Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Bro. (Syndicate: Inquirer)
The Cincinnati Bengals suffered a crushing loss in their season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers. They lost 23-20 in overtime, and star quarterback Joe Burrow threw four interceptions in the game, nearly as many as he did in his entire first NFL season. There are many reasons for the loss of hope, but one stat from the PFF should provide optimism for the rest of the season.
According to PFF, the Bengals had the highest overall defense in Week 1 (81.4). . Their lineup has a lot of potential, and even the best teams are bound to have bad games.
Bengals have the potential to recreate success
With several key players coming back from last year, Cincinnati can certainly have a successful season. Burrow may have had a tough season opener, but he’s otherwise solid. He had an incredible run last season, averaging 70.4 completions for 4,611 yards and 34 touchdowns.
Wide receiver Tee Higgins is also on the back. Although he had to withdraw from the Steelers early Sunday with a concussion, he is reportedly in good shape and preparing for Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys.
According to coach Zach Taylor, “He’s making good progress through the deal. I can’t 100% predict [if he’s going to play] game] Today, all I know is that he has cleared the hurdles he needs to clear so far,” (via Chris Roling, Bengals Wire). If he returns to health, which seems likely, he will be a big contributor this season.
Higgins is bringing the Bengals to the Super Bowl. In the AFC championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs, he led the team in goals and yards and contributed to several important games, although he never made it to the end zone himself.
Linebacker Logan Wilson is also making a comeback after helping his team win the first playoff road game in history. He led his team in four interceptions last season, including one in the AFC Champions League game against the Tennessee Titans, the AFC South leader.
Intercepted by Evan McPherson to set up the winning field goal. According to Dave Clark of Cincinnati.com, “It was one of the biggest interceptions in Cincinnati Bengals postseason history.”
Other key members returning to the 2021 team include running back Joe Mixon, defensive end Trey Hendrickson and wide receiver Jamal Chase. The team certainly has a lot of talent to shine through the rest of the season.
