3 disheartening stats from Bengals' Week 9 win vs. Bills

54 rush yards

Another area we continue to come back to in this column is the run game or lack thereof. While we usually question why the club is not rushing the ball more during the game, it was clear that the Bills got the better of the Bengals in that department.

There were some bright spots for Cincinnati, as Joe Mixon and Trayveon Williams had a long of 12 and seven yards, respectively. Also, it was a four-yard Mixon run to convert a third down that sealed the game for the men in stripes.

However, the lack of production and consistency from the rushing attack continues to be a concern. As the weather turns cold, the offensive coaching staff must help find a way to manufacture more output when running the ball.

On Sunday night, three players (Mixon, Williams, and Burrow) combined for 22 carries, 54 yards, one touchdown, and an average of 2.5 yards per attempt.

In the playoffs, against high-powered offenses, they will need to shorten the game and milk the clock in the fourth quarter. They did not need to rely on the ground game against Buffalo, but if they do in the not-so-distant future, hopefully, they can.

The most important stat to come from Sunday’s game is the win. The second most critical is the victory over a conference opponent, Cincinnati’s first of the season. Also, the head-to-head win against Buffalo could come into play later in the season.

However, even though we are heading into Week 10 of the NFL season, there are still areas where the Bengals have struggled and can improve. Whether it is coaching or execution, the rushing attack and QB hits continue to make the list of disappointing stats after a Bengals game.