Bengals vs. 49ers: Cincinnati Grades, Notes and Quotes

With AJ McCarron under center, the Cincinnati Bengals took a road trip in Week 15 and took care of business against the San Francisco 49ers in a 24-14 win.

It wasn't the prettiest of performances for the Bengals, but it sure beats taking a loss at the hands of a four-win team. Sans Andy Dalton, McCarron took care of the football while backed by two rushing touchdowns from Jeremy Hill.

The Cincinnati defense gets most of the credit, though, as Vontaze Burfict and others forced three interceptions of Blaine Gabbert and four total turnovers in the affair, which hit lopsided territory before halftime.

Within, let's take a look at the immediate notes and quotes from the win.

Position Grades for Bengals

Tony Avelar/Associated Press

Quarterback: A

What more could folks want from McCarron? 

With the coaching reserved, McCarron didn't make any game-breaking mistakes with the football and finished 15-of-21 with 192 yards and a score. He threw away the ball instead of forcing it and rode the players around him, which is what the team needed.

Running Back: B

Sunday was a mixed bag for Cincinnati backs. 

Giovani Bernard got the nod as starter and finished with 14 carries for 33 yards. Jeremy Hill eventually got in the game and rushed 19 times for 31 yards and the two scores, but he also lost a fumble, which brings the grade down.

Wide Receiver: A

Wide receivers didn't have a major role Sunday, all things considered, but Marvin Jones caught four balls for 89 yards. 

A.J. Green made a brief appearance but the team wound up sitting him for most of the game, preventing him from doing major damage. He still finished with one grab for 37 yards.

Tight End: A

How about Tyler Kroft? 

With Tyler Eifert out of the lineup, the other Tyler came in and caught three passes for 31 yards and a touchdown, providing the perfect security blanket for his quarterback with Eifert and Green out.

Offensive Line: C

Much of the ground game's struggles came due to sloppy play from the offensive line. 

Not only was the line struggling to open up holes on the ground against an inferior opponent, Andre Smith and Russell Bodine couldn't help but draw yellow laundry.

With a backup under center, the Bengals have to hope this doesn't become a trend.

Defensive Line: A

What a day for Carlos Dunlap and Co. 

Dunlap will get most of the credit for a strip fumble and a blocked field goal, as he should. Normally it's Geno Atkins stealing the show, and he did grab two sacks on the day, but Dunlap came up big and carried the unit.

Linebacker: A

Not much to see here. 

While it would be nice if the Bengals hadn't struggled out of the gate to stop the run, the unit eventually fixed the issues on the way to the win.

Defensive Backs: A

Adam Jones returned for the Bengals Sunday, helping the unit to mostly keep the 49ers in check through the air.

The box score reads a bit different, though, as 49ers wideout Anquan Boldin eventually found pay dirt. Still, without George Iloka the Bengals managed to contain a beatable opponent, which is hard to complain about.

Special Teams: C

Other than a few head-scratching return decisions by Brandon Tate and a miffed onside-kick recovery attempt by Mohamed Sanu, the Cincinnati special teams put on a strong performance Sunday, highlighted by the Dunlap block. 

The Sanu gaffe really brings the grade down, though. It didn't end up hurting the team, but just imagine if it had.

Coaching: B

Cincinnati would get almost a perfect grade here, but Marvin Lewis' team took its foot off the gas late, and offensive coordinator Hue Jackson seemed a tad too conservative with McCarron under center. 

While it ended in a win, the offense cannot get away with being so conservative against a better opponent.

Running Game, Offensive Line Struggle

Eric Risberg/Associated Press

Sunday was a day to forget for the Cincinnati offensive line.

Andrew Whitworth's unit simply struggled to do anything of merit and is the main reason the team's top two backs couldn't even break three yards per carry by the end of the game.

The unit also allowed four sacks of McCarron and played a large part in the team committing six penalties for 45 yards, marching the offense backwards on a day it needed error-free football with an inexperienced player under center.

These are correctable issues, of course, but in Week 15 while needing to survive without a starting quarterback is not a good time for the unit's performance to hop off a cliff.

If the offensive line plays like that in the coming weeks, the season will end on a sour note.

McCarron Shows Poise in Debut

Tony Avelar/Associated Press

Despite the woeful play from the offensive line, McCarron looked great in his debut.

Forget the numbers, McCarron did as he was surely instructed, tossing several balls out of bounds and keeping drives alive instead of forcing it into an iffy situation and risking a turnover.

Perhaps most impressive of all, McCarron pulled out the win without Eifert in the lineup and with Green catching just one pass before exiting the game.

In other words, Sunday was at best a training-wheel experience as the Bengals coasted while healing and warming up for a critical AFC showdown with the Denver Broncos next week.

Given the brief flashes he showed Sunday, it's an encouraging time for the Bengals and McCarron.

Bengals Clinch Playoff Berth

Tony Avelar/Associated Press

While they didn't clinch the AFC North thanks to the Pittsburgh Steelers staying alive by upending the Broncos, the Bengals did something arguably more important: clinch the coveted spot in the dance. 

Cincinnati's going to the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year and still has a chance to improve its position down the stretch with a game against Denver before closing the season against the Baltimore Ravens.

The cloud that is Dalton's injury still lingers over the franchise, but Sunday's win against the 49ers was a step in the right direction. Long story short, the goal of finally getting out of the postseason's first round remains alive and well.

So much for the instant panic last week after losing Dalton.

Lewis Talks Win...

Frank Victores/Associated Press

Sunday was a grind for the Bengals, a team wanting to make the postseason and staring a beatable, if not downtrodden, opponent in the eye.

But with a backup quarterback under center and key areas struggling, it sounds like Lewis did more screaming than praising.

Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com caught up with Lewis after the game, who said, "I didn't really enjoy this. I had to tell them after game to smile."

Lewis has every right to be concerned. His team played rough in patches. A win's a win, sure, but not blowing away a struggling team this deep into the season isn't excusable, no matter who watches from the sidelines and who gets in on the action.

If Lewis' reaction is any indication, it's going to be a long week for the Bengals. They'll smile for clinching a playoff berth, but there's work to do.

...and Struggles of the Offensive Line

Tony Avelar/Associated Press

Lewis wasn't done there, either.

Lewis made a point to praise turnovers and the play of his backup, though the offensive line seemed to steal the show.

ESPN.com's Coley Harvey wrote: "Marvin Lewis wasn't happy with the holding penalties late in the game, but obviously pleased with the way turnovers set up things for the offense. On AJ McCarron: 'He handled the football. He managed the ball well.'"

By now it should go without saying, but the Bengals didn't want McCarron to have to do too much on the road in his debut. He didn't, thanks to a gigantic effort from the defense, but the line in front of him had its problems.

Clearly, Lewis and Co. view the win as a building block while the team eyes the No. 2 seed in the conference.

The A.J. Green Situation

Eric Risberg/Associated Press

There's little reason for concern about Green's apparent back issue. 

As the broadcast mentioned, Green tweaked his back in a walkthrough in the days before the game. He still managed to suit up and connect with McCarron once, though, before sitting out the rest of the way.

This one goes down in the "precaution" file. Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer provided the details: "Lewis: plan was to get Green out with back injury so didn’t re-injure."

The 49ers might have made a late charge, but there wasn't a reason to keep one of the offense's best weapons in the game with the result decided.

With any luck, yanking Green from the contest and giving Eifert another week off means both can give it a go after a long week when the team encounters the Broncos in Week 16.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.