The Cincinnati Bengals carried their first lead of the 2023 season into the fourth quarter of Monday night’s game against the Los Angeles Rams and ended up winning, 19-16.
A hobbled Joe Burrow didn’t leave the pocket much or take many shots deep down the field, but the peppering of the middle of the field with Ja’Marr Chase and others worked well when the team wasn’t committing penalties.
Buy Bengals TicketsAnd in a bit of deja vu, the defense did some of the very heavy lifting for most of the game, highlighted by two interceptions for linebacker Logan Wilson.
Here’s a look at some quick notes and stats to know exiting the game.
Quick Hits
— First drive of the game, Burrow looked comfortable and there were some clear offensive wrinkles that were successful. Problem was, going to Tanner Hudson — fresh off the practice squad — wasn’t the best move, as he tripped and fell on a third-down target. Evan McPherson then missed from 56.
— What looked like the Rams walking down the field for a score with ease was overturned on replay review. DJ Reader then makes the huge sack to hold the Rams to three. A nice red-zone stop, but the way the defense coughed up 30-plus yards on two carries was concerning.
— Back-to-back false starts on third down turned it from third-and-one to third-and-11 on the second drive, a sloppy disaster, to put it nicely.
— Third-and-six on the next drive, a false start on Tyler Boyd moved them back five yards. For a team with lots of continuity in a quiet, friendly stadium, the early mistakes were inexcusable.
— Dax Hill had two big plays on one drive, once again showing flashes he’s going to do just fine as the Jessie Bates replacement.
— Great interception by Logan Wilson, but perhaps an even better play disguise that confused a vet like Matt Stafford.
— Another great INT by Wilson later, who just has the game sense to be where the errant passes go.
— Joe Mixon gave the Bengals their first lead of the 2023 season with a 14-yard touchdown run. Before the gradual Ja’Marr Chase breakout, Mixon continued to look like the best offensive player on the team.
— Burrow’s fourth-quarter pick was about as unlucky as it gets. Good placement and from a nice pocket, defender just ripped it away from the intended receiver.
Key Stat
15: The number of targets for Ja’Marr Chase, who had that sitdown with Brian Callahan this week after talking about wanting to be more involved. He finished with 12 catches for 141 yards, easily his best showing of the year.
Game Balls
WR Ja’Marr Chase — Who else? Chase didn’t just put up numbers. He carried the offense down the field at times, adjusting to passes that were off target (some intentionally to avoid picks, others not), showing he’s a cheat code of sorts at the position.
DL — Everyone from Trey Hendrickson to DJ Reader had huge plays on the day and it didn’t hurt that the Rams kept losing more starters in the trenches as the game continued.
LB Logan Wilson — The guy who probably would have won an MVP in the Super Bowl had they won was at it again against these very same Rams, making two game-changing plays.
Top Takeaway
Back on track: One of our big takeaways from the last two games was simply this — the Bengals won’t have to play AFC North opponents who know them well each week. This was one of those weeks. The Bengals were the better team, hobbled quarterback or not, and that could be the case against the Titans next week, too. A Week 7 bye looms and if the team can get Burrow to that point healthy and he gets a week or rest then, this could set up very nicely for them down the stretch.
