Bengals vs. Bears: Takeaways from Cincinnati's 24-21 Loss to Chicago

The Cincinnati Bengals traveled to Soldier Field in Chicago to take on the Chicago Bears for kick off of their 2013 campaign, but the end result was not what the team had anticipated.

Cincinnati looked strong on both sides of the football through three quarters, with a dominating passing game and holding Jay Cutler and the Bears to limited offensive production. That ended in the fourth and final quarter, however, as the Bears pulled ahead for a 24-21 victory.

There are plenty of things to learn from the defeat for Cincinnati. In the following slideshow, we'll take a look at some of the most important details from the contest as Cincinnati preps for its showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football next week.

Running Game Not a Factor

The Cincinnati Bengals have a potent passing attack with receiver A.J. Green and Co., and that was on full display against the Bears as Green erupted for 162 yards and two scores on nine receptions.

As uncoverable as Green was, along with two great performances from tight ends Tyler Eifert and Jermaine Gresham, the running game was nowhere to be found.

In the NFL, a team cannot hope to win games if the offense is one-dimensional. Veteran running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis only recorded 25 yards on 14 carries, giving him a 1.8 yards-per-carry tally. Green-Ellis added a touchdown, but it was a moot point.

Rookie Giovani Bernard looked much better with four carries for 22 yards, but the coaching staff clearly did not want him handling a large amount of work.

All in all, Cincinnati can be elite through the air all it wants, but without even an average complement on the ground, the Bengals are going to struggle to win games.

No Sacks

One of the reasons Cincinnati is such a popular choice as a team to surprise this year—outside of back-to-back playoff performances—is the dominant defensive line.

It's a widely-known group at this point. Defensive tackle Geno Atkins was coming off a 12.5 sack campaign in 2012, and defensive ends Carlos Dunlap and Michael Johnson are a sound duo known for getting to the quarterback.

So when the Bengals met Chicago and failed to record a sack, it came as a massive surprise. The numbers don't tell the whole story, since Jay Cutler was under pressure a good amount during the contest, but it's a telling stat as the line was unable to finish.

It's an issue that will correct itself as the season goes on, but a perhaps a reason why Cincinnati struggled in Chicago. 

Tyler Eifert Is the Real Deal

One of the biggest storylines this offseason for the Cincinnati Bengals was the selection of Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert in the first round of the draft.

Eifert opened up plenty of possibilities, especially in the form of two-tight end sets with Pro Bowler Jermaine Gresham.

The youngster more than made his presence felt in his NFL debut.

In Chicago, Eifert was a mainstay in the passing game and ended up as the second-leading receiver behind A.J. Green, catching all five passes thrown his way for 47 yards.

That kind of dependability will go a long way for Cincinnati this season. The team may have lost in Chicago, but the search for a No. 2 behind Green may be over.

Ball Security Is an Issue

One of the biggest keys to victory in the NFL is simple: don't turn the ball over.

In Chicago, a young Bengals roster had some serious issues in that regard.

It began with A.J. Green losing a fumble in the first quarter, which ended up being kicked out of bounds by Bears' corner Tim Jennings. Green would fumble a reception later in the quarter as well, which resulted in an interception.

Second-year receiver Mohamed Sanu was the next to cough up the football in the fourth quarter with about 12 minutes left, which allowed Chicago to go ahead and take the lead, and ultimately the game.

Add in two interceptions by quarterback Andy Dalton, and it's tough to win any football game with so many turnovers, especially in a road opener.

Offensive Line Is Just Fine Without Andrew Whitworth

A major cause for concern surrounding the Cincinnati Bengals entering the contest with the Chicago Bears was the absence of left tackle Andrew Whitworth, who has dealt with a nagging knee issue for most of the preseason.

No Whitworth, no problem as the Bengals' offensive line only surrendered one sack all game. Run-blocking was especially spotty at times, but the line managed to keep quarterback Andy Dalton upright for most of the contest.

That's a huge sigh of relief for Cincinnati because it is still difficult to discern how long Whitworth will be out of action. Swing tackle Anthony Collins stepped up in a big way against Chicago and silenced elite defensive end Julius Peppers.

If there's a major positive to take away from the loss in Chicago, it's that the offensive line will be fine until Whitworth returns.

Andy Dalton Has Room for Improvement

It may sound ludicrous to say Andy Dalton needs more work after a performance that saw him complete 26-of-33 attempts for 282 yards and two scores, but there is still plenty of room for the young quarterback to develop his game if the Bengals are going to take the next step.

Of Dalton's seven incompletions, two were interceptions. One pick was a result of A.J. Green bobbling a pass, but Dalton's mistake in the first quarter was all on him. Dalton attempted to force the ball to Green on a slant, but Charles Tillman could cut inside for the interception.

There were other times Dalton looked like an All Pro, especially when firing the ball deep down the field, which is an improvement on his performance last year. For the most part, he also displayed a quality pocket presence in the face of pressure.

It's hard to nitpick Dalton's performance, especially with the lack of a running game, but at the end of the day, he did not do enough. The stellar play he flashed at times needs to be a constant rather than something that appears in patches.

Season Opener Woes Continue

If history is a good predictor, most could have guessed how this contest would have turned out from the beginning.

In five of the last six years, Cincinnati has dropped its opening game. Even in the face of sky-high expectations, the Bengals and their faithful knew going to Chicago for an opener was a difficult task.

In other words, there is no need to panic. Yet. Cincinnati flashed an elite defensive unit for most of the game, and, barring a few boneheaded turnovers and other mistakes that should be cleaned up as the season wears on, Cincinnati was close to coming away with a win anyway.

Things can and will improve in Cincinnati, but openers simply have not been kind to them in years past.

Lots of Room for Growth and Maturity

The Cincinnati Bengals are a young team with ridiculous expectations. Sunday's performance in Chicago showed the Bengals have plenty of work to do.

First of all, the coaching staff has to do a better job of organizing its player. Cincinnati burned back-to-back timeouts before and after one snap of the football because there were too few players on the field, then too many.

Part of this error occurred because linebacker Vontaze Burfict was coming in and out of the game thanks to an injury, but it's inexcusable nonetheless.

Perhaps most concerning of all, outside of the aforementioned ball security, is the simple lack of disipline from the players.

Second-year cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick lost his cool before the end of the first half and committed a personal foul that allowed the Bears to knock through a 58-yard field goal.

More glaring was the mistake committed by fifth-year pro Rey Maualuga, who lost his cool in the closing moments of the game. Cincinnati had no timeouts remaining, but notched a stip that would have given the ball back to the Bengals' offense for one last shot at a comeback.

Instead, Maualuga was flagged for a personal foul penalty after driving an offensive lineman into the ground after the whistle, giving Chicago a fresh set of downs and allowing the Bears to kneel and run out the clock.

High expectations on young teams are a dangerous thing. The 2013 edition of the Bengals is now proof of that for the moment. Rapid growth and increased maturity are required if this team wants to be a contender.

Follow B/R's Chris Roling on Twitter for more news and analysis @Chris_Roling