The Cincinnati Bengals began their quest for a fourth consecutive postseason berth with a 23-16 road win over the Baltimore Ravens Sunday.
It wasn't pretty. Injuries are a major concern, and there are certainly a lot of things the team needs to work on moving forward, but the Bengals, on the hunt to take the next step, got a major confidence boost in a hostile environment.
Quarterback Andy Dalton was sharp, and new coordinator Hue Jackson's offense was innovative and relentless, even if it was miserable on third downs and near the end zone. Luckily for the unit, kicker Mike Nugent connected on five attempts, and wideout A.J. Green gave the team a late score to wrap things up.
Defensively, Cincinnati crumpled from an injury standpoint. Tackle Geno Atkins hardly saw the field, while linebacker Vontaze Burfict left in the second quarter, which created a noticeable drop-off in quality of play.
Regardless, the unit pulled through late, as did the team as a whole once Baltimore got its act together in the second half. The response in the face of adversity is an encouraging sign, to say the least.
Let's break down how each positional unit performed to pinpoint where the team needs to improve in order to build off the momentum gained Sunday.
//from Bleacher Report http://ift.tt/1nEGBhP
via IFTTT September 07, 2014 at 02:45PM
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