Despite a furious second half comeback, the Cincinnati Bengals ultimately fell short and were unable to pull out a much-needed win over the Chargers in Los Angeles on Sunday Night Football. It was a tale of two halves for the Bengals, as they mustered just six points over the first 30 minutes before exploding for 21 points in the second half. Their second half explosion ultimately wasn't enough, though, as they lost 34-27 and fell to 4-7 on the season.
It obviously isn't an ideal scenario, as Cincinnati's playoff odds took an enormous hit with the loss. But even though they didn't come out on top, the Bengals still benefitted from some great individual performances against the Chargers.
Highest-graded Bengals from Week 11 loss to Los Angeles
After missing three games due to a quad injury, star wide receiver Tee Higgins returned to action against the Chargers and turned in a monster performance. Higgins had nine receptions for 148 yards and a touchdown in the contest, and he was Cincinnati's highest-graded player from the performance as a result, per Pro Football Focus.
With 86 rushing yards and 57 receiving yards, running back Chase Brown was the team's second-highest graded player. With 22 carries and five catches, Brown had 27 total touchdowns in the contest. Cornerback DJ Turner II, quarterback Joe Burrow and cornerback Josh Newton rounded out the rest of the top five for Cincinnati.
The highest-graded Bengals in Week 11 vs the Chargers:
— PFF CIN Bengals (@PFF_Bengals) November 18, 2024
🥇 Tee Higgins - 90.8
🥈 Chase Brown - 79.4
🥉 DJ Turner II - 76.2
🏅 Joe Burrow - 75.9
🏅 Josh Newton - 71.9 pic.twitter.com/leS4E0Iueu
Turner had one tackle and three passes defended in the game, while Newton had four total tackles and two passes defended. Meanwhile, Burrow threw for 356 yards and three touchdowns. He became the first quarterback in NFL history to lose three games in the same season while throwing for 300 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in each game.
Unfortunately, the Bengals will have to sit on the loss to the Chargers for a while, as they have a bye in Week 12. Next time we see the Bengals out on the field will be in Week 13 at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers in a matchup that Cincinnati absolutely needs to win if it wants to keep any lingering playoff hopes alive.