What Bengals fans learned from the Kansas City Chiefs

In roughly two weeks, the Bengals will be playing games that really matter. In the meantime, there are questions surrounding this talented team.

With roughly two weeks until the start of the regular season, there are always things that can be worked on. The preseason is a time of wonderment and awe. Well, it’s actually a period of losing hair and screaming at players for looking lousy. But, we’ll settle with the former description for the sake of making it seem like something magical.

The Cincinnati Bengals didn’t pull a rabbit out of a hat on Saturday night. In fact, the trick was played on them. Kansas City surprised the Stripes with a sneak attack. What was that, you ask? Seems like the Chiefs came ready to play. True. It’s not a time to risk players getting hurt by tossing a full-fledged game plan into the mix. But, it does help to at least look like you’re ready to play and not going through the motions.

After being taken to the woodshed, the Bengals are in need of an overhaul. Once again, for those who have to see it in print, this is preseason. Yes, that’s been established. But, a sloppy four games during the weeding process can lead to the same thing when it counts. Notice I said it wasn’t written in stone. But. there were some things that really stood out for consideration.

Something’s Wrong With The D

 Okay. It’s just one game. Maybe the changing tides and pull of the moon before the solar eclipse had Bengals players loopy. Nah. It was just an outright spanking and the defense looked old and slow again. There were certainly more than a few bright spots to help keep the faith. Yet, there was a feeling of uneasiness watching the carnage. 

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There’s no reason for the Bengals to be repeating the mistakes of seasons past. Poor tackling has been the bane of this team for some time now. That troubling aspect of the preseason has made the run defense look like swiss cheese.

Speaking of the KC running game, Kareem Hunt looked like the reincarnation of Jamaal Charles. Either the Bengals defense didn’t respect him or he had no respect for the D. Either way, the results were all bad. If the Bengals are going to make a run for the AFC North crown, stopping the run is a priority. Shoddy tackling has been the M.O. of this team. When it shows up, the results are always shocking and downright embarrassing. Hopefully, Shawn Williams will be back in the lineup soon. Until then, he has time to think about the stiff arm that Hunt used to level him.

In all, the defense gave up 228 yards rushing. Not a good look. Especially, when it comes at 6.9 yards a pop. Yikes.

The Red Zone Is Your Friend

There still seems to be something amiss with the offense. When they get inside the 30-yard line and down into red zone country, there’s a sudden deep freeze. Whether it stems from play calling or execution, it needs to be repaired before the regular season. Last season, the excuse was placed on Tyler Eifert’s absence. Well, Andy Dalton’s target is back and the same results are cropping up.

Next: Bright Spots Within The Chaos

Maybe we’re putting too much emphasis on this red zone thing. If either Jake Elliott or Randy Bullock keep kicking 50-yard field goals, they’ll be fine. Yeah, right.

In Week 1, against the Buccaneers, Dalton tossed an end zone INT. In Week 2, the offense moved the ball but couldn’t punch it across the goal line. Sound familiar? In two weeks, there has to be a solid answer for what’s ailing the team.