Matt’s Take: Bengals are back? 

By Matthew McAdow
HCP columnist

The Bengals are back. Well, maybe that’s a stretch considering it’s just two wins in a row against some injury-ridden teams; but hey, Cincinnati will take wins however they come, especially in the AFC North.  

After taking down the Browns in the Dawg Pound for the first time since 2017, Cincinnati now finds themselves at 3-4 and in thirrd place in the division. Their away record is 3-1, while they have failed to win a game at Paycor Stadium this season. This has to change this Sunday for Cincinnati to get back to .500 football. The 4-2 Eagles come to Paycor Stadium for a 1 p.m. matchup on Sunday that could truly be the turning point for Cincinnati.  

The Eagles only beat the Browns by four points on Oct. 13 and have losses to the Buccaneers and Falcons. This is a prime opportunity for Cincinnati to right their ship and prove they are a playoff caliber team. 
 
Positives

• Ja’Marr Chase has the most receiving yards in the NFL at 620, 50 more than second place. He is the best receiver in football and should be paid as such next season. He also has the most receiving touchdowns in the NFL, second most yards after catch, and third most yards per game. One of one. 
    
• Joe Burrow is playing at an MVP level. He has the fourth-most passing yards in the league, third-most touchdowns, third-highest QBR, second- highest RTG, and is having the best start to a season in his career.  
    
• How about that return from Charlie Jones? 100 yards to the house to begin the game against Cleveland. Talk about setting the tone. If he can find a way to give the offense good field advantage against Philadelphia, it would help the first-half struggles. 

• The defense is looking a lot better, I don’t care who they are playing. I’ll really believe it if they hold Philadelphia under 24 points, as they have a very capable offense. 
    
• Having Ossai, Rankins, Hill, Murphy, Hubbard and Hendrickson active and healthy is crucial up front for the success of winning at the line of scrimmage.  
    
• Cincinnati has losses by 6 points, 1 point, 5 points and 3 points. They can play with anybody and can score with the best of them. This season is far from over if Cincinnati can string together 2 wins in their next 3 games and handle business against the Steelers.  

Concerns for this Bengals team
    
• The slow starts in terms of the season and even game-by-game are very concerning. The offense cannot continuously come out and look dreadful. After the return, Cincinnati had a punt, turnover on downs, punt, punt, punt, and punt to end the first half.  It’s very concerning from play calling to the offensive approach in general. 

• To open up the passing for Burrow, a run game has to be a threat.  Cincinnati continues to be one of the worst run production teams in football with a 59-total rushing yard game on the field this past Sunday. Ever wonder why Burrow can’t find anyone down field? Maybe because they are in shotgun without even giving the thought of running the ball more often.
 
• 3rd-down efficiency was a problem again on Sunday, as Cincinnati converted 2 of 13 3rd-down attempts. That simply won’t fly in big games.  
    
• Whatever is going wrong with Rehkow holding and the snap on field goal attempts needs fixed quickly. These missed extra points and missed field goals will soon haunt once again if this isn’t corrected.  

Random comments and thoughts
    
• The MVP Award has become a joke. Mahomes is having a terrible year despite his team being good and is the front runner for MVP.  Eight interceptions, six touchdowns, and just 1,389 passing yards? Those are all well below average. It feels like you could insert anyone in Kansas City this season at quarterback. Burrow has better numbers than Patrick in every single statistical category outside of wins. When did this become a best record trophy for the quarterback of said team?

• I cannot wait for the election to be over. Advertisements, no matter what candidate you endorse, are annoying during football season. I just want to eat my pizza and watch the Bengals with high blood pressure in peace.
    
• Yankees and Dodgers in the World Series? I’d rather watch paint dry. 
    
• Bally Sports is now Fan Duel. You’ll be watching the Reds on a gambling network. Pete Rose isn’t allowed to be in the Hall of Fame because of gambling, yet we will now watch the Redlegs with betting everywhere on a gambling network. Interesting…
    
• There is nobody I’d rather watch a game with than my wife. While many significant others aren’t as interested in the Reds or Bengals, watching the games with my wife is one of my favorite things to do.  
    
• If Cincinnati decides to add a dome to Paycor Stadium, it would be good for the city. The amount of big events and concerts that would happen with a weather-controlled environment would benefit the area in a huge way.