Winners and Losers From Cincinnati Bengals' 34-23 Win Over Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Cincinnati is 10-4 following their win over Tampa Bay.

Blake Jewell | Dec 18, 2022

In this story:

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals rallied from a 17-point deficit to beat the Buccaneers 34-23 on Sunday. Their sixth-straight win gives them a one game lead in the AFC North.

Here are our winners and losers:

Winners

Eli Apple

The Bengals cornerback probably had his best game of the season. Chidobe Awuzie and Mike Hilton were out and Cam Taylor-Britt left the game with a shoulder injury. Eli Apple made up for the injured secondary by racking up seven tackles and two passes defensed. Apple has been outstanding since Awuzie went down and it’s going to be crucial that he keeps up this high level of play over the next few weeks and in the playoffs.

Tre Flowers

Like Apple, Tre Flowers was asked to step up on Sunday with an injured Bengals secondary, and he did just that. He got a big interception in the second half and played well the entire game. The extent of Taylor-Britt’s injury is unknown, so Flowers could see a bigger role in the coming weeks.

Lou Anarumo

Lou Anarumo is one of the best defensive coordinators in the league, and it showed Sunday night. The defense started off rough, but Anarumo made the right adjustments at halftime and the Bengals dominated the second half, outscoring the Buccaneers 31-6.

Germaine Pratt

Germaine Pratt is going to get a big contract from someone in the offseason. He had a nice game against the Bucs, including a dazzling interception that helped Cincinnati maintain their momentum in the second half.

Losers

Bengals' Offense

We know how good the Bengals' offense is, but they just had an off night on Sunday. Scoring 34 points might not seem like a poor performance, but it just wasn’t up to their standards, especially on third downs (5-of-13). On the bright side, they should be getting Hayden Hurst back soon, and it’ll be surprising if they have a game like this again.

La’el Collins

Collins has been pretty decent this season, but he struggled against the Bucs. He got beat multiple times and had Burrow under pressure. Hopefully for the Bengals, this was just an off night for the right tackle.

For more on the Bengals, watch the video below and subscribe to our YouTube Channel. Get Your Bengals Tickets From SI Tickets HERE.

Make sure you bookmark All Bengals for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

You May Also Like:

Bengals Overcome 17-point Deficit, Beat Brady and the Bucs

Five Takeaways From Cincinnati Bengals' Big Win Over Cleveland Browns

DJ Reader's Stellar Play Commands Respect From Bengals' Teammates and Opponents

Walk-Off Thoughts: Bengals Beat Browns, Joe Burrow Gets First Win Over In-State Rival

Details Emerge About Joe Burrow and Bengals' Offensive Adjustments After Slow Start to Season

Joe Burrow Pokes Fun At Mac Jones When Asked To Compare Cigar Photos After National Championship Wins

Jessie Bates Hosted Single Mothers Initiative Ahead of Bengals' Win Over Browns

Zac Taylor Offers Injury Updates on Trey Hendrickson and Tyler Boyd

Playoff Picture: Bengals And Ravens Swap Tiebreakers With AFC North Race Winding Down