Strange Bengals silver linings from 2-game skid should ease fans' concerns

The Cincinnati Bengals have looked like a bit of a dumpster fire over the last two games if we're being honest. Uncharacteristic, backbreaking turnovers by Joe Burrow, unfathomable special teams gaffes, poor defense, and injuries galore.

All the momentum from that 2-0 start, which appeared to be way less of a mirage than last year's matching mark, has evaporated. Zac Taylor's seat feels like it's getting warmer.

Taylor spoke about wanting to focus on the silver linings after Week 4's loss to the Jaguars. I was not into that idea. Neither was Burrow. With some time to reflect, though, it's easier to see why there's no need to panic just yet in Cincinnati.

Steelers self-destruction was the worst-case scenario...and it's out of the way in Week 3

Think about it: How often does one team rough the punter and lose a muffed punt in the same game? Never mind when both those blunders directly lead to 10 points for the other team?

Folks want to blame Joe Burrow for coughing up the ball after that Derrick Harmon sack. I get it. Elite quarterback. Ball in his hands. On the edge of field goal range. You don't want to take a sack there. Get rid of the ball, right?

But what about Ke'Shawn Williams fumbling that punt away? What about Cedric Johnson roughing the punter? In a three-point loss, when you gift-wrap the other team 10 points, it's pretty easy to draw a straight line to what really cost you the game.

Beyond the special teams fiasco and the blown opportunity to go 3-0 and get that first AFC North dub, nickelback Jalen Davis and safeties Bryan Cook and Kyle Dugger came out of that game injured. Davis is on injured reserve; Cook and Dugger may miss their second straight contest in Miami this Sunday.

Murphy's law incarnate. That was Week 3 for the Cincinnati Bengals. Better for it to happen now as opposed to later, though, right? Surely it can't get worse.

Losing to the Jaguars is not something to be ashamed of, especially so shorthanded

...About that. Ja'Marr Chase suffered a concussion. Tee Higgins picked up an adductor injury thereafter. Burrow got obliterated in the pocket because the Bengals couldn't run the ball versus Jacksonville to save their lives and he had to drop back over 50 times.

Because Mitch Tinsley had just signed back with the team from the Texans practice squad, he and Burrow weren't quite on the same page when Joe Shiesty threw a red zone interception.

In real time, it seemed like a mix of recklessness and carelessness on Burrow's part. Upon further review, Tinsley probably should've kept running to where Burrow put the ball. He did not. Should we be shocked? The guy only pulled in eight of 24 targets last season.

But the Jags are no slouch. They're comfortably inside the top 10 of the NFL power rankings. Their front seven held Chase Brown to 10 yards on nine carries, and that was after losing All-Pro linebacker Devin Lloyd in free agency.

Then of course there's Liam Coen. He's one of the premier offensive play-callers in the sport. The Bengals held them to 22 points despite some major flaws.

Why the Bengals' schedule sets up perfectly to still claim AFC North supremacy

As long as the Bengals take care of business against the 0-4 Dolphins, who are a spunky bunch but are an inferior roster, they will hit their Week 6 bye at 3-2.

Getting extra rest to prepare for the Baltimore Ravens, with a new head coach in Jesse Minter, is a massive advantage. Even if a victory on the road isn't in the cards, a 3-3 record isn't the end of the world, and there's also the factor that Lamar Jackson has an injured ankle right now.

Do we really think the Steelers' aging defense will hold up for 17 games, much less Aaron Rodgers? I'm not so sure. Baltimore plays only one team with a losing record in the next seven games.

Oh, and then we have the Cleveland Browns. If they are indeed for real, the Bengals face them in Cleveland in Week 13, and then host them at Paycor Stadium for the regular-season finale, the last of a two-game divisional home stand with the Ravens coming to town in Week 17.

Everything the Bengals still want to achieve is in their grasp. The bye is well-timed for some of their key injured players to get healthy. I anticipate a three-game winning streak leading into the marquee matchup with the Falcons in Madrid. We'll see if it comes to pass.

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