The Cincinnati Bengals handled the Buffalo Bills on Sunday during the divisional round, dominating all four quarters on the way to a 27-10 victory.
That triumph, despite missing three starters along the offensive line, means the Bengals will once again travel to Kansas City to clash with the Chiefs in the AFC title game. Once again, the Bengals are one game away from the Super Bowl.
Before we start breaking down that matchup and what might happen there for the second year in a row, let’s break down some of the key takeaways and notes from the impressive showing in the snow by the Bengals.
The Ted Karras injury
Karras suffered what appeared to be a knee injury during the first half of the game and was seen getting taped up on the sidelines. He fought through the injury but it’s something to watch moving forward as it’s still unknown as to whether the Bengals will get back left tackle Jonah Williams and right guard Alex Cappa.
The overturning of a Ja'Marr Chase TD
It was a travesty, for what it’s worth. What looked like Chase’s second touchdown of the day to give the Bengals a 21-7 lead instead got called back. It was ruled a touchdown by officials, which is what made overturning it so stunning. He caught it, had both feet on the ground, then it merely bobbled a little after he was well out of bounds. It didn’t end up mattering, but the NFL figuring out what is consistently a catch matters quite a bit.
Rookies shining
Both rookies Dax Hill and Cam Taylor-Britt had huge plays. Hill, playing the tight-end-stopper role with Tre Flowers out, had a huge pass breakup in the endzone. CTB almost got beat for a touchdown late but played it perfectly and punched the ball out. He then had the game-ending interception. A huge development for a team that needs them for two more games and in bigger roles next year.
The backup linemen
How about them? Jackson Carman looked solid at left tackle (which is something to analyze for the long-term soon enough). Max Scharping again held up at right guard, as did right tackle Hakeem Adeniji.
It’s too early to speculate if they will get Jonah Williams and Alex Cappa back for the AFC title game. But they could use the help when going against the likes of Chris Jones. Still, Sunday was a stunner for line coach Frank Pollack, who had his guys ready to go.
The running game
This was the best the running game has looked since Joe Mixon’s outburst against the Panthers some months ago. It was partially because the Bills just didn’t get a push, but impressive behind the backup line. It’s a major boon if the ground game can keep working like this, especially when tasked with going into Kansas City yet again.
What it means for next week
The Bengals are rolling offensively. Coaches keep dialing up great scripts and schemes. Burrow looks like he nearly has no equal at the position. Those two things help a line filled with backups immensely. Lou Anarumo’s doing the same thing on the other side of the ball despite not having his No. 1 corner. It’s a recipe for success against anyone and the Bengals have already beat the Chiefs once this season. Those Chiefs also have Patrick Mahomes dealing with a high-ankle sprain. That doesn’t guarantee anything, but the Bengals have every right to feel great rolling into another conference title game.
Notes from during the game
— You couldn’t script a better start to this game for the Bengals as Joe Burrow went 4/4 on the opening drive before finding Ja’Marr Chase for the touchdown. Joe Mixon looked steady on the ground in the snow too.
— Ditto for the defense, as Joseph Ossai got pressure on Josh Allen on a 3rd-and-4 to force the Bills to punt on their first offensive drive.
— Burrow and the offense’s next drive? A precise march down the field with good runs on the ground and Burrow finishing it with a touchdown pass to Hayden Hurst. Burrow was 9-of-9 with two touchdowns at that point.
— Trey Hendrickson disrupted Allen for a Bills three-and-out but a sack of Burrow forced the first Bengals punt of the game to end the first quarter.
— Bills figured it out in the second quarter, going 15 plays for 75 yards and a score. The Cincinnati defense struggled with the up-tempo looks, something the Bills would keep exploiting if the Bengals didn’t adapt.
— Center Ted Karras injured his knee and got it taped up, per the broadcast. He was struggling to get up multiple times near the end of the first half.
— An absolute epic fumbling of the NFL’s catch rules while overturning a Ja’Marr Chase touchdown before halftime.
— Bills spent a huge chunk of time marching down the field right after halftime, only to settle for three points. That’s a big win for the Bengals defense that made the score 17-10.
— Fantastic challenge by Zac Taylor on a Joe Mixon touchdown run to get officials to actually call it as such, making the game 24-10.
— Smart again by the coaching staff to opt for the field goal on fourth down from two yards out to make it a three-score game, 27-10.
— Mike Hilton took over this game late in the fourth quarter, getting hits on the quarterback, stopping ball-carriers before the line, etc. He’s a Swiss Army knife sort of tool and maybe the best in the league at what he does.
