3 takeaways from the Cincinnati Bengals 17-10 loss at the Raiders
By Steve Rivera
A bad Bengals defense was good in Week 11. Against a Raiders team on the rise, the Cincinnati defense kept a flat offense close enough to strike. Unfortunately for fans, that offense could never get it going.
This could be a good sign for Bengals fans. It could also be an ill-timed good sign.
Inside of the Raiders offensive numbers, both quarterback Derek Carr and rookie sensation Josh Jacobs had a solid day. Carr threw for 292 yards, completing 25 passes on 29 attempts. He also had one touchdown and one interception. Jacobs rushed for 112 yards on 23 carries but had no touchdowns.
What was such a good sign for the Bengals defense was getting to Carr for three quarterback sacks. Cincinnati has been an easy mark for opposing offenses. However, Sunday in Oakland proved that some progress is being made. Next week against the Steelers may validate the effort.
If there is one thing that fans might find disappointing, is that in a game like Week 11 in Oakland, almost ANY kind of offensive production wins against the Raiders, especially with both Carr and Jacobs having had a good day. It will certainly provide those who continue to advocate for Dalton that if he’s playing on Sunday, they beat the Raiders. That may or may not be true. But if Finley gets anything going yesterday, odds are good Cincinnati has the best chance for a win.