The Cincinnati Bengals moved to 5-3 on the season with Sunday night’s 24-18 win Buffalo Bills.
There, the Bengals hosted what felt like it could be another preview of a playoff game if all goes according to plan for both teams.
Along the way, onlookers seemed to learn plenty about how the Joe Burrow-led offense will keep evolving as the season continues. Plus, how the defense handles encountering another elite quarterback in a conference stacked with them.
Here’s a look at some quick takeaways for the team as they move forward toward a Week 10 AFC encounter with the Houston Texans.
The TE evolution
The offense quieted any concerns about the tight end position on the very first drive of the game, with Irv Smith Jr. taking a pass into the red zone (a week after fumbling there), then catching a touchdown.
Tanner Hudson also got involved after his promotion to the 53 and the blocking-minded Drew Sample even rumbled for a touchdown in the second quarter.
And hey, maybe one guy isn’t emerging like last year. But if a committee approach can do this to a playoff contender, it’s hard to complain. If one had to guess, though, Hudson might just be TE1.
Cam Taylor-Britt does No. 29 proud
Bengals fans have a soft spot for the No. 29 in modern Bengals history thanks to one Leon Hall. But Cam Taylor-Britt continues to do the number proud.
That continued on Sunday night as he was sticky in coverage, often involved around the ball regardless of run or pass and had that wicked ball-hawking interception in the first half.
Under-center looks?
The offense going under center more was a staple of the conversation around the team coming out of the bye and it played a big role in the win over the 49ers.
But the Bengals, at least on first pass, didn’t seem to do it much against the Bills.
It will be interesting to see if that was a gameplan choice specific to how they wanted to tackle the Bills or something else. But we know it’s in their wheelhouse now and haven’t seen the last of it, which is nice.
Yet to hit a ceiling
The Bengals left roughly 10 points on the field during the blowout of the 49ers, largely due to a redzone fumble. And they probably should’ve been well over 30 points against the Bills were it not for mistakes.
That’s not so much a criticism as it is pointing out that the Bengals just beat two very, very good teams while making big mistakes. They’ve yet to hit their ceiling, which is wild considering the quality of the teams they just beat.
Looking ahead...
…it’s not easy. But it sure doesn’t sting as much as it could now that they’ve won four straight. They’ve got Houston next Sunday, which is tough because C.J. Stroud has been the best rookie quarterback in a long time.
Then, they’ve got a quick turnaround to a Thursday night game against the Ravens, arguably the NFL’s best team.
Oh, and then they’ve got to deal with the Steelers the day after Thanksgiving before going to Jacksonville for a Monday night game.
It’s the most important stretch of the season, though the team’s performance lately should inspire a ton of confidence that they can stay right in the thick of the playoff race.
