The Cincinnati Bengals score their first win of the 2019 NFL season, by beating the New York Jets 22-6.
The Cincinnati Bengals broke into the win column in Week 13, as they beat the New York Jets 22-6. For the Bengals, it was the first win of the 2019 NFL season. For quarterback Andy Dalton, it was some late-season vindication.
Cincinnati needed this one. They needed something, anything, to get that 0-2019 off of their collective backs. Now, with a victory under their belt, the last four games of the season get very interesting.
Dalton was solid in his return. Nothing flashy, as that isn’t his style, but he did just enough to build a lead that the Jets would find insurmountable. For his part, the veteran was 22 of 37, for 242 yards, and one touchdown. For New York, second-year quarterback Sam Darnold struggled to find any footing. He finished his day 28 of 48 for 239 yards but failed to find the end zone.
This was a Sunday that broke just right for the Bengals. They didn’t need to be world-beaters on this day. They didn’t need a Herculean effort. They just needed to be good enough against a team that won’t be going to the playoffs or challenging for a division title. Darnold and the Jets managed to be the right team at the right time, and in Week 13, that was good enough.
Cincinnati will take their 1-11 record to Cleveland for a divisional game against the Browns next Sunday. Cleveland lost a close one 20-13 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The loss is all but a death blow to whatever playoff chances they still had.
A lot of questions still swirl around this team with four games left in 2019. While the win is a nice afternoon for fans, it doesn’t change what has been a dismal season in Cincinnati. What it does do is keep the question open regarding a quarterback in 2020, as fans on both sides find a reason for hope after a win, and the reason to lament the same.