirkpatrick
Kirkpatrick fell apart at one point, getting tagged for a personal foul during a two-minute drill. That silly mistake — and his later missed tackle — helped the Seahawks score before the half. It’s an especially silly point to be discussing when it comes to an eighth-year veteran when it was clear the players were baiting him into a reaction for most of the game.
Winner: Zac Taylor
Taylor was aggressive. He went for it on fourth downs. He pushed the pedal late in the first half instead of kneeling it out and it resulted in a touchdown. He wasn’t afraid to scrap the running game (51 passes vs. 14 carries) when it wasn’t working. He went back to guys who made mistakes — like John Ross — and everyone emerged better for it. The Bengals didn’t win, but Taylor’s approach was completely different than what fans are used to and it is easy to see the team winning a lot of games because of it.
Loser: Joe Mixon
Mixon suffered an injury and didn’t play notable snaps overall. Regardless of the severity of the injury, it is clear these Bengals are going to have a tough time running the football. As a team, the Bengals carried it 14 times for 34 yards on a 2.4 average. This isn’t going to change much with Cordy Glenn in for Andre Smith at left tackle. Even if he is fully healthy in time for Week 2, this was a bad sign for Mixon.
Winner: Andy Dalton
Dalton set a new personal best with 418 yards on a 35 of 51 line and threw two touchdowns with no interceptions. Some of his usual silly mistakes were in there too, like passes batted at the line and the fumble. But his performance — without A.J. Green — was solid and it seems clear he will indeed benefit in a big way from the presence of Zac Taylor running the show.
