Bengals vs. Chargers: Full Roster Report Card Grades for Cincinnati

The Cincinnati Bengals (8-4) were able to travel out West and come away victorious against the San Diego Chargers (5-7) on Sunday. This contest had serious playoff implications, as the Bengals are fighting for position among the AFC division leaders and the Chargers are in the hunt for a Wild Card playoff spot.

Cincinnati defeated San Diego by a score of 17-10 after another masterful performance by its defense and an offensive resurgence in the second half.

Let's take a look at a position-by-position breakdown detailing how the Bengals performed during the contest.

Quarterback

Donald Miralle/Getty Images

It was a tale of two halves for quarterback Andy Dalton on Sunday. His first-half performance was absolutely dismal, reflected in his 21.3 passer rating at halftime.

Luckily for the Bengals, Dalton was able to right the ship over the final two quarters.

The Bengals' aerial attack focused on short, high-percentage passes which allowed receivers to gain yards after the catch. This increased Dalton's confidence and allowed him to pull it together.

Dalton finished the game completing 14 of his 23 passing attempts for 190 yards, one touchdown and one interception for a passer rating of 83.6.

Certainly, this was not one of the quarterback's best performances, but it was a step up from his past several games.

Game Grade: C

Running Back

Donald Miralle/Getty Images

BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Giovani Bernard seemed to befuddle the Chargers defense throughout the contest.

Green-Ellis played his best game of the season. He churned out tough yards through all four quarters without any signs of slowing down. His abilities as a short-yardage and goal-line back were on display against San Diego.

Over the game, Green-Ellis carries 20 times for 92 yards and one score while averaging 4.6 yards per carry.

Bernard had a rough go during the first half. He was not able to find much room to maneuver on the ground against the Chargers' front seven.

However, he came alive in the second half with some big runs. His second-half performance bolstered his numbers for the day to the tune of 14 carries for 57 yards and an average of 4.1 yards per carry.

The Bengals totaled 164 yards on the ground on Sunday.

Game Grade: A

Wide Receivers

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

Dalton only threw 23 passes on Sunday, so there were not many chances to go around for the Bengals receivers.

However, A.J. Green and Andrew Hawkins made the most out of their limited touches.

Green found himself wide open over the middle for a 21-yard touchdown in the third quarter to give the Bengals a lead that they would not relinquish. He was able to haul in five passes on just seven targets for 83 yards and a score on the day. Green showed why he is one of the NFL's elite at the position.

Hawkins did not have many chances. He was only targeted three times throughout the contest. However, he made the most of them as well, catching all three attempts for 65 yards. His highlight of the game put the Bengals in great position after a catch-and-run of 50 yards. His dynamic skill set in the open field was on display once again.

Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones were relatively quiet. Jones was targeted three times, catching two passes for 12 yards. His third was an acrobatic attempt on a deep pass in the end zone that was nicely defended. Sanu was only targeted twice and hauled in one pass for nine yards.

Game Grade: B

Tight Ends

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODA

Tight ends were not heavily featured in the game plan on Sunday.

Both Tyler Eifert and Jermaine Gresham were targeted twice. Eifert was able to haul in one pass and get through a few defenders for a nine-yard gain. Gresham left the game without a reception.

However, tight end Alex Smith was utilized in the fullback position at times throughout the contest. He was able to make some crucial blocks which helped Green-Ellis and Bernard break free.

Even though this positional group did not have much of an offensive presence, the run blocking helped tremendously.

Game Grade: C-

Offensive Line

Donald Miralle/Getty Images

The Bengals' offensive line played one of its best games of the season on Sunday against the Chargers.

Even though Clint Boling was lost early in the game and was replaced by Mike Pollak, the line was able to jell and keep the Bengals in the game.

Dalton was kept completely clean. Not only did he leave the game without being sacked, but the Chargers' pass rush failed even to record a hit.

