NFL Week 1 - Bengals vs Browns
What I’m Excited About
Bengals - Who doesn’t want to watch a high-powered offense? Burrow will want to prove the new contract was worth every million pennies.
Browns - Browns pass rush. The easiest way to beat the Bengals is to get to Burrow. Cleveland bolstered their pass rush in the offseason, will it pay off in the first game? What can Watson do against a secondary that doesn’t scare you on the depth chart?
My Prediction
Browns 24 - Bengals 21
The Good
1Q - Browns’ pass rush did not disappoint. The opening defensive series had a couple of big plays surrendered but the Bengals didn’t get to the other side of the field. One pressure on Burrow and one sack to finish the defensive series. Great start.
1Q - Bengals’ Dline stepped up and got to Watson after he ran for a first down. A sack then a good ankle tackle to prevent another scramble first-down.
1Q - The Browns’ defense answer to the fumble. A 3 & out and the offense has the ball again. With the rain, this is going to be a defensive game. The Browns’ offense seems to have found something and they have the much more mobile QB. The circumstances favor the Browns and getting the ball back quickly is a big deal.
2Q - The Bengals’ run game showed shows some life and reels off two big runs in a row. Burrow is also wearing a glove so they’ve made the adjustment to the weather. No points were scored on the drive, but at least the play-calling adjustment was made.
2Q - Huge TD for the Browns going into Half-time. The drive covered mostly through the air. A 10-point lead feels appropriate for how this game has looked so far. The defense that is already playing well has a two-score buffer going into the second half.
3Q - Cleveland holds Cincinnati to a field goal attempt and the Bengals miss the conversion. The rain has returned and the Browns have a 7-point lead. The best unit on the field this day, the Browns’ defense, answered the way they needed to and got some help from the Bengals’ kicker.
3Q - The drive resulted in 3 points which is a slight disappointment. Lots of time was taken off the clock. The run game gained most of the yards and the defense is a little more worn out. With the 10-point lead restored, the interception is netted to zero as far as I’m concerned.
4Q - Huge sack by Garrett on 4th down. The Browns now get the ball in the red zone and a field goal makes this a two-touchdown lead. Huge play. i was looking forward to the Dline play in this game and I have not been disappointed.
4Q - The sack leads to a Touchdown and this game is over. The Browns came to play, and played well; especially considering the conditions. Well played, enjoy a win week of practice.
The Bad
1Q - The wet ball strikes! The Browns fumble the ball. The defense got a hand on the ball, but I wonder how much the already wet ball AND a ball that hit the ground after the snap. The worst part is that Cleveland was moving the ball and they had the momentum taken away just like that. Turnovers hurt.
2Q - The Browns score the FG, but a bad play call on a throw to the flat. The defense was there waiting for the catch. That was followed by a bad throw to an open receiver who was not far enough downfield for the first down if the catch had been made. An unimpressive sequence but the points were scored and that’s a big deal in rainy conditions. Will the consecutive bad plays be regretted later?
2Q - I know the ball is wet but Watson’s throws are all off and not by a little bit. The spiral looks nice but why are they taking the risk when running the ball is working so well? Short crossing patterns make more sense for the conditions.
3Q - The Bengals scored on their first drive of the second half but Burrow’s throws are off and whether it be pressure or his calf not allowing him to throw like he is used to; I’m concerned if I’m a Bengals fan. At least for this game. The mountain that is the Cleveland defense looks like a tough one to climb at this point in the game.
3Q - The interception by Watson with 10 minutes left was atrocious. The defender was visible on TV. This is THE moment of the game. The defense for the Browns has been in a good flow and now they start on the backfoot. Will the Bengals offense get up for this drive? Momentum has become neutral and all due to an awful throw right to the defender. On replay, the ball was tipped but the throw was low and would have been defended if not picked off.
The Takeaway
The rain is lashing down, the ball is wet and everything on offense is just a little bit harder. The Bengals are built on their offense and the game today showed what happens when a defensive team that runs the ball well gets a little help from Mother Nature.
I can’t fault the Bengals for much. They played a decent game for the full 60 minutes. The Browns played better. The Browns came out and won this game. The Browns ran the ball well before Cincinnati adjusted to the wet conditions. The D-Line showed up early and made a big play when it was needed most. The secondary for Cleveland looked great. It closed gaps and were all over receivers in their routes and contested almost every ball in the air.
I’m feeling really good about this win if I’m a Browns fan. The Bengals know that their $275m QB is playing on 1.5 legs this week. The hope is that this doesn’t linger for too long into the season. Losing sucks but this one could be easier to write off and come back next week for another game. I mean, you have no choice, but the important thing is that the Bengals are good enough to overcome one early-season loss. They are in the playoff hunt from the beginning. Get ‘em next week. Good win for the Browns.
CHR;)
