season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-news-tee-higgins-couldnt-believe-terrible-offensive-stats-week-1');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bengals’ Tee Higgins couldn’t believe the terrible offensive stats from Week 1');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Bengals-WR-Tee-Higgins.jpg?w=1024"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: © Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Bengals’ Tee Higgins couldn’t believe the terrible offensive stats from Week 1</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-12T12:20:19-07:00">September 12th, 12:20pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-12T12:20:19-07:00">September 12th, 12:20pm</time><address><a href="https://linktr.ee/jordan.llanes">Jordan Llanes</a>Jordan Llanes is a sports writer and reporter based in Florida. In addition to ClutchPoints, he writes for a few other publications covering the NFL, college sports and Tottenham Hotspur. When he's not writing, Jordan enjoys spending time with his fiancée, cats, family and friends, as well as catching the latest TV shows and movies, and traveling.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Bengals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Although the Cincinnati <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/worried-about-bengals-week-1-escape-you-have-every-right-to-be">Bengals defeated the Cleveland Browns</a> 17-16 in their season opener last Sunday, the performance was still a disappointing one. The Bengals’ offense is considered to be one of the NFL’s best. A 17-point showing against a division rival that finished last in the AFC North in 2024. According to Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, the offense was dumbstruck about their awful stats from Sunday’s win. Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor broke <a href="https://x.com/FOX19Jeremy/status/1966250757788938692" rel="noopener">the news to the unit,</a> according to team beat reporter Jeremy Rauch on X (formerly Twitter).</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"I didn't believe it when Zac told us." </p><p>Tee Higgins talked with us about the shock of seven yards and raising the standard. </p><p>Has it ever happened to him? "Nah. Nah." <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bengals?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bengals</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/FOX19?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FOX19</a> <a href="https://t.co/jehw5XDLvI">pic.twitter.com/jehw5XDLvI</a></p><p>— Jeremy Rauch (@FOX19Jeremy) <a href="https://twitter.com/FOX19Jeremy/status/1966250757788938692?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“‘I didn’t believe it when Zac told us,'” Higgins said to the press, including Rauch. “Tee Higgins talked with us about the shock of seven yards and raising the standard. Has it ever happened to him? ‘Nah. Nah.'”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-news-tee-higgins-bright-spot-cincy-worst-defense-nfl-history">Higgins only had three catches</a> for 33 yards, which led the team. Teammate Ja’Marr Chase, one of the NFL’s best receivers, was held to two catches for 26 yards. Running back Chase Brown? 21 carries for 43 yards, plus two catches for eight yards. However, quarterback Joe Burrow’s performance (14-of-23 for 113 yards and a touchdown) was particularly disappointing. If the Bengals hope to beat the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, the offense will need to find its bearings. Can Taylor’s scheme against Jacksonville unlock an offensive awakening?</p><h2><b>Can the Bengals’ offense get back on track on Sunday versus the Jaguars?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Bengals-HC-Zac-Taylor-and-QB-Joe-Burrow.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: © Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Jaguars were victorious in their season opener as well. The 26-10 win at home over the Carolina Panthers was an excellent way to begin the Liam Coen era. Sunday’s matchup appears to be another matchup between offensive gurus at head coach in Coen and Taylor. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-rumors-zac-taylors-challenge-joe-burrow-led-offense-to-help-much-maligned-defense">While Taylor has had success</a> with the Bengals over his tenure, the peak of his time in charge so far was the loss in Super LVI following the 2021 season.</p><p>It’s been four years since Taylor and his staff helped lead the Bengals to the big game. For the third time in their history, Cincinnati came up short. Now, Burrow, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-news-tee-higgins-honest-trade-request-new-contract">Higgins, and the rest</a> of the offense will look to get the Bengals back there, preferably this season. In a deep AFC field, can Taylor get an attack filled with some of the best players in the NFL back to their roots? If so, a 2-0 start could lead to even more at Paycor Stadium this year.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bengals’ Tee Higgins couldn’t believe the terrible offensive stats from Week 1

