The Cincinnati Bengals got back in the win column and are now 2-3 on the year after defeating the Arizona Cardinals by a score of 34-20. It wasn't a perfect win by any means but a win is a win and for this team, they'll take the wins in any way they can get them.
Let's take a look at some takeaways from this much-needed victory.
This is the best that Burrow has looked all season
The offense had barely been able to move the ball through the first four games of the season and a lot of that was likely because Joe Burrow was dealing with a calf injury and couldn't do a lot of things that typically make him great. This week, however, Burrow looked like the guy fans have been used to watching over the past few seasons.
He threw the ball down the field, escaped the pocket, and made the throws that needed to be made. As long as Burrow is playing like he did against the Cardinals, this team can get back into the thick of things, assuming our next takeaway changes.
Defense still has plenty of issues
While they weren't as bad as they were in Nashville last week, the defense had some moments vs. Arizona that made fans cringe. The missed tackles piled up, the explosive plays were still allowed, and the Cardinals rushing attack was still able to run roughshod over them despite James Conner leaving the game with an injury early on.
#Bengals poor tackle continues .. DE Joseph Ossai comes up empty at the edge and Emari Demercado takes it 11 yards for a #Cardinals TD.. missed PAT keeps lead at 24-20
— Richard Skinner (@Local12Skinny) October 8, 2023
Again, this was a much better performance than what we saw a week ago but if the Bengals want to make a deep run in the playoffs (or even get there), this defense has to play much better. They did turn the Cardinals over multiple times, including a late-game Trey Hendrickson hit on Josh Dobbs that gave the Bengals the ball back and essentially clinched the game.
Huge day for Chase
After a fairly slow start to the season (which was because of Burrow's slow start), Ja'Marr Chase had a massive day in Arizona, torching the Cardinals all day long. He finished with the most catches a receiver has ever had for the Bengals with 15 for nearly 200 yards and three trips into the end zone.
Who knows if this version of the Bengals offense is here to stay but for now, fans will take it. Next up is a home game against the Seattle Seahawks and then an early Week 7 bye. Getting to 3-3 at the bye is absolutely doable.