The Cincinnati Bengals are now 5-4 on the year after getting the doors blown off of them by the Cleveland Browns. It was an ugly loss and the first time the Bengals have been blown out this season.
Let’s take a look at three stats from this game that were inexcusable and resulted heavily in the Bengals losing 41-16.
Cincinnati Bengals Inexcusable Stats
3. Tyler Boyd only being targeted twice
When the Bengals spent the fifth overall pick on Ja’Marr Chase, it only made sense that one of either Tyler Boyd or Tee Higgins would fade into the background with the addition of the LSU product. Unfortunately for Boyd, he’s been the one fading.
Boyd had nine catches for 118 yards in the Week 4 win over Jacksonville, but since then, he’s had 150 yards receiving in total. This past week, he was targeted just two times, hauling in one catch for 11 yards.
Good things tend to happen when Joe Burrow looks Boyd’s way but the fact of the matter is that Joey Franchise just doesn’t do that anymore. We’re starting to see his connection with Higgins heat up, but the once-hot connection he had established with Boyd seems to be long gone. Targeting Boyd just twice in this game is inexcusable, especially with Chase being wrapped up for most of the game.
Boyd was targeted less than guys like Samaje Perine and Drew Sample. It’s not impossible to win games when that happens but Boyd is so good when the ball is in his hands and I wish Burrow would have thrown his way more on Sunday.