Instant analysis after Bengals suffer blowout by Steelers in Week 10

The Cincinnati Bengals exited the bye and walked right into the trap that is a typical game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Injuries aside, the Bengals seemed to regress in a few key areas, chief among them the approach of the coaching staff and general preparedness for the task in front of them.

Here’s a look at some instant analysis from the 36-10 loss.

Quick Hits

— Deja vu against a rival early? Bengals defense forced a three-and-out on the first drive, only for Alex Erickson to fumble the punt return and give it right back.

— How weird were things early out of the bye? The defense was getting stops or holding the Steelers to field goals while the offense went for three consecutive three-and-outs, something of a role reversal for the units.

— This one got away from the young Bengals in a hurry, with the Steelers needing three plays to gain 75 yards and score, making it 12-0. The Bengals then turned around and coughed it up on a Tee Higgins fumble.

— The defense lost Mackensie Alexander, bringing the number of available corners to roughly three. And yet, it was William Jackson having some problems in coverage, a dramatic turnaround for him compared to his prior few performances.

— Self-inflicted wounds were the name of the game in the first half. Down 19-7 but with Burrow cruising, Alex Redmond got hit with a holding flag on a 2nd-and-short that killed the drive.

— Given the names of the guys starting at offensive tackle, the line looked surprisingly good at times. Burrow and his weapons were just off, but it’s pretty clear the Bengals might’ve gotten a great steal on the open market with Quinton Spain.

— Wasn’t much the Bengals defense could do in the third quarter once Big Ben got rolling and exploiting the lack of quality starting corners, hence the touchdown strike that made it 29-7.

— Pretty questionable coaching by Zac Taylor to have Burrow in there taking hits in a 36-7 game taking hits after already limping off the field earlier in the game.

Key Stat

0-of-13: Third-down conversion rate. This mark was 0-of-9 with the score 29-7, which says it all. The Bengals just couldn’t make it work when it mattered, which decided the game outright.

Game Ball

Tee Higgins: Look at the borderline No. 1 wideout go. The rookie was amazing again, this time catching seven of his nine targets for 115 yards and a score, his longest catch on the day going for 54 yards.

What to Fix

Coaching: Harsh? Maybe. But the coaching staff had an extra week to prep for this one and just didn’t get it done. A rather efficient, deadly offense looked lost out there and the defense, while strong at points, didn’t adjust as Pittsburgh did.

Top Takeaway

Steady the course: Musings of Burrow marching into Pittsburgh and taking down an undefeated Steelers team were always a little far-fetched. It was clear Sunday again that Burrow is a special, special player — but the talent and coaching staff around him still need to catch up. A changing of the guard in the AFC North is possible if the Bengals play their cards right, but this was a playoff team vs. a rebuilding team.

List

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