The NFL is back baby and I for one was willing to watch any two teams play tonight. It just so happened that the game was two teams that will likely be in the playoffs and had the two richest QBs in the league. The NFL knows what they are doing. There were some things in this game that stood out which will have relevance to the Bengals / Chargers matchup this Sunday.
The Texans miss DJ Reader
The Texans were not good against the run and they let a rookie RB Edwards-Helaire run wild. Reader is a run specialist and was known to cover a lot of the ground forcing the running backs outside and into the arms of Watt and the linebackers. It was clear that the Texans should have re-signed Reader. Once mans oversight is another man’s treasure and I think we will see significant improvement in the run game defense because of Reader. With Atkins potentially out with a shoulder injury having Reader will be indispensable.
A Creative Offense and Short Passes
We know that Andy Reid is one of the best and a Hall of Famer. We know that Mahomes is the best QB in the league. Mahomes was not asked to put this game on his back. There were a lot of short passes, quick releases and screens that kept the defense on their toes. Rarely was Mahomes throwing long and intermediate and relied on his own decision-making and play calls to dictate getting first downs. They were patient. Burrow will be faced with the biggest challenge of his career but the dude is known for his accuracy and decision-making. I am not saying to copy the playbook of the Chiefs but the Bengals have better and more offensive weapons and that should help Burrow greatly.
Sack Allowances / Turnovers
Mahomes was only sacked once. Watson was sacked 4 times but his elusiveness kept him out of many more. Neither team rushed the passer exceptionally well and dictated the game. Watson threw one interception on a broken play but the turnover was not the reason the Texans lost. As in all games the turnover battle will be crucial for the Bengals. The OL needs to protect Burrow but also Burrow must be pocket aware and be okay with throwing the ball away, something Dalton learned quicker than Palmer.
Rust Factor
Neither team looked rusty and in fact you did not even notice that there was not a preseason warmup. The Chiefs picked up right where they left off. The Texans did not seem to sputter and make too many mistakes, they just did not convert 60% of their third downs. The Bengals cannot start slow and must not get behind in down and distance. Second and third and long has been a problem in the past for the Bengals and this makes conversion hard. False starts are also generally a problem and I am sure we will see at least one out of Jonah Williams (first game) and Bobby Hart (sucks). Composure will be key to win this first one.