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Cincinnati Bengals Two-Point Conversion: Chasing Their Tail

The Bengals couldn't get the offense going on Monday night without Ja'Marr Chase.

James Yarcho

In this story:

The Bengals are now 0-4 against the Browns with Joe Burrow at quarterback. Monday night was just the latest in a string of disappointing performances for the star signal-caller when facing their in-state rival. 

The Offense Looked Lost Without Ja'Marr Chase...

While the opening drive of the game looked promising, a tipped pass by Myles Garrett led to an interception and things seemed to spiral out of control from there. While Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd were expected to see an increase in targets, the offense just couldn't seem to get out of their own way.

Following the interception, the Bengals went six consecutive drives without scoring—four punts, a missed field goal, and a fumble. By time the Bengals got on the board, they were already trailing 25-0 and the game was well beyond their reach.

It seems as though each quarterback has that one team they can't seem to figure out and for Burrow that team appears to be the Cleveland Browns. As someone who also covers the Buccaneers, I took to Twitter to compare the two quarterbacks I focus on the most:

The biggest reason—at least in Monday's game—was not having Chase. It was as if Zac Taylor and the offensive brass couldn't come up with a way to keep the chains moving without their top receiver. In spite of the fact that Higgins and Boyd have been fantastic, the Bengals still can't get Joe Mixon or the rush game going. Mixon continues to extend his career long streak of consecutive games without a 100 yard rushing performance. He finished with just 27 rushing yards against the Browns, which was his second lowest output of the season.

The offense has to find some answers in a hurry with Chase expected to miss multiple games. 

...Luckily, The Upcoming Stretch Isn't Too Rough

The Bengals face the Carolina Panthers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans, and Kansas City Chiefs. While the Chiefs will spark the "murderers row" that Bengals fans have been dreading since it was announced months ago, Cincinnati has a three game stretch of very winnable games in November. 

The Panthers are giving up the 20th most passing yards in the league (232 yards per game) and are 22nd in the NFL in scoring defense, allowing 23.3 points per game. Best of all, they're allowing over 120 rushing yards per game which is exactly what the Bengals need. If Chase is going to miss more games, they have to figure out a way to get Mixon more involved.

Following that, a revenge game against the Steelers will be one that the Bengals probably circled immediately following their loss to Pittsburgh in Week 1. Back to back wins would keep the Bengals in the thick of the playoff hunt, as well as help them pace with the Ravens in the AFC North.

However, it all starts with getting the offense moving without Chase and for an offense that took until the third quarter to surpass 100 total yards, the creativity needs to be there on Sunday. Finding mismatches and one-on-one looks for Higgins will go a long way, while the continued usage of Hayden Hurst will help keep drives alive until the Bengals reach scoring range. But first things first—Taylor needs to open up the playbook and not be so predictable.

Bengals Extra Point

While the Panthers lead the all-time series 3-2-1, the Bengals are 1-0-1 when hosting Carolina with their win coming in 2006.

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James Yarcho
JAMES YARCHO

James Yarcho has been covering the NFL, primarily the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, for various outlets over the last eight years. He's written about the team for years and is the host of the Locked On Bucs Podcast.  While primarily following the Buccaneers, James is a Dayton, Ohio native, which is about an hour from Cincinnati. He's lived in the Dayton area his entire life, so the Bengals have always been a team he has kept a close eye on. He currently resides in Miamisburg with his wife and four sons.

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