It was a tale of two halves for the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday Night Football. They went into the locker room at halftime trailing 24-6, and it looked like their playoff hopes were in tatters.
Then, as if the switch had just been turned on, another team took the field in the second half. The defense allowed just three points and the offense was able to tie the game at 27 early in the fourth quarter.
Unfortunately, the Bengals fell again at the end, this time with a 34-27 loss.
Here are a few winners and losers from the Bengals’ Week 11 matchup against the Chargers in LA.
Winners
Ja’Marr Chase
Chase finished the game with seven receptions for 75 yards and scored two touchdowns Sunday night. His ability to get open and Burrow’s ability to find him downfield make them one of the best quarterback-wide receiver duos in the league.
Unfortunately it was too little too late.
Tee Higgins
Higgins missed the last three games due to a quad injury, but he showed the league why he will still be one of the top free agency targets heading into the 2025 season. He finished the game with nine catches for 148 yards, but his standout play was a 42-yard touchdown reception late in the third quarter, bringing the Bengals within one score.
It was nice to see him on the field again.
Joe Burrow
The first half wasn’t anything to write home about, either on offense or defense, but Burrow and the offense came alive in the second half. Burrow found Chase and Higgins for touchdowns in the third quarter and was able to tie the game early in the fourth quarter with another Chase touchdown.
In the second half, Burrow showed exactly why he belongs at the top of the league’s MVP race.
He finished the game with 28 completions for 356 yards and three touchdowns.
The Bengals defense in the second half
I’m not sure what Lou Anarumo said to his defense in the locker room at halftime, but they came out in the second half looking like a completely different unit. After allowing 24 points in the first half, they allowed just one field goal deep into the fourth quarter, allowing Burrow and the offense to claw their way back into the game.
Unfortunately, they allowed a JK Dobbins touchdown late in the fourth quarter, but their second half performance was worlds better than the first half.
Chase Brown
Brown didn’t get into the end zone on Sunday night, but he proved he has what it takes to carry the load. He ran the ball 22 times for 86 yards and added five receptions for 57 more. He showed he has what it takes to maintain the Bengals’ lead in the future.
Losers
Evan McPherson
The kicking game just hasn’t been the same this season. Evan McPherson missed two field goals he would normally make, one from 48 yards and one from 51 in the fourth quarter, which would have given the Bengals a lead with less than two minutes left.
The Bengals defense was unable to stop the Chargers and JK Dobbins broke the tie with less than 20 seconds left.
The Bengals defense in the first half
The Bengals defense looked completely flat in the first half. Herbert could sit in the pocket and pick apart the defense. The Chargers scored 17 unanswered points in the second quarter, and it looked like the defense would hold the offense back again.
Bengals fans
Expectations were so high at the start of the season, and despite the slow start and 4-6 record, there was still hope halfway through the season. I say “was” because even though the Bengals aren’t mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, they probably need to win in order to play beyond Week 18.
This was the death blow to the hopes some Bengals fans were clinging to.
Cam Taylor-Britt
Many were hoping that CTB would take the next step in his career in 2024 and become a shutdown corner for the Bengals, but that hasn’t been the case. Taylor-Britt was benched in favor of rookie Josh Newton on Sunday night after struggling to cover the Chargers receivers downfield. Not having a pass rush hurts the secondary, but Taylor-Britt has definitely regressed this season.
He didn’t return to the game until later due to DJ Turner’s shoulder injury.
The offensive line
Burrow has been affected more than any other quarterback in the NFL since Week 5 of the 2024 season, and Sunday against the Chargers was no different. Burrow was forced to make early or off-target passes as he was under pressure, was sacked three times and was hit again and again.
They were once again without Orlando Brown Jr., but the entire line struggled to keep Burrow clean on Sunday. Even when Burrow was able to find someone further down the field, it was often while he was running for his life.
Zac Taylor
The goodwill of two deep postseason runs and a Super Bowl appearance is quickly running out among Bengals fans. Outside of the ’21 and ’22 seasons, the Bengals didn’t get the job done. There have been injury issues in the past, but the team’s 4-7 record heading into the bye week is on his account.
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Who were your winners and losers?
