The Cincinnati Bengals looked like a team lost in the driving seat in a Week 3 loss to the Washington Commanders in prime time.
At home, the Bengals The defense was easily crushed on the ground, allowing a rookie quarterback and a strong ground game to score 38 points, mostly uncontested, while the team’s punter had the night off.
Here are some quick takeaways.
The defense…
…is a problem. There were signs of life against Patrick Mahomes last week. But Lou Anarumo, oddly enough, is doing well against Mahomes. Every other opponent so far has displayed horrible tackling angles and overall efforts to bring down running backs. The edges have been filled in the run game and even Cam Taylor-Britt has been beaten deep. All of this, by the way, against a rookie quarterback.
The RT situation
Given how quickly the team moved Trent Brown back after his injury, it’s safe to assume they need help there now. Amarius Mims is a very promising first-round pick who looks good at times, but he also got beat up for a sack on Joe Burrow. At the very least, they need to get a veteran who can play behind him now. One more injury and the offense is in trouble.
Don’t overlook the offense
Is the team living up to its potential? Not at all. While the Commanders were scoring, the Bengals were settling for red zone field goals and going 2-of-4 in the game. That’s a recipe for failure for any team. They all need to get on the same page, but it might be worth considering whether someone like Jermaine Burton could bring a little more juice.
But it’s also all about attack.
The biggest successes of the last few years have usually come from a defense that relished turnovers and did the heavy lifting. Those days are long gone. There are far too many injuries on the offensive line and management has clearly failed by losing talents like Jessie Bates and DJ Reader over the years. Today, there is little to be gained by letting a rookie passer score 38 points on the road without a single punt. Burrow and company need to make the league shine or things are going to get worse.
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This article was originally published on Bengals Wire: Bengals lose to Commanders: Takeaways after Week 3
