Are the Bengals Back?

The Cincinnati Bengals started this season very slow, causing most fans throughout the NFL to wonder if last season was a fluke. However, a week six matchup against the Saints of New Orleans would turn this narrative around.

Both teams came into this game 2-3. The Bengals had yet to get the offense started, but this would change in this game. The offense looked alive for the first time this season. Joe Burrow threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another.

Jamarr Chase and Joe Burrow shined in their homecoming to the Caesars Superdome. Chase hauled in 132 receiving yards and two touchdowns. This duo looked like their old selves in their first game in New Orleans since the 2020 National Championship, where LSU defeated Clemson 42-25.

Jamarr Chase and Joe Burrow in the 2020 National Championship in the Caesars Superdome. (image from Chris Graythen of Getty Images.)

Burrow was escaping sacks, running all over the field and completing passes, exactly like his college days. However, what really got this Bengals offense going was the running game. Once Joe Mixon was able to get some long runs going, the Saints were forced to stop playing a two-safety look. This allowed Chase to have single coverage, when Burrow saw this, he knew the ball was going to him, and it worked most of the time.

The play calling up to this point has not been good, but in this game the offense seemed to flow perfectly. After this game, head coach Zac Taylor should know exactly what he needs to do the rest of the season to get his guys back to the Super Bowl. Establish the running game to free up the play makers.

Cincinnati has a relatively easy schedule coming up, with games against Atlanta, Cleveland, Carolina, Pittsburgh, and Tennessee before facing Kansas City on Dec. 4. Cincy must take advantage of this schedule and come out with wins against these below average teams, as they finish the season with some tough opponents.

Now that the Bengals know what it takes to get an effective offense rolling, they must use this to their advantage. The core players, such as Joe Burrow, Jamarr Chase, Tyler Boyd, Tee Higgins, Hayden Hurst, and Joe Mixon need to get going, and play to the levels the entire league know that they are capable of. If this week was any indication of what’s to come, then the Bengals are back!