Cincinnati Bengals (1-2) – Los Angeles Rams (1-2): 19-16
Joe Burrow (26/49, 259 yards, 1 int) was there, but he needed help. Still hampered by a sore calf, the quarterback led a fairly harmless Cincinnati offense for most of the game. The Bengals had to wait until the third quarter to score their first – and only – touchdown of the game. If Ja’Marr Chase (12 recs, 141 yards) woke up well, Zac Taylor took a long time to get Joe Mixon (19 races, 65 yards, 1 TD) started and the ground game to give a little air to his quarterback.
Cincinnati can therefore thank the defense of coordinator Lou Anarumo, who put Matthew Stafford (18/33, 269 yards, 1 TD, 2 int) on the ground six times while intercepting him twice. The Rams only managed to score one touchdown even though they appeared four times in Cincinnati’s 20 yards.
A touchdown from Tutu Atwell (4 rec, 50 yards, 1 TD) too late, scored 1mn03 from the end of the match to pull back three lengths (19-16). The onside kick was then covered by Cincinnati and then consumed the rest of the clock.
The Rams and Bengals defenses laid down the law
You didn’t have to be fond of long offensives to appreciate the start of this match. Cincinnati decided not to spare Joe Burrow’s calf with six passes in the first eight actions. Not a success, since the series ends with a missed field goal. The tone is set for a first half which is played entirely by foot, the fault of ruthless defenses.
Punts and field goals follow one another. At the break, 6 points for each team, and only 1/7 for the Bengals on third attempts.
We had to wait until the locker room returned for Cincinnati to make the difference. The Rams score on foot (6-9), but Joe Mixon is finally entitled to a few races to start the machine. Burrow and Chase continue, and Mixon lands on the ground. Finally a touchdown (13-9)! The defense intercepts Stafford for the second time, in his own half, and the attack adds a field goal (16-9).
While the suffocated Rams put together three punts, the attack did not take advantage of it to completely kill the game. Only one field goal is scored (19-9). Enough to give Stafford and Atwell the opportunity to score their late touchdown and hope for a miracle on the onside kick. But no Monday miracle.
By hanging on, the Bengals finally add a victory to their tally in 2023. Burrow was there, but it is especially on the side of Trey Hendrickson (2 sacks) and the defense that we must distribute the ball of the match to this time.