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/jaguars-bengals-bold-predictions-week-2-2025-nfl-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jaguars vs. Bengals bold predictions for Week 2 of 2025 NFL season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Jaguars-vs.jpg"></figure><h1>Jaguars vs. Bengals bold predictions for Week 2 of 2025 NFL season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-10T21:43:45-07:00">September 10th, 9:43pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-10T21:43:45-07:00">September 10th, 9:43pm</time><address><a href="http://hoopnut.blogspot.com/">Enzo Flojo</a>Enzo Flojo is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints and a columnist for Asian basketball at FIBA. He brings a dynamic spirit and background, having expertise that spans writing, analytics, coaching, and broadcasting. He is also currently an Assistant Coach on Scouting &amp; Analytics for the Philippine national youth basketball team.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Bengals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Jacksonville Jaguars are flying high after their Week 1 win, but things get tougher in Week 2 as they head to Paycor Stadium to face the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night. With Joe Burrow under center and a raucous home crowd behind them, the Bengals are slight favorites. That doesn’t mean the Jaguars are walking in quietly, though. This is the type of matchup where both teams have plenty at stake early in the season.</p><h2><b>Previewing Jaguars vs. Bengals</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Jaguars-QB-Trevor-Lawrence_f4815c.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Bengals host the Jaguars in Week 2, with oddsmakers giving the edge to the home team. Cincinnati apparently enters <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nfl/2025/09/08/nfl-week-2-odds-point-spreads-moneylines-over-unders-betting/83954017007/">as a 3.5 to 5.5-point favorite</a>. They hold a 60–68 percent win probability in several simulations. The Jaguars, meanwhile, face the challenge of reversing a poor track record on the road. That’s where they’ve gone just 1-11 in their last 12 contests, including struggles specifically against the Bengals on their home turf.</p><p>Still, Jacksonville carries <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/carolina-panthers/panthers-most-to-blame-for-week-1-blowout-loss-to-jaguars">momentum from a Week 1 victory</a> powered by Travis Etienne’s explosive rushing and a defense that capitalized on key opportunities. For the Jaguars to stay competitive, they’ll need balanced execution on offense. If Trevor Lawrence settles into rhythm and Etienne sustains his form, Jacksonville has a real chance to test a Bengals squad still finding its footing early in the season.</p><p><i><b>*Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV <a href="https://www.fubo.tv/stream/football/?irad=356362&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener sponsored">(click for a free trial)*</a></b></i></p><p>Here we will look at and discuss some bold predictions for the game between the Jaguars and the Bengals in Week 2 of the 2025 NFL season.</p><h2><b>Joe Burrow throws at least three touchdown passes</b></h2><p>The Jaguars’ secondary better watch out here. Joe Burrow is going to play like a man possessed <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-news-joe-burrow-one-point-win-browns-perspective">after a sluggish Week 1 outing</a>. Expect him to torch Jacksonville’s defensive backs with three to five touchdown passes in a statement win. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-news-why-jon-gruden-joe-burrow-winning-2025-mvp">Burrow was a popular preseason pick for MVP</a>, but after completing just 60.9 percent of passes for 113 yards and one touchdown in Week 1 against Cleveland, he knows he must raise his level.</p><p>Burrow thrives in bounce-back spots, of course. As such, this game sets him up perfectly. If Cincinnati’s offensive line gives him time, he’ll carve up a secondary that has been prone to lapses. Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase should feast on mismatches, and Burrow’s precision could overwhelm a defense that lacks elite coverage depth. If he catches fire early, this game could get out of hand quickly.</p><h2><b>Travis Hunter plays 8-10 defensive snaps</b></h2><p>One of the most intriguing wrinkles for Jacksonville is the two-way role of Travis Hunter. Head coach Liam Coen confirmed that Hunter will see more defensive snaps in Week 2. That adds an unpredictable layer to this contest. In Week 1, Hunter logged six defensive plays and recorded a tackle. He also caught six passes for 33 yards.