4 stats from Bengals Week 1 loss that were inexcusable

206 rushing yards surrendered

While the Bengals' pass defense held up admirably, the same can’t be said of the run defense. Cincinnati gave up more than 100 yards to Nick Chubb, who averaged 5.9 yards per attempt. The team also allowed Deshaun Watson to scramble five times for 45 yards.

In all, Cleveland totaled 206 yards rushing on the afternoon.

Unfortunately, with the Baltimore Ravens visiting Paycor Stadium on Sunday, the task might not get easier for Cincinnati’s rush defense.

Regrettably for the Ravens, starting running back J.K. Dobbins tore his Achilles in their first game against the Houston Texans yet they still rushed for over 100 yards in the game. Gus Edwards averaged 4.0 yards per rush. Quarterback Lamar Jackson averaged 6.3 yards per rushing attempt.

Jackson is a better runner than Watson. This will be a concern because Watson averaged nine yards per rush against the Bengals’ defense. Jackson also has a history of terrorizing the Bengals with his legs.

Another element that defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo must be concerned with is running plays designed for wide receivers. Elijah Moore carried the ball twice for a total of 19 yards. Next week, the Bengals face the Ravens and explosive rookie receiver Zay Flowers. Baltimore gave him two carries against the Texans. Look for them to design more runs for him against Cincinnati.

There was a lot to be desired from the performance against their in-state rivals. These stats highlight some of the things that went wrong for the Bengals. Now that it is out of the way, let’s hope this was an anomaly and the team can learn from it and bounce back next week.