Bengals vs. Ravens: Cincinnati Grades, Notes and Quotes
The Cincinnati Bengals survived a wild finish in Baltimore Sunday to take down the Ravens 28-24, climbing to 3-0 and knocking their AFC North rivals into an 0-3 hole in the process.
Call it the showdown of star wideouts. To compensate for a ground game that was able to gain just 36 yards against the Cincinnati defensive front, Steve Smith carried the Ravens with 13 catches for 186 yards and two touchdowns.
Cincinnati's A.J. Green responded in kind—in large part thanks to clutch play from Andy Dalton—with 10 catches for 227 yards and two scores of his own, including the go-ahead score with just over two minutes left in the contest.
As expected from a gritty divisional road contest, there are good and bad takeaways from the win. Within, let's look at the important details and reactions coming from those on the Cincinnati sideline.
Position Grades for Bengals
1 of 7
| Position | Grade |
| QB | B |
| RB | C |
| WR | A |
| TE | A |
| OL | B |
| DL | A |
| LB | C |
| DB | C |
| Special Teams | B |
| Coaching | C |
Outside of a few overthrows and a questionable end-zone pass, Dalton looked poised and downright great Sunday, throwing for 383 yards and three scores. He didn't falter under pressure or when the team needed him most, pinpointing passes time and again.
Dalton's day was especially impressive considering the performance behind him. Giovani Bernard only managed 49 yards on 13 carries, Jeremy Hill just 21 on 12. The latter struggled all game long with dancing in the backfield, looking timid after fumbling twice last weekend.
While Green was spectacular, he hurt what would otherwise be a perfect grade by not playing Dalton's interception in a more defensive manner, which cost the team seven points. What will go under the radar, though, is another strong showing by Marvin Jones, who grabbed five passes for 94 yards and a score.
The line in front of Dalton looked good for most of the day, although it did allow its first two sacks of the season.
On defense, Geno Atkins and Co. were unable to force a sack, but did help stuff the run completely, as did the linebackers. The issue for Rey Maualuga and others, which extended to the secondary, was a miserable tackling effort once again.
When it comes to coaching, the staff seemed to collapse in the second half. It's impossible to knock head coach Marvin Lewis for going for a score on fourth down when up 14-0, but conservative play and questionable usages of running backs hurt the team in the second half.
Marvin Lews Takes a Gamble
2 of 7
To call Lewis a conservative coach would be to hit the nail on the proverbial head.
Yet Sunday, Lewis found his team up 14-0 near the half and decided to go for it on fourth down in an effort to make it 21-0. Dalton hit Tyler Eifert, who caught the pass, turned around, stuck the ball out over the line and fumbled.
Replay basically invoked the Dez Bryant rule, claiming Eifert didn't have a catch.
Granted, the Bengals had another opportunity to go up 21-0 early in the third quarter, but Dalton threw his only interception of the day. All the points left off the board helped the Ravens get back in things late.
Still, the gamble from Lewis is noteworthy. The Bengals seem more aggressive this year, which is probably what happens to a team that has made the postseason four years and running without a win.
One can't blame Lewis for wanting to throw the knockout blow, but it's something to watch in the coming weeks as the young team continues to gain confidence.
Running Backs Freeze Up
3 of 7
There was a time when the Bengals were a run-first team.
All kidding aside, Dalton and Green saved the Bengals on a day the ground game just couldn't get going.
This wasn't the Baltimore defenses of old, either, not after letting Oakland run wild in Week 2. Yet Bernard didn't have much room to work with, although some of the blame can go to the coaching staff who decided to run the smaller back up the gut repeatedly instead of Hill.
Speaking of Hill, it's clear he's rattled, or at least quite timid after his two fumbles against San Diego. There's already a clear timeshare in place as a result of those struggles, but the split won't work the way the offense needs it to if Hill isn't running like his usual self.
The Bengals have one week to figure out how to get things working again.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Dalton Takes Control
4 of 7
Poise in big-game situations on the road and under pressure isn't something most would normally associate with Dalton.
It's not to say Dalton isn't a great player or anything of the sort. But Dalton came up big time and time again on the road Sunday in the middle of his offensive line's worst performance of the young season, throwing two touchdowns to Green.
ESPN Stats and Info took it another step: "Andy Dalton 4-of-4 for 175 yards and a touchdown when targeting A.J. Green at least 15 yards downfield today."
It's a new wrinkle for the Bengals. Part of it is the fact that Dalton's weapons are healthy this season. Much of it is more confidence and better decision-making, some of the main ingredients missing from the offense in past years.
If Sunday's play is any sign, the Bengals can lean on Dalton often this season in high-pressure situations.
A.J. Green Breaks Down Late-Game Coverages
5 of 7
For Green, a bit of a coverage shift by Baltimore might have helped him break free twice when it mattered most down the stretch.
ESPN.com's Coley Harvey summarized Green's postgame comments, including coverage notes and praise for Dalton's accuracy: "A.J. Green said the Ravens played him/other WRs in man coverage the entire fourth quarter. In reference to his matchup with CB Jimmy Smith, Green said, 'that's what you want.' Called the 80-yard TD 'a great ball by Andy (Dalton).'"
It sounds foolish to run man coverage against a player like Green, but keep in mind the Ravens were concerned about Jones and someone such as Eifert burning them over the middle.
In other words, everything worked as Green and Co. could have hoped late in the game. It started with smart drafting. Sunday, it came to fruition on the field.
Dre Kirkpatrick Addresses Struggles
6 of 7
It's no secret the Bengals struggled to contain the ageless Smith Sunday after turning in strong performances against Amari Cooper and Keenan Allen.
For one reason or another, Smith was able to break free of coverages multiple times and slip through defenders on the way to big gains most of the day.
Kirkpatrick spoke with Fox 19's Joe Danneman about the issues: "Dre Kirkpatrick says he wouldn't change anything about the game plan to stop Steve Smith—'just need to execute better.'"
Three weeks in, it's safe to say the secondary is more talented than it showed Sunday on the road. Kirkpatrick and Co. will have a chance to prove they can turn things around when Andy Reid's creative Kansas City offense comes to town next week.
Dalton: Coaches 'Trust Me'
7 of 7
Perhaps most impressive about Dalton's big day in Baltimore?
He called his own play on the game-winning touchdown.
Harvey revealed the nugget, then captured Dalton's reasoning behind how the audible came about: "Asked about the way he changed the play at the line prior to A.J. Green's game-winning TD, Bengals QB Andy Dalton says, '(OC) Hue (Jackson) trusts me.' Dalton added he saw a better matchup prior to the changes."
It's no secret the Bengals trust Dalton, not after a big extension. But it's something else to see it come alive on the field. Dalton had the awareness in a noisy environment with his team down to make a change, then go out and execute it with poise.
An encouraging sign moving forward, to say the least.
Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