</p><p>Against Cincinnati’s dynamic passing attack, every coverage body matters. If Hunter plays 8-10 snaps on defense, his length and athleticism could help slow Burrow’s deep-ball attempts. It’s rare to see a player handle meaningful roles on both sides of the ball in today’s NFL. That said, Hunter is special. If he makes even one key defensive play, it could swing momentum for Jacksonville.</p><h2><b>Travis Etienne tallies 100+ rushing yards</b></h2><p>Jacksonville’s Week 1 win against Carolina was all about Travis Etienne. The fourth-year back ripped off 143 rushing yards on 16 carries. That included a 71-yard burst that set up a touchdown. He also caught all three of his targets for 13 yards. He surely remains the centerpiece of this offense. Questions about sharing touches with Tank Bigsby or Bhayshul Tuten evaporated quickly. There is no question that is Etienne’s backfield.</p><p>Against Cincinnati, Etienne will once again be asked to shoulder the load. The Bengals’ defensive front is tough, but Etienne’s vision and explosiveness can break open any game. He should eclipse 100 rushing yards anew, keeping the Jaguars within striking distance deep into the fourth quarter.</p><h2><b>Trevor Lawrence posts a 90+ passer rating</b></h2><p>Trevor Lawrence’s Week 1 stat line was modest. He tallied 178 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. However, the Jaguars didn’t need him to carry the offense. That changes in Week 2. Against a Bengals team that will force Jacksonville to throw, Lawrence must be efficient and avoid costly mistakes.</p><p>New coach Liam Coen has a history of maximizing quarterbacks. We saw that with Baker Mayfield’s resurgence in Tampa Bay. Lawrence is poised to benefit from that same system. If he can complete 65 percent of his throws, spread the ball to Hunter, Brian Thomas Jr, and Brenton Strange, and avoid turnovers, he should clear a 90 passer rating. For Jacksonville, that’s the benchmark to stay alive against Cincinnati’s firepower.</p><h2><b>Bengals survive the Jags</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Browns-Myles-Garrett-tries-to-get-to-Bengals-Joe-Burrow.jpg"><figcaption>Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Cincinnati has a history of stumbling out of the gate. That said, this is the sort of game where they need to steady the ship before the season slips away. The Jaguars, meanwhile, remain inconsistent. They are obviously talented enough to beat weaker opponents. However, they often play in mediocre fashion against playoff-caliber teams.</p><p>Again, the Bengals eked out a close victory against the Browns in Week 1. This matchup feels eerily similar. Expect Jacksonville to stay competitive behind Etienne’s rushing and Lawrence’s efficient passing. Ultimately, though, Burrow’s late-game heroics will make the difference. Look for Cincinnati to win another close one, potentially decided by a final drive or a clutch defensive stand.</p><p>Final thoughts</p><p>The Bengals enter Week 2 as deserved favorites. However, the Jaguars have enough talent to make this a fight. If Burrow catches fire, it may not matter. Still, Jacksonville has a recipe with Etienne’s rushing and Lawrence’s steady hand to push the Bengals to the limit. Expect fireworks, bold plays, and maybe a few surprises under the Monday night lights.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jaguars vs. Bengals bold predictions for Week 2 of 2025 NFL season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/nfl-stories/nfl-week-1-losers-ravens-same-old-ravens-better-worse');   ga('set', 'title', 'NFL Week 1 losers: Ravens look like the same old Ravens, for better or worse');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/NFL-Week-1-Losers.jpg"></figure><h1>NFL Week 1 losers: Ravens look like the same old Ravens, for better or worse</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-09T16:18:14-07:00">September 9th, 4:18pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-09T16:18:14-07:00">September 9th, 4:18pm</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is a Senior Editor and NFL Lead at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Baltimore Ravens</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The NFL is back! Week 1 delivered in the best way, with great games coming down to the wire in all four primetime windows and throughout the Sunday slate.</p><p>Some teams with high expectations soared through their openers. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/green-bay-packers/packers-news-reasons-micah-parsons-dc-ready-to-run-through-wall">Green Bay Packers looked like the Super Bowl contenders</a> everyone was hoping for in a destruction of the Detroit Lions after the Micah Parsons trade. The Bills and the Ravens played one of the best regular season games you’ll ever see on Sunday night, with Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson ascending to another planet while going blow-for-blow with each other.