The Cincinnati Bengals (2-2) are nowhere near a finished product, but they may not have enough time to figure out some of their ongoing problems.
Here’s what we learned from their second straight loss, a wild 22-17 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Lacking a running game, this team relied on the hero ball
At first, it was fun watching Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins make tight sideline grabs.
But then, after watching the Bengals rely on similarly athletic sideline catches from Higgins, Mike Gesicki, and Mitch Tinsley just to create any semblance of an offense against the Jaguars, one thing became clear: that’s the only way they know how to score points.
Whether you want to blame Chase Brown, his blocking, or both, the running game is almost nonexistent.
Brown managed just 10 yards on nine carries against Jacksonville. Although he is known as a speedy, dual-threat back, his longest run of the year was 13 yards and his longest catch was 12 yards. There is no way you can consistently score points with a lack of explosiveness at the RB position.
Turnovers at the worst possible moment the season is tanking
In Week 3, a muffed punt and a Joe Burrow fumble ended the game. In Week 4, it was a strange fourth-quarter Burrow interception.
Yes, mistakes happen, and even the best quarterbacks make mistakes from time to time.
But they seem to be an indication of some kind of nervousness or lack of preparation for the moment.
There is something going on mentally for the Bengals, and they need to gain more confidence in what they do on the field so they can make decisions that are second to none.
Dealing with the issue does not go away
The Bengals’ front office has done a good job of fixing the defensive line.
Dexter Lawrence, Boye Mafe, and others continue to get into the backfield to make plays and create pressure.
The problem is everything after that.
Dax Hill and DJ Turner are doing their part, but outside of them, the Bengals can’t seem to stop the pass catchers.
More importantly, the Bengals still can’t stop the tight end or get guys down on first downs.
The tight end, in particular, posed a problem.
Dalton Schultz had 140 yards against Cincinnati in Week 2. Darnell Washington had a 47-yard catch and run down the sideline where he eluded four tacklers to set up the game-winning field goal in Week 3. And then Brenton Strange put up 95 yards for the Jaguars in Week 4.
Giving up easy yards to opponents while not getting them for yourself is a bad recipe in the NFL.
Zac Taylor and the coaches need to figure out how to make things easier on their players quickly for this team to stay in contention.