The Cincinnati Bengals are back to .500 after a difficult start to the season. Their latest victory over the Dolphins on Thursday Night Football was a big one and now the fans can exhale a little bit when watching the other three teams in the division this weekend knowing they won't be left in the dust.
With the win in the books and the weekend on the horizon, let's check out a few of the stats from Thursday's game that made us smile.
Tee Higgins - 124 yards and 1 TD
While it's always good to see a Bengals receiver have a crazy good night, it's hard not to start thinking about Tee Higgins' future and if it'll be in Cincinnati or elsewhere. The guy has clearly proven that he's a WR1 with any other team and that's going to make it hard to keep him in the Queen City. We saw all of the wide receiver trades last offseason and that could happen here with Higgins and the Bengals.
Higgins finished this game with seven catches for 124 yards and a touchdown. His long for the night was a 59-yard bomb and he averaged 17.7 yards per catch. Tee Higgins will definitely be getting paid in the not-so-distant future, that's for sure.
1 sack allowed on Joe Burrow
After getting sacked 13 times in the first two games, the new-look offensive line has settled in and Joe Burrow has also stopped taking as many sacks. The former No. 1 overall pick has been sacked just three times in the past two games, including just once on Thursday night.
We all knew that with ample protection, Burrow could turn things around on this team. He wasn't helping his own case in those first two weeks, taking unnecessary sacks when he could have thrown the ball away but it's good to see both sides working together here.
The fewer sacks and hits allowed on Joey Franchise, the less chance there is for injury.
9 QB hits
The Bengals pass rush might have only gotten home once when it comes to sacks but the pressures were there. They hit the two Dolphins quarterbacks nine times in this game, with Sam Hubbard recording three hits and Trey Hendrickson and B.J. Hill recording two. Hendrickson probably have feasted more but the dude was getting held all night long.
Vonn Bell - 2 INT
During the first two weeks of the season, the Bengals weren't getting pressure on the quarterback and they weren't forcing takeaways. That changed this week with Vonn Bell getting not one, but TWO picks off of the Dolphins quarterbacks, including the final one that sealed the game.
Only 39 yards for Jaylen Waddle
Tyreek Hill had a big night but Jaylen Waddle only had two catches for 39 yards. Of course, things definitely changed when Tua Tagovailoa had to leave the game and Teddy Bridgewater had to come in but the Bengals secondary did a nice job in containing Waddle and not making him an option in the passing game.
Zero turnovers
The first game of the season saw Joe Burrow throw four picks but he's been rock-solid in protecting the football since then. He didn't throw an interception on Thursday and the rest of the offense held onto the ball as well. When teams win the turnover battle, it makes it a heck of a lot easier to win the ball game.
What stats from this game made you feel better about the team moving forward?