For the second time this season (which lasted only three weeks), the Cincinnati Bengals were surprised at Paycor Stadium.
The Bengals wanted to get back on track, but the Washington Commanders dominated their defense from start to finish, resulting in a 38-33 loss for Cincinnati.
As brutal as this loss is to take, there are some bright spots on the offensive side and only on the offensive side.
Joe Burrow was nearly perfect, Ja’Marr Chase was a monster, Tee Higgins was back and the running game was fantastic.
It was a real treat to see the running game get going and both Zack Moss and Chase Brown help move the ball down the field.
Brown finished the night with 62 rushing yards and Zack Moss with 58 yards.
Moss also served as a safety valve for Burrow in the passing game, recording five catches for 39 yards.
The offensive line was fantastic, creating running lanes for Moss and Brown despite the loss of Trent Brown, who was replaced by rookie Amarius Mims. This unit also held up well in the passing game.
On the other side of the football, the defense delivered arguably its worst performance in the Zac Taylor/Lou Anarumo era, destroying all the excitement the offense had shown tonight.
At the very least, we can look forward to watching this offense at work for the rest of the season, and the improved running game will be a big part of that.
