The Cincinnati Bengals had many opportunities to win the game Sunday, but they ended up losing — at home to one of the worst teams in the NFL. That’s pretty typical for a Bengals start to the season, although certainly not ideal.
This team doesn’t always start hot, but the talent is there to make a deep playoff run. That said, the Bengals lost 16-10 as Joe Burrow went 21-of-29 for 164. Zack Moss scored the team’s lone touchdown of the game and ended with a team-high 44 rushing yards.
With that, let’s dive into how the power rankings from national media now view Cincinnati.
Go and try to explain the Bengals coming up absolutely empty against a New England team that was poor last season, and expected to be last in the AFC East in 2024.
There weren’t a ton of newcomers to choose from in one of the more befuddling Bengals losses in recent memory. But Moss, a veteran who signed in free agency to replace Joe Mixon, scored the team’s only touchdown. He had nine carries for 44 yards and a score that kept Cincinnati in striking distance throughout the second half. OC Dan Pitcher called Moss an all-around back, and his usage suggested that was the case. He played 65% of the team’s offensive snaps and will continue in a key role for a unit that needs to improve going forward. — Ben Baby