The line was also responsible for creating huge holes at times for the Bengals running backs. The running game's 164 yards and average of 4.3 yards per carry were direct results of the tremendous play in the trenches.

Game Grade: A

Defensive Line

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODA

The Bengals' defensive line was able to flourish against both the pass and the run on Sunday despite facing a very talented Chargers offensive line.

Wallace Gilberry recorded one of the Bengals' two sacks of Philip Rivers. The Bengals were able to pressure the quarterback, recording five total hits. Gilberry and second-year defensive tackle Devon Still each defensed a pass at the line of scrimmage.

San Diego was held to just 91 yards on the ground, averaging just 3.8 yards per carry as a team.

This unit continues to rely on depth and a solid rotation. It has not lost a step since the season-ending injury to defensive tackle Geno Atkins.

Game Grade: B

Linebackers

Donald Miralle/Getty Images

Cincinnati's linebacker corps is decorated with sure-tackling players Vontaze Burfict and Rey Maualuga. Both players performed at a very high level on Sunday. Burfict led the team with 13 total tackles, and Maualuga was second with 10, also recording a sack.

Vincent Rey just had two total tackles on the game, but he found himself in the right place at the right time when he recovered a Keenan Allen fumble late in the game.

These linebackers tend to get a bit lost in coverage, but they held tight end Antonio Gates to a respectable five receptions for 41 yards. They did allow Ladarius Green to get behind them for the Chargers' sole touchdown on the day; however, part of that was because safety George Iloka got out of position.

Overall, Sunday was another solid outing for this group.

Game Grade: B+

Secondary

Donald Miralle/Getty Images

Rivers was able to find room to throw the football early in the contest. He spread the ball around nicely and took advantage of some favorable matchups against Cincinnati. However, in the second half the Bengals secondary clamped down.

Allen was able to get the best of the secondary, recording eight receptions for 106 yards, and Green was able to beat the defense for a 30-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

The secondary was able to tackle quickly after receptions, limiting yards after the catch in most cases. Its second-half resurgence limited Rivers to 23 completions on 37 attempts for 252 yards, one touchdown and one interception for a passer rating of 80.0.

Sunday was Dre Kirkpatrick's coming-out party. He was able to steal a pass away from Allen and record his first interception in the NFL.

Game Grade: B

Special Teams

Stan Liu-USA TODAY Sports

Cincinnati's return units were held in check by San Diego's coverage units throughout the contest on Sunday. However, the Bengals' coverage units did not allow much room for Chargers returners either.

It all came down to the kicking game.

Mike Nugent was able to connect on a 46-yard field goal in the fourth quarter which put the Bengals up by 10 and put the game practically out of reach for the Chargers.

Punter Kevin Huber had a nice day as well. Huber averaged 55.5 yards per punt on four attempts, pinning San Diego inside its own 20-yard line twice. Huber's long punt of the day was an astonishing 75 yards.

Game Grade: B

Coaching

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODA

Head coach Marvin Lewis and offensive coordinator Jay Gruden came out with a game plan which featured the run. The run-heavy offense worked nicely, as the Bengals stuck with it and rushed 38 times against just 23 passing attempts.

This plan allowed the Bengals offense to stay on the field for 29 minutes and 40 seconds—almost dead even with the Chargers. The Bengals defense remained rested and fresh due to the amount of time the offense spent on the field on Sunday.

When the passing game was not working in the first half, the correct adjustments were made over halftime. They moved to a short passing game that allowed Dalton to be more effective.

On defense, Mike Zimmer's unit remained one of the best in the NFL. Cincinnati allowed just 10 points to a Chargers team that put up 41 points on a very talented Kansas City Chiefs defense one week earlier.

Zimmer relied heavily on the depth that the Bengals possess on the defensive side of the ball and kept his players fresh throughout the game.

Lewis also challenged one crucial play—Allen's fumble that was recovered by Rey. The call on the field was overturned, and the Bengals were granted the ball.

Game Grade: B+