Yes we lost and seeing Fat Randy shank that final kick and go down with a mysterious injury cuts deep. There were a lot of great things that happened on Sunday that we can take refuge in and I for one can see the future and it shines bright like a diamond (thanks Rihanna). Let’s highlight some things an avid fan saw and remind you why Thursday is going to be a Browns bloodbath.
Joe Burrow
In his rookie debut Joe looked rookie great. Sure he threw a stupid shuffle pass into open defender arms but he was trying to make plays. The right side of his OL was a turnstile so he was forced to do some things that he was not made to at LSU. His wide receivers were not open because his throws had to come in under 3 seconds. What I saw was a a mature QB who could handle the playbook, run the huddle like a veteran and lead an amazing comeback drive with the poise of Peyton Manning. His stat line is not impressive but if you saw that game the man was. The national media agrees (if they matter….they don’t). We have a gem in Burrow and I couldn’t be more confident that he was not a one year wonder and is the real deal.
Josh Bynes
I was critical of Bynes in the offseason and questioned if he was starter quality. He was the best defensive player yesterday and continuously made plays. It is one game but I will admit when I am wrong and Bynes looks like a solid anchor to bring along Pratt, Wilson and Davis-Gaither into larger roles. He brought some fire and is certainly worthy of that captain’s C.
Jessie Bates III
I received a few text messages from dumb people that Bates is a bust. That was a nice shoulder-to-shoulder hit and not a helmet-to-helmet. He had a bad angle on that 30+ yard run but why is the RB even at the third level? Bates played well, disrupted receivers all day and has shown great progression. He was laying the wood too which is always fun to see. Paired with Bell I am really excited to see him grow this season!
Reader-Daniels-Covington
The stat line also does not say that the Bengals did great against the run but they did. Tyrod was forced into making errant throws and for a while the Chargers abandoned the run. Making a 4th down stop on the QB sneak was a thing of beauty. Daniels and Covington weren’t on the team two months ago and the fact that they played so many snaps yesterday and contributed well is a testament to their depth. The Reader injury (cramps) had me scared but it is clear that the Bengals have done enough to address the run game.
Williams Jackson III
WJ3 proved himself yesterday and was wearing WR’s like a glove. He had some great plays and shows that he wants that new contract. He was the best corner on the field and showed competent play with our safeties and corners. Mike Williams had some early big plays on Phillips but the backfield cleaned that up and didn’t give anything big up later in the game. This could be WJ3’s best season….great timing for him too!
Jonah Williams
I would have liked to have seen Williams against Bosa more to really test him but the Chargers were smart to blow up Hart and Su’a-Filo instead. He looked like a starting LT in the game and being his first professional game I was really impressed. The Browns game will be another great matchup for him and hopefully he draws Myles Garrett instead of feasting on Bobby Hart again. The future is bright so far with this guy!
Billy Price
I did not expect this one but Price filled in fantastically for Xavier Su’a-Filo and in fact was a major upgrade. Su’a-Filo was getting owned in the first half and Price brought stability to the line. He couldn’t cover Bobby Hart’s man too but he played really well. With Su’a-Filo down he looks to be the RG for a few more weeks and maybe has a chance to steal a starting spot. Honorable mention goes to Michael Jordan who you didn’t hear a peep about on Sunday. When they are not highlighting mistakes it means you played well. The left side seems locked down (not to mention Hopkins at center).
The Defense
Overall I think the defense played really well. The points allowed proved that and if you would tell me that they would make this big of a transformation from last season I would have called you a dirty liar. Yes, it is only one game and they weren’t exactly playing Patrick Mahomes but it certainly did not echo the Bengals of old. A lot probably had to do with not having Dre Kirkpatrick in the backfield. Sam Hubbard was also a monster and while he wasn’t the sack master certainly was making plays at the line of scrimmage and was getting pressure.
Head high Bengals fans; the rebuild is a marathon!