The Cincinnati Bengals still aren’t ready to win a football game, lose 21-17 at Buffalo

The Cincinnati Bengals lose their third straight to open the 2019 NFL season 0-3, dropping a Week 3 game at Buffalo 21-17.

In a game that was a tale of two halves, the Cincinnati Bengals lost a third straight to open their 2019 campaign at 0-3. Things won’t get easier as they are back on the road in Week 4 against their AFC North rival, Pittsburgh Steelers.

First things first, the Bengals should have been out of this game long before it got interesting late in the fourth quarter. Offensively, Cincinnati was awful in the first half against the Buffalo Bills. Second year Bills quarterback Josh Allen was steady as he helped keep Cincinnati scoreless through 30 minutes of play. Allen would finish 23 of 36 for 243 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

As for Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, he struggled early, as the Buffalo defense had him under wraps. Cincinnati struggled to pick up so much as a first down through most of two quarters, but heading into halftime, the Bengals were only down two scores. For his part, Dalton would have another solid outing, finishing 20 of 36, for 249 yards and two interceptions.

One thing is increasingly apparent, and that is the Cincinnati defense will remain a significant hindrance to whatever the Bengals do on offense. For all of the big-score capabilities, timely defensive stops have not been a Cincinnati advantage. Additionally, while Joe Mixon and the run game was much better, the Bengals are beginning to look like a “one trick pony.” Meaning defending the Cincinnati offense looks to be an easy task.

Things don’t get better in Week 4. The Bengals have a Monday night game against AFC North rival Pittsburgh. Cincinnati, on the road for the third time in four weeks, will be looking for their first win in a season that seemed so promising after a close Week 1 loss against the Seattle Seahawks.