</p><p>On the flip side, not everyone left Sunday with a smile. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/miami-dolphins/dolphins-news-rex-ryan-no-respect-take-mike-mcdaniel">Miami Dolphins embarrassed themselves</a> in a disastrous loss to the Colts, while the Texans still couldn’t protect C.J. Stroud in a loss to the Rams. The Broncos escaped with a win over the Titans despite a poor day from Bo Nix and the offense.</p><p>Were those dreadful showings enough to make the losers list? Here is the worst of the worst from Week 1.</p><h2><b>The Ravens are the NFL’s best team… until they have to be</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Baltimore-Ravens-head-coach-John-Harbaugh.jpg"><figcaption>Mark Konezny-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>For 55 minutes on Sunday night, watching the Baltimore Ravens was football heaven. Lamar Jackson was a walking explosive play through the air while producing a scramble that somehow took him from 25 yards in the backfield to a third-and-10 conversion, all while making Chris Collinsworth mutter some inaudible noises into his headset. Derrick Henry was still very big and very fast, outrunning a helpless Bills defense that had no answers for it.</p><p>Then, with five minutes to go in the game, the Ravens remembered that they are in fact the best team in the NFL, not at football, but at losing games that make you stare at your TV for a half-hour afterwards and wonder: <i>How did they just lose that game? </i></p><p>Something out of the Ravens’ control kickstarted the collapse when Keon Coleman was right there to reel in a bizarre tipped fourth-down pass for a touchdown to cut the lead to eight. Then Baltimore fell into the same sort of implosion that has plagued it more than any other team over the last few seasons.</p><p>Derrick Henry, normally an invincible iron man, fumbled at the worst possible time to set up another Buffalo touchdown, cutting the lead to just two. Then, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/baltimore-ravens/ravens-news-john-harbaugh-doubles-down-4th-down-punt-decision-bills">John Harbaugh decided to punt the ball</a> on fourth-and-3 instead of giving Jackson another crack at closing the game out.</p><p><i>They just lost the game </i>was the only thought rolling through my head the second the punter stepped on the field for Baltimore, and Josh Allen proceeded to march the Bills right into chipshot field goal range to seal the improbable victory. This loss may not matter, or it may be the reason the Ravens are back in Buffalo in January instead of in front of their home fans.</p><h2><b>Mike McDaniel’s seat is heating up</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Mike-McDaniel-on-Sept.-7-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The vibes were seemingly bad in Miami this offseason, as Mike McDaniel’s once-innovative offense had grown stale and Tua Tagovailoa came off yet another injury-riddled season. Could Miami recapture the explosiveness that made it must-watch TV in 2023? Would the defense hold up? Can the Dolphins protect their franchise quarterback?</p><p>On Sunday, the vibes took a nosedive to levels that haven’t been seen before in the Sunshine State. McDaniel, Tagovailoa and company were completely helpless in a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/miami-dolphins/dolphins-most-blame-embarrassing-week-1-loss-colts">33-8 rout at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts</a>, surely the most dreadful overall team performance of the weekend.</p><p>Daniel Jones made his first start as a Colt and absolutely cut up the Miami defense all day long. On the other side, Tagovailoa turned the ball over three times, took three sacks on just seven pressures, and it took less than two quarters for our first Tyreek Hill sideline crashout of the season (it won’t be the last!).</p><p>It may not be possible for a coach’s seat to be hot after just one game, but McDaniel’s chair is at least pre-heating with the Patriots on deck in Week 2.</p><h2><b>The Texans still can’t protect C.J. Stroud</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Stroud-lollygag.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Texans were a major disappointment on offense in Year 2 with C.J. Stroud at quarterback, and the offensive line was the root cause of all of their problems. Houston couldn’t run the ball and couldn’t give its young star quarterback any time to throw, causing him to plateau a bit after an incredible rookie season.