Oh, and the Hue Tang Clan/Hammer and Sizzle/Dr. But four of five in the red zone and closing the game out with authority made a statement. Bernard averaged only 3.4 yards per carry, and needing to increase his running average stats should become a top priority. Only three teams in the last 25 years have gone without a sack through the first three games.ĭalton tossed his first interception of the season and missed a few other passes. The first half had the highlights, the offensive line pitched another sack shutout with an assist from Dalton's quick releases. Not only did the Bengals score two touchdowns on those drives, but the back-to-back jaunts lasted a combined 22 plays, garnered 13 first downs, covered 146 yards and milked 11:25 off the game clock. The takeaway from Sunday was the two long drives that put the game well out of reach. Green's 102 yards receiving on a dinged toe. Forget the throwback WR pass for a touchdown or A.J. To me, the most impressive aspect of this game for the offense came after the outcome had essentially been decided.
If you can say the offense and defense made a number of mistakes and left another NFL opponent with a 33-7 defeat and facing the backups for the final six minutes, that says something about the talent level on this team.
All three phases played relatively well, though offense and defense weren't necessarily crisp. Marvin Lewis called yesterday the team's most complete effort of the season. They double everyone except the Atlanta team they hammered by 14. In fact, two of the three opponents were listed in the top 10 of Peter King's Fine Fifteen (Atlanta, 9 Baltimore, 10).Īnd here's the top five teams in point differential through three weeks. Only Marvin Lewis' 2005 team - one of the most beloved in Bengals history - was better.Įven further, these aren't against cupcakes. Bottom line: This has been the second most dominant first three games ever for this team. Every time I found one, two more popped up. There's certainly no arguing they've been the most dominant.Ĭompiling yesterday's Fifth Quarter, the near-record numbers kept piling up on me. The creativity, excitement and domination has the national folks speaking loudly about what many believe to be the best team in football through three weeks. And what's not to like if you are a fan rooting for the most popular kid at the dance right now. A third consecutive happy Monday for fans of the Bengals.