Stock Up/Stock Down Following Bengals Disappointment Against Tennessee
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) readies a play against the Tennessee Titans in the fourth quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023.
After a close win against the Rams in prime time, the Bengals looked to continue their momentum against a Titans squad that just lost to the Browns by a score of 27-3. Unfortunately, the Titans came out on the winning side of a 27-3 score this time around, handing the Bengals their third loss in four games to start out the year.
As we look at the game that just happened, here are three areas with rising stocks and three areas with falling stocks.
RISING
It’s never a good sign for a team as a whole when a punter’s performance gets recognition, but the 6th round pick deserves credit. After being statistically among the worst punters in the league through the first three weeks, Robbins came in today and was extremely effective. On five punts, he averaged 51.4 yards per punt, including a career long 62 yarder in the second quarter.
Hey, Brad Robbins looked pretty good…
— Drew Garrison (@DrewGarrison) October 1, 2023
The punting unit faced tumultuous times after the retirement of Kevin Huber. Many were worried that they would continue after Robbins’ early season woes, but today’s performance may be a sign that those struggles are behind him.
With all of the instability in the passing game thus far this season, Joe Mixon has been by far the most stable part of the offense so far this year. His rushing totals have been remarkably consistent while also steadily improving at the same time. Over the first four games of the year, his rushing totals have been 56, 59, 65, and 67 yards.
Joe Mixon looked pretty good today. Averaged 4.8 yards per carry against a defense that only gave up 2.5 YPC last week
— Blake Jewell (@BlakeJewellNFL) October 1, 2023
On the day, Mixon averaged 4.8 yards per carry and ran for five first downs. He’s also staying confident amidst the team’s early season struggles.
"You know who we got at quarterback? At receiver? In the backfield? Why would I be concerned?"
Two minutes with Joe Mixon in the #Bengals locker room in Tennessee. pic.twitter.com/LU5eHljKqd
— Joe Danneman (@FOX19Joe) October 1, 2023
Safeties
With the departure of Jessie Bates III and Vonn Bell, many were worried about how the secondary would perform. Thankfully, 2022 first rounder Dax Hill and FA acquisition Nick Scott have stepped up and played extremely well in their absence. On the day, Scott and Hill were the two leading tacklers, with 10 and 8, respectively.
Dax Hill even had the one interception on the day for both teams. He played a Ryan Tannehill pass perfectly and had his long throw go right to him.
Dax Hill with another INT! This dude continues to make big plays! pic.twitter.com/121sHFjrsS
— Wolverine Chronicle (@WolverineChron) October 1, 2023
Hill is also tied for the team lead in tackles for loss and interceptions.
FALLING
The calf isn’t seeming to get any better.
Joe Burrow is the 1st QB in NFL history to attempt at least 150 passes in his team's first 4 games of a season, and average fewer than 5 yards per attempt on those passes, per @ESPNStatsInfo.
Bengals must consider sitting the QB until his calf is healthy.
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) October 1, 2023
While Burrow was only sacked three times, the Titans pass rush was in his face throughout the game. They took advantage of the QB’s limited mobility and collapsed the pocket all day. When protection broke down, the Titans took full advantage.
Burrow and co. looked in sync on the first drive of the game that was capped by a field goal, as Joe was able to complete 4 of 5 passes and keep the offense moving. However, after that point, they were held scoreless for the remainder of the game.
Wide receiver corps
The Bengals received unfortunate news after today’s game regarding star receiver Tee Higgins.
#Bengals WR Tee Higgins, who was declared out today, suffered a rib fracture, source said. Could keep him off the field for a bit.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 1, 2023
It’s a tough blow to a pass catching that has already lost promising rookie Charlie Jones to a thumb injury and Irv Smith Jr. to a hamstring injury. While Higgins’ production was inconsistent to start the year, he’s still been among the league’s best WR2s over the last few years. Losing the talented target will give defenses more freedom to pay extra attention to Ja’Marr Chase and make Joe Burrow’s ability to make big plays more limited than it already is.
For the foreseeable future, they will be rolling with Chase, Tyler Boyd, Trenton Irwin, and rookie Andrei Iosivas.
Coaching staff
“This is not acceptable.”These were the bleak words from head coach Zac Taylor after the ugly, low scoring loss.
Early in the game, the offense was in sync on a 4th and goal situation on the 4 yard line. The coaching staff elected to kick a field goal instead of attempting to set the tone by going for the touchdown.
Taylor also made the controversial decision to keep a hurt Burrow in the game while down 21 in the fourth quarter.
https:/twitter.com/pauldehnerjr/status/1708573263595479055?s=46&t=vB54MT3mB4XJLNYxXtrE5g
Taylor has already come under fire for his play calling, and his handling of Burrow through his injury is not winning anybody over.
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