The Cincinnati Bengals suffered a serious setback in the first half of Week 4's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars when Ja'Marr Chase left to be evaluated for a concussion
That was kind of how the whole afternoon felt: A bummer, an uphill battle, and ultimately, a 22-17 defeat for the home team at Paycor Stadium.
It was already going to be a challenge with Bryan Cook, Kyle Dugger, and Jalen Davis missing from the Bengals' secondary and multiple other concerning injuries. Chase's absence certainly didn't help the cause. We'll kick off Week 4's winners and losers discussing that depleted Cincinnati secondary.
Winner: Bengals safeties not named Jordan Battle
When I wrote earlier this week about Jordan Battle maybe being squeezed out of the starting lineup by PJ Jules or Russ Yeast at some point, it was kind of wishful thinking. Honestly, those two looked like they belonged on the field more than Battle on Sunday.
Not that Battle was totally abysmal (just mostly), but he made a tackle attempt on 3rd and 18 in the first quarter that made you wonder whether he illegally hammered the Over on Colton Strange's receiving yards prop.
Meanwhile, Jules and Yeast acquitted themselves quite well in split duty. Bryan Cook can't come back soon enough, and seriously, I'd consider benching Battle.
Loser: Zac Taylor's "disciplined team" narrative
Zac Taylor-coached teams are known for avoiding penalties. Until this year.
The Jaguars were very good at avoiding penalties coming into this game, yet they had 10 penalties for 100 yards through two quarters. They somehow still held a 13-3 advantage at the break, in part because the Bengals committed six penalties of their own for 49 yards, and wound up with 11 for 108 yards on the day.
More on the running game in a bit, but I just don't think Taylor made enough meaningful changes to this offense. The whole "under center initiative" is a nothing burger. And the Bengals' inability to execute that schematic tweak reflects poorly on Taylor and the coaching staff.
Winner: Dohnte Meyers
If Dohnte Meyers was the return man on every punt last week, the Bengals would have a 3-0 record. Meyers has clearly earned Burrow's trust on offense, too, and it showed as Dohnte piled up seven catches for 82 yards on nine targets.
As someone who called Meyers as the WR3 in June, it's quite vindicating to see him ball out so hard.
Loser: Dylan Fairchild
Two holding penalties for the second-year left guard, including one that nullified a touchdown run by Samaje Perine. Not great, Bob. Was this game a complete and utter ref show in the first half? Yes. Does that excuse Fairchild? Not really.
Winner: Tee Higgins
This was only the fourth 100-yard game from Tee Higgins since the start of the 2024 season. Hard to believe given how great of a player he is. It's sometimes easy to forget how great Higgins is when he's overshadowed by Ja'Marr to such a degree, but he's a legit WR1-caliber playmaker.
Higgins did get banged up in the last quarter with what looked to be a groin injury or some type deal. He did reenter the game, but he has a history of groin issues, and couldn't finish things out for the final drive.
And I thought the Bengals' Murphy's law game happened last week. Hope Higgins is OK after the bye.
Should we just let Joe Flacco start in Miami? Like honestly. Give Joe Burrow a break. He threw 54 passes in Week 4 and got the crap beaten out of him.
Loser: Joe Burrow
Look, man. I love me some Joe Shiesty. I know Ja'Marr was out. I know Tee left the field late. But Joe is putting the ball in harm's way too often this season. He just is. I don't know what he's looking at sometimes.
Burrow threw a careless red zone interception in the fourth quarter. That won't help the narrative about his alleged anti-clutch abilities. That's proven to be false, but still, perception is reality to some degree in the NFL. The pressure will only mount on Joe Brrr as the losses keep piling up.
It's a bummer, because Burrow played so well for so much of the game. His first interception came when he got hit as he threw. Tough break there. Still shouldn't have pulled the trigger.
But yeah. That red zone pick was as bad as it gets for an elite quarterback. A rather fortunate roughing the passer penalty wiped out a lollipop interception Burrow chucked up to Travis Hunter earlier on, too.
Loser: Chase Brown
I get that the offensive issues brought about by Ja'Marr Chase's absence are a big hindrance to Chase Brown. That said, at a certain point, you have to be elusive in the open field or with what little space you do get and shrug off contact. Or just make people miss.
Brown is surprisingly ineffective as a ball-carrier. Yes, he had 11 receptions for 71 yards. I'm unmoved. He came up a yard short on 4th and 10 with the game on the line. How fitting.
Burrow hyped Brown up all offseason. Dan Pitcher has said the Bengals are close to a big game on the ground. It ain't happening.
I put some of it on the lack of imagination in Zac Taylor's scheme. Nevertheless, the numbers didn't lie, as Brown had only 10 yards on nine carries.
Gonna be hard to play winning football with that anemic production. Brown came a live a little bit when Joe Flacco entered the lineup last season. The same offensive line is in place, albeit with a banged up Dalton Risner at right guard. I just don't get what the problem is.
Maybe the Bengals need more of a game-changer in the backfield. Maybe Brown isn't worth that second contract. Would love to be wrong, but sheesh. The futility is staggering. And it doesn't bode well for Burrow having to paly hero ball all the time.
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