Instant analysis after Bengals smash Raiders, keep season alive
The Cincinnati Bengals needed a huge day to keep the season alive on Sunday with the Las Vegas Raiders in town.
Joe Burrow provided it.
Burrow put the Bengals on his back in the 41-24 win, throwing five touchdown passes to move the team to 4-5 in the messy AFC.
Before the spotlight fully shines on the NFL trade deadline in a few days, here are some quick thoughts and takeaways.
Quick Thoughts
No nice way to put it -- this is a bad, bad defense. The Raiders, the worst rushing team in the league, marched 70 yards down the field on the first drive to go up 7-0.
Incredible opening drive from Joe Burrow led to seven points. He navigated the pocket, third downs and a fourth down with ease. His MVP-level year continues.
Great showing from Chase Brown, who bested career-highs like yardage on a day the offense lost Zack Moss to an injury just days prior. He's the workhorse now and clearly ready.
Brutal injury setback for the rookie tight end Erick All, who only fell in the draft due to medical concerns.
The cornerback position is a mess, with everyone from Cam Taylor-Britt to DJ Turner giving up huge gains. Safety Jordan Battle, finally getting some more work, was erratic too.
Funny to see Burrow mad on the sidelines after his fifth touchdown pass. Mad about the poor execution on the pick-six, sure, but also mad about the team's overall record. The locker room notices stuff like that.
The last Raiders touchdown in the waning moments wasn't a big deal -- except that it showed how bad the pass rush is without Trey Hendrickson.
Key Stat
8-15: We could go with a lot of numbers here, but this conversion rate on third down makes it really hard for a team to lose. It is also additional proof of Burrow's massive day.
Game Balls
QB Joe Burrow: If the Bengals had a better record, he might be leading the MVP race. It's not just the numbers -- most of his five touchdown passes were off-script while he created from messy pockets.
DE Trey Hendrickson: A stunning four-sack day for the superstar edge. He had some help this time, finally, but still took over the game.
Top Takeaway
Time to buy: That report that the Bengals want to be buyers at this week's NFL trade deadline is so much more important now. They should be -- 4-5 is not a death sentence in this AFC. Burrow is playing too well to not get him some help. They need to do whatever it takes to upgrade his defense.
More Latest News!
Bengals WR Jermaine Burton's critical mistake led to inactive status, per report
Bengals fans irate with Jermaine Burton being inactive vs. Raiders
Bengals shock, make rookie Jermaine Burton inactive vs. Raiders in Week 9
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Instant analysis after Bengals smash Raiders, keep season alive