</p><p>Houston did fire offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik at the end of the season, but they failed to upgrade the personnel up front. In fact, the Texans decided to address being a laughing stock in pass protection by… trading star left tackle Laremy Tunsil to the Commanders?</p><p>On Sunday, Stroud was introduced to a very good Rams defense line, and they got after him all day long. The third-year star was pressured on 14 of his 34 drop backs according to Next Gen Stats, a pressure rate north of 40%. He took just three sacks, but the pressure was constant as Houston tried to get back in the game in the second half.</p><p>That is not tenable even for one of the best pocket managers in football in Stroud with a great receiver in Nico Collins on the outside, and it is a big reason why Houston didn’t find the end zone once in Week 1.</p><h2><b>It’s a bad time to be a CB2 in the NFL</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/full_5dbc16.jpg"><figcaption>Steven Bisig-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Passing games are seemingly better than ever in the NFL, but there are still a select group of star cornerbacks that can shut down even the game’s best wide receivers. Those players were on full display in Week 1 and made a number of great plays. Jaycee Horn came down with a one-handed interception, Sauce Gardner had a great day for the Jets, and Jalen Ramsey settled his beef with Garrett Wilson with one of the biggest hits of the weekend to seal the Steelers’ win.</p><p>However, the players opposite those top corners had a brutal weekend. Teams picked on the rotating cast of weaker starting corners relentlessly throughout Week 1, and it popped off the screen in almost every game.</p><p>It started on Thursday night, when new additions Adoree’ Jackson (who gave up a league-high 103 yards in coverage) and Kaiir Elam took turns getting brutalized through the air during Eagles-Cowboys. On Sunday morning, Aaron Rodgers put the microscope on Brandon Stephens for two of his four touchdowns in his Pittsburgh debut.</p><p>Elsewhere around the league, Tariq Woolen almost single-handedly lost a divisional game for the Seahawks by giving up two of the more inexplicable catches of the weekend, and Josh Allen created one of the craziest comebacks in NFL history by almost exclusively targeting Chidobe Awuzie and Jaire Alexander. Beware, CB2s, the quarterbacks are coming for you in 2025.</p><h2><b>The Week 1 Bengals are back</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/780746488-joe-burrow-zac-taylor.jpg"><figcaption>Jeff Lange-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>In 2024, the Bengals started their season off with the biggest surprise of Week 1, losing a sloppy game to the dreadful New England Patriots. At the time, everyone thought all would be fine in Cincinnati and that Joe Burrow and company would figure everything out.</p><p>Well, Joe Burrow did figure it out. The rest of the Bengals, however, did not, and Cincinnati missed the playoffs with the worst defense in the NFL. Surely getting off on the right foot was a top priority for the Bengals against a Cleveland Browns team that was in the news this offseason for just about everything except for being a good football team.</p><p>Well, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/worried-about-bengals-week-1-escape-you-have-every-right-to-be">Bengals technically got in the win column</a> with a 17-16 victory, but they limped out of Cleveland arguably feeling worse about themselves than they did when they got off the bus. After playing a solid first half that included two nice touchdown drives, the Bengals finished with seven total yards in the second half. Seven!!!</p><p>The Bengals owe a lot of thanks after still coming out of Cleveland with a win. First, thanks to the Tennessee Titans and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/tennessee-titans/titans-news-brian-callahan-admits-blowing-challenge-decision-rules-mishap">Brian Callahan struggling with the rules of football</a>, seven yards wasn’t even the lowest second-half total of the week. Secondly, Cincinnati should thank the Browns for doing a lot of Browns-ing to somehow come out with a loss despite their defense dominating Burrow and company after halftime.</p><p>Cleveland missed an extra point, a short field goal and threw a pair of tipped-ball interceptions that helped the Bengals get over the top. However, Zac Taylor and his staff have plenty to fix before Week 2.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NFL Week 1 losers: Ravens look like the same old Ravens, for better or worse

