Halftime Observations: Joe Burrow and Bengals Tied With Rams 6-6
CINCINNATI — The Bengals trail the Rams 6-3 at halftime. Cincinnati never led in the first half. They haven't had a lead this season (10 quarters)
Here are our halftime observations:
Burrow's Start
Joe Burrow completed 10-of-13 passes for 70 yards in the first quarter. The Bengals relied on their quick passing attack to move the ball up and it worked. Burrow wasn't hit or sacked and Cincinnati moved the ball on two of their three possessions in the quarter.
He's clearly limited due to his calf injury, but completed 17-of-30 passes for 144 yards in the first half. He was sacked twice.
Ja'Marr Chase had 10 catches in the first two games for just 70 yards. He has six receptions (nine targets) for 56 yards in the first half. At least three of his catches went for first downs.
Penalties
The Bengals committed three false starts in the first half. Tyler Boyd, Joe Mixon and Orlando Brown Jr. were each called for a false start.
Mixon and Brown committed the penalties on back-to-back drives. That put Cincinnati in a tough situation on their second possession of the game. They ultimately went 3-and-out.
The Bengals were called for five total penalties, including a pass interference infraction on Tee Higgins that wiped out an explosive play near the goal line.
Key Turnover
The Bengals' defensive line did put some heat on Matt Stafford in the first half. They hit him three times, sacked him once and pressured him into inaccurate throws on multiple occasions.
They also intercepted Stafford with 3:38 left in the first half. Logan Wilson cut ahead of Van Jefferson for the interception. It was the only turnover committed by either team in the first half.
The Bengals went 3-and-out on the ensuing possession, which included the pass interference penalty on Higgins.
Evan McPherson
Money Mac missed a 56-yard field goal on the Bengals' first possession. He redeemed himself in the second quarter, making a 49-yard attempt that tied the game 3-3. He also made a 53-yard attempt as time expired to tie the game 6-6.
Dax Time
Bengals safety Dax Hill made a major impact in the first half. He had five tackles (two for loss), one sack and one quarterback hit.
He's a swiss army knife that can guard tight ends, play the deep safety spot and blitz off the edge. Hill has played well all season long and the first half of Monday's game was no different.
The Bengals Will Win If...
Cincinnati needs to find a way to push the ball downfield on offense to keep the Rams' defense honest.
Burrow is clearly less than 100%, but they need to find ways to produce a few explosive plays. If Burrow can't drive off of his right leg, then they'll need to scheme up a trick play to catch the Rams off guard.
Los Angeles will receive the opening kickoff in the second half.
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