Cincinnati Bengals' offense flops in a blowout loss to the Cleveland Browns

CLEVELAND –– The Bengals offense that was supposed to be unstoppable couldn’t get out of its own way in the season opener. 

The Bengals filled out a Bingo card full of unforced errors. There were drops, whiffed blocks and miscommunications between just about every position group. Quarterback Joe Burrow was called for a delay of game, and the Bengals had two plays wiped off due to illegal formation penalties. At one point in the first half, the Bengals punted on 4th and 3 from the Cleveland Browns’ 38-yard line because the Bengals didn’t have confidence in an offense that was projected to be formidable. 

The Browns pummeled the Bengals, 24-3, at Cleveland Browns Stadium in the season opener on Sunday. The Bengals' offense struggled because of pouring rain, rust, their receivers couldn't get open, head coach Zac Taylor didn't make the right in-game adjustments, they were overpowered on the line and Burrow didn’t play very well. For an offense as talented as the Bengals’, there shouldn’t be any reason why Burrow should finish a game with 82 passing yards, which was a career-low.

"Those things happen when your quarterback doesn’t perform in training camp," Burrow said. "That was obviously something I would have liked to have done. But there are no excuses."

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The Browns took a 13-point lead into the fourth quarter. When the Bengals got the ball back, Taylor decided the Bengals needed a touchdown to stay alive in the game. So the Bengals went for it on fourth-and 4 from their own 31-yard line, and Browns star defensive end Myles Garrett sacked Burrow to end the drive. A few plays later, the Browns had a 24-3 lead.

Taylor said that the Bengals' defense delivered a winning performance. The offense struggled so badly that they lost by 21 points.

"We got to help (Burrow) out more up front," Bengals center Ted Karras said. 

“No more mental mistakes next week,” wide receiver Tee Higgins said.

“They played exactly what we knew they were going to play,” wide receiver Tyler Boyd said. “Their great pass rush allowed them to stay in man coverage. We’ve got to be sound at all positions.”

Joe Burrow has career-worst day vs. Browns; Jake Browning ends game for Bengals

The Bengals played their worst game with Burrow at quarterback. A Bengals coaching staff that’s known for its ability to make good in-game adjustments never found anything that worked on Sunday. On one play, the Bengals took a penalty because Taylor took too long to make the play call. Burrow, the most accurate quarterback in NFL history, completed just 14 of his 31 passing attempts, and backup quarterback Jake Browning closed out the game.

Garrett and the Browns proved that they’re ready to contend for an AFC North title this season. The Bengals are playing in what many think is the best division in the NFL this season. They have the most complete roster of the four teams in the AFC North, but the Bengals fell behind in the division standings early in the season for the second straight year. 

Right away, the Bengals knew that they wouldn’t have much success with the drop back passing game against one of the best defensive lines in the NFL. Garrett ended the Bengals’ first drive by creating a sack, and the Bengals immediately shifted to a more conservative game plan. As the rain picked up, the offense got even more conservative.

Reactions: Joe Burrow passes for 82 yards in Cincinnati's 24-3 loss in Cleveland

Unlike the Browns, who have the best running back in the NFL in Nick Chubb, the Bengals aren’t a team that’s built to win with their run game.

"When it’s raining like that, it’s something you’ve got to handle," Burrow said. "We didn’t handle it today."

Bengals offense can't get going in the rain vs. Cleveland

The Bengals didn’t have any easy answers. A parade of screens, check downs, slants and swing passes didn’t work. The Bengals are at their best when Burrow is comfortable in the pocket and looking to push the ball down the field, and that wasn’t how he played on Sunday. He barely even threw the ball over the middle of the field.

The pouring rain in the first half likely played a role in Burrow’s bad day. Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson also struggled with his accuracy, but Watson’s ability as a runner got the Browns their first touchdown of the game. Burrow didn’t create those types of plays, so a series of passes that were too high or behind the receiver were even more costly.

The Browns took a 10-0 lead into halftime, which was fueled by runs from Chubb and Watson. 

Just when it looked like the offense was finding some momentum, the Bengals would make some sort of mistake. The Bengals were held to a field goal in their first drive of the third quarter because of two terrible reps in pass protection.  

The Bengals marched down the field on the next drive and made it to third-and-3 from the Browns’ 33-yard line. Burrow under threw a 30-yard pass to wide receiver Tee Higgins, who had a great one-on-one matchup against the Browns’ safety deep down the sideline. That duo didn’t look like it was on the same page all game. 

A Bengals team that doesn't have a dynamic run game kept trying to push the ball down the field in the rain. The Browns and the weather took away what the Bengals do best. When the Bengals did try to push the ball down the field, there were communication errors between Burrow and the receiver and across the offensive line.

Burrow missed nearly all of training camp due to a calf injury. The Bengals offense had several moments where it looked like a unit that hadn't practiced much together.

"We had a good plan coming in," Karras said. "We just didn't execute. Everyone taking a turn with different mistakes."

Bengals Week 2 game vs. Ravens becomes more important in AFC North

Because of the Bengals’ loss in the opener and the strength of the division, next week’s matchup against the Baltimore Ravens carries an uncommon amount of significance for a Week 2 game.

When the Bengals started the season with an 0-2 record last year, they reevaluated everything they were doing and made significant changes behind the scenes.

No team has ever won three straight AFC North titles, and the season opener was a reminder of how difficult the road ahead is for the Bengals. 

"It’s not up to our standard and not up to my standard," Burrow said. "We’ve got 16 more of them. We’ll keep trucking."

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