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-beat-out-eagles-bears-for-ex-saints-2nd-round-pick');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bengals beat out Eagles, Bears for ex-Saints 2nd-round pick');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Former-Saints-DE-Isaiah-Foskey-during-training-camp.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Bengals beat out Eagles, Bears for ex-Saints 2nd-round pick</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-09T08:11:30-07:00">September 9th, 8:11am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-09T08:11:30-07:00">September 9th, 8:11am</time><address><a>Gerard Angelo Samillano</a>Gerard Angelo Samillano is an Associate Editor for ClutchPoints, with his focus primarily on the NBA, NFL, MLB and NCAA Football. When he's not writing for CP, Gerard can often be seen playing VALORANT or playing pick-up basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Bengals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>You can never have too many defenders, especially in the trenches. Playing on the line is the most physically taxing job in football, so teams often rotate their linemen to keep them healthy. The Cincinnati Bengals are trying to add some depth to their defensive line by taking a flier on a former second-round pick.</p><p>Matt Zenitz reports that the Bengals are <a href="https://x.com/mzenitz/status/1965414582777979211" rel="noopener">signing former 2023 second-round pick</a> Isaiah Foskey to their practice squad. A former player on the New Orleans Saints, Foskey reunites with Cincinnati defensive coordinator Al Golden, who was the DC for Notre Dame when Foskey played there. Additionally, Jordan Schultz <a href="https://x.com/Schultz_Report/status/1965415392828166326" rel="noopener">reports</a> that the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/chicago-bears/bears-news-chicago-work-out-ex-saints-2nd-round-rusher">Chicago Bears and the Philadelphia Eagles had interest in Foskey</a>, but the connection with Golden was too strong to pass up.</p><p>Foskey was the 41st pick in the 2023 NFL draft, going to the Saints. His <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-football/notre-dame-football-news-isaiah-foskey-fighting-irishs-all-time-sack-leader-makes-nfl-draft-decision">11 sacks in Notre Dame (under Golden) was a big selling point as to why he was drafted by New Orleans</a>. Unfortunately, the pass rusher struggled to make an impact in New Orleans. After struggling during this year’s preseason activities, Foskey was cut from the Saints.</p><p>The Bengals already have a lot of talent on their main roster, especially on the defensive ends. First-round pick Shemar Stewart played well in his first NFL game, and he’s lining up opposite 2024 sacks leader Trey Hendrickson. Behind them are veteran edge rusher Joseph Ossai and 2024 first-round pick Myles Murphy. Still, it can’t be bad to take a flier on a former Day 2 pick, especially if your coordinator has worked with him in the past and saw success.</p><p>The Bengals finally broke their Week 1 curse this year, barely edging out the Cleveland Browns 17-16 to go up 1-0. Next up on their schedule is a date against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who looked strong in their destruction of the Carolina Panthers.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bengals beat out Eagles, Bears for ex-Saints 2nd-round pick

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-most-blame-close-week-1-loss-bengals');   ga('set', 'title', 'Browns most to blame for close Week 1 loss to Bengals');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Browns-most-to-blame-for-close-Week-1-loss-to-Bengals.jpg"></figure><h1>Browns most to blame for close Week 1 loss to Bengals</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-09T06:18:38-07:00">September 9th, 6:18am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-09T06:18:38-07:00">September 9th, 6:18am</time><address><a href="http://hoopnut.blogspot.com/">Enzo Flojo</a>Enzo Flojo is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints and a columnist for Asian basketball at FIBA. He brings a dynamic spirit and background, having expertise that spans writing, analytics, coaching, and broadcasting. He is also currently an Assistant Coach on Scouting &amp; Analytics for the Philippine national youth basketball team.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Bengals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Browns walked into Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season with optimism, only to leave Paycor Stadium haunted by missed chances and wasted dominance. Against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Browns did nearly everything right, except finish the job. For the Browns, a <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/boxscore/_/gameId/401772829">17-16 loss</a> that slipped away despite statistical superiority raises uncomfortable questions about who truly deserves the blame.</p><h2><b>How the Browns let it slip away</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Sep-7-2025-Cleveland-Ohio-USA-Cleveland-Browns-quarterback-Joe-Flacco-15-throws-during-the-first-half-against-the-Cincinnati-Bengals-at-Huntington-Bank-Field.jpