Matt’s Take: No magic from Lou Anarumo; Trenton Irwin & Grant Puskar join Matt’s Take

By Matthew McAdow
HCP columnist

No magic from Lou Anarumo

Abracadabra! (Silence)…Abracadabra! (Silence)…  Is the magician’s wand no longer working? Lou Anarumo’s magic and the Cincinnati Bengals defense failed to show up this past Sunday, which resulted in a loss to the Texans with a score of 30-27.  

This probably wasn’t a good game for me to watch with my father, who just returned home from heart surgery, as there was certainly some yelling at the television. My blood pressure is still high from the loss and Cincinnati is quickly finding themselves in a hole that is far deeper than those they have found themselves in from the past.  

If you failed to watch the game, don’t fall for the “it is all Tyler Boyd’s fault” nonsense. Yes, he had two crucial drops, but that isn’t what lost this one. Let’s just dive straight into the negatives to get out the frustration from this one.

Negatives

Alex Cappa was atrocious throughout the entire game. Just against Sheldon Rankins alone, Cappa gave up seven pressures. He was beat throughout this entire game.

Tyler Boyd had two crucial and untimely drops, with his last one coming on third down that most likely would have ended the game in the end zone. In Boyd’s career, he has only dropped 23 passes, which is roughly three drops per year.
  
I thought Joe Burrow had a relatively decent game, but his two costly interceptions ended up changing the results in this one. His final interception was probably the worst interception I have ever seen him throw, as there was absolutely nothing there.  

Devin Singletary? Are we sure this wasn’t a young Adrian Peterson? In what world does Devin Singletary rush for 150 yards. Shame on this defense.  

Noah Brown? Are we sure this wasn’t Randy Moss? 172 receiving yards on 7 receptions. Yesterday was the first time in the history of Bengals football that they allowed a 150-yard rusher and 170-yard receiver. What a disaster.

Chidobe Awuzie simply hasn’t been the same since his injury. Busted coverage after busted coverage in this one.  

All day for C.J. in this one. Cincinnati failed to get any pressure on him throughout this one. Without Hubbard, Cincinnati looked lost in the pass rush.  

Myles Murphy was supposed to make an immediate impact for this team, yet the 21-year-old defensive end has barely made an impact this entire year. 

Positives

In 2021, 2022 and 2023 Cincinnati has fallen to 5-4 each year. This isn’t anything new for Cincinnati.  

Cincinnati can redeem this loss with a massive win over Baltimore on Thursday. If they lose to Baltimore, playoffs begin to look quite distant.
 
Tanner Hudson shined in this one with six receptions. I believe he is the most talented tight end on the current roster.

Trenton Irwin continues to be a deep threat and is always ready when his number is called upon.

Ja’Marr wasn’t healthy, yet he still managed to put up video game type of numbers.  

Cam Taylor-Britt reeled in another interception during a crucial part of the game. Week after week, he makes a play that changes the game.  

Evan McPherson drilled a 50-yard field goal.  

Joe Burrow is healthy and the finger injury from last week didn’t seem to bother him. With a massive game on Thursday, I trust in No. 9 when the season is on the line.  

Trenton Irwin joins Matt’s Take

Trenton Irwin kindly joined Matt’s Take again for the 2023 season. Trenton is a fan-favorite and no longer needs an introduction. I enjoy watching Trenton week in and week out, and Cincinnati is lucky to have someone with such a “team player” mentality. He continues to be ready for whatever opportunity presents itself.  

Q: Could you feel the offense changing the last two weeks as Burrow was able to go under center?

A: “Offense has been clicking, but there’s plenty of room for more improvement.”

Q: How impressed have you been with some of the young players on this roster?

A: “The young players have done great and our scouts continue to bring in good players and people.”

Q: Who has been your toughest opponent in 2023?

A: “I’d say our toughest opponent so far is probably in our division. But if we can play our game with the potential we have, we should be able to stack some more wins.”

Q: What is something this team is working to improve on each week?

A: “I feel like every year we have to find our rhythm and our identity as a team to see what’s needed for us to win and that’s always something we strive to learn.”

Q: Do you expect your role to expand over the last half of the season?

A: “My job is to be ready for whatever role thrown in front of me in order to help the team with the game that current Sunday. Could be a lot of things, but I have to got to be prepared for it all.”

Grant Puskar joins Matt’s Take

Grant Puskar kindly joined Matt’s Take this week to talk AFC North football. Grant is highly known for his presence on Twitter, but unfortunately it is for his love for Cleveland sports (teasing of course). Grant works for betJACK and displays his hard work through content creation and management. Grant and betJACK have been great to team up with this season with my column and I am looking forward to working with them throughout this season.  

Q: How did you begin working with betJACK?

A: “Attending Cleveland State University, I went for sports journalism, not really considering content creation or management at all.  As time progressed, I continued to build connections and meet people in the city, ultimately leading me to betJACK: Ohio’s Sportsbook.”

Q: How is your show going with Jay Gruden and how did your relationship with him begin?

A: “Taking the Points show has been nothing short of fantastic since day one.  From meeting JJ Gruden to collaborating with him on some content, that is how it all started.” 

Q: What does your end of season AFC North record prediction look like?

A: “I think the Ravens will win the division, with both the Browns and Bengals getting in. Three of four AFC North teams will see the playoffs.”

Q: As a Browns fan, do you believe Deshaun Watson is the QB for years to come?

A: “I do believe Deshaun Watson is the future Browns quarterback for years to come. The more game reps he gets, the better he gets.  In his last two full games, he’s thrown for 500+ yards, 4 touchdowns, and zero interceptions.”