The Cincinnati Bengals got some big plays from interesting names but still came up short in a 24-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday in London.
While the running game looked revived and Tyler Eifert got some work, a leaky defense that permitted 470 total yards and too many offensive miscues helped shove the team into an 0-8 record on the season.
Here are the winners and losers from the loss as the team heads into a bye.
Winner: Joe Mixon
Perhaps the biggest shock of the early goings was the sudden potency of the running game. Mixon, especially, mostly cruised on the ground early and ended up scoring a touchdown before the half. It was the best rushing performance in weeks en route to Mixon finishing with 17 carries for 66 yards with four catches, one of those a touchdown.
Loser: Tony McRae
McRae looked like he was going to be a sour point going into the game with Dre Kirkpatrick and Darqueze Dennard out. That rang true early and often, as the Rams went after him and he largely looked helpless while Cooper Kupp had a big day.
Winner: Tyler Eifert
Sunday, there was a drive where Eifert had multiple catches. That in itself is a big win for a guy who has simply gone overlooked in the gameplan. Typically, he’s played about half the snaps and hardly seen use. Sunday, he was a featured aspect of the attack and caught six passes for 74 yards.
Loser: B.W. Webb
Webb wasn’t much better than McRae at some points. The big notable was his allowance of a touchdown of 60-plus yards to Cooper Kupp because he fell down on a play he would have otherwise likely had covered.
Winner: Tyler Boyd
Boyd got back on track after repeated games of bad drops and simply not converting on his chances. This time out, he caught six of eight targets for 65 yards. No score and the ball went at Auden Tate when Jalen Ramsey was elsewhere, but a good showing nonetheless given the matchup.
Loser: Germaine Pratt
Pratt’s lack of playing time was another big talking point over the last few weeks. His athleticism is great but he’s prone to rookie mistakes. The latter showed up in a big way during the first half when Pratt was on the coverage for a big Rams touchdown.
