On Sunday, Kansas City Chiefs face the Cincinnati BengalsWe welcome Anthony Cosenza from Cincy Jungle — our sister site SBNation about the Bengals — for Five questions to the enemy.
1) The Bengals’ loss at New England was the most surprising result of Week 1. How much panic is there among fans? Is this seen as a typical slow start for Cincinnati or a sign of bigger problems?
A little bit of both. This has been an unfortunate trend for the Bengals and Zac Taylor. Their head coach is 1-10 through the first two weeks of his career, while Joe Burrow is 1-8.
There have been excuses over the last 10 contests, ranging from a weird COVID offseason to Burrow returning from a knee injury to an appendectomy in the summer and subsequent calf injury at No. 9 last year. Burrow also came back from his wrist injury this year, but still had some semblance of a full offseason.
It’s that last aspect, the contract drama with their two wide receivers, and the fact that the game against the Patriots was very winnable that makes this game a little more concerning than previous games. They seem to be hitting their stride in the middle and later part of the season, which is what you want, but the slow starts have really hurt them. They should turn things around quickly with this incredibly tough matchup coming up on Sunday.
2) Although tackle Orlando Brown Jr. won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs, his play over two years in Kansas City continues to polarize. How is he viewed by Bengals fans and the media so far?
He was doing well. There were a few setbacks last year, but he also had a groin injury in the middle of the season that caused him some problems.
I wouldn’t say he’s at the Pro Bowl level we saw with the Ravens and Chiefs yet, but he’s stabilized a position that was desperately needed, and he’s well-liked and respected in the locker room. As for his Week 1 performance against the Patriots, the general consensus is that he played the best of all the linemen, and it looked to be one of his best games as a Bengals in his time in Cincinnati.
3) The Bengals were in the news this offseason more for contract disputes with wide receivers Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase than for any spectacular new signings. How much of a distraction were financial matters? Are you disappointed that neither of them agreed to a new contract?
It’s hard to say how much of a distraction that was. Taylor was proud of how he assembled that squad, not just for its talent but for its character and maturity. I think the players put the right foot forward publicly, but they were also repeatedly questioned about their respective situations. I’m sure that gets boring.
Ja’Marr Chase has seemed more businesslike and his signature smile has been seen much less frequently lately (especially after last week’s loss), and Tee Higgins didn’t play last week and his availability for this Sunday also seems questionable/doubtful, so I’d say it’s more about those two (it’s not Higgins’ fault that he has a hamstring issue, of course) than it is about the team as a whole.
Yes, it’s disappointing that nothing worked out for either of them, but in some ways it was also to be expected. It’s been suggested that Higgins’ franchise tag, rather than the long-term contract, was an unfortunate side effect of the Burrow extension and one for Chase. Most assumed the Bengals would really get something for Chase next summer, as they often do with a core player with a year left on his contract, but with so many of his contemporaries getting mega-deals, this is now at the forefront.
The good news is that there were reports that the Bengals and Chase recently made a deal, so here’s hoping they make it across the finish line.
4) Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has been one of the best strategic minds when it comes to slowing down Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense. What can he do to continue the success with the Bengals’ current defensive personnel?
While Anarumo was successful, some of the players who played key roles are no longer here. Larry Ogunjobi (who actually missed the 2021 AFC Championship Game), Jessie Bates, Chidobe Awuzie and Eli Apple are no longer on defense.
Still, they have plenty of other mainstays, and newer players like corner Cam Taylor-Britt have developed well. Regardless, it will come down to whether the Bengals can generate pressure with someone not named Trey Hendrickson and whether the secondary can keep up with the overall speed of Kansas City’s skill positions (especially the wideouts).
5) Can you predict how this will turn out?
If the game were later in the season, I’d lean more towards the Bengals. But they’re off to a slow start in the first few weeks, combined with a superior opponent playing on their home field and coming off a mini-break. I don’t think the Bengals will win here, but I see a hard-fought, close game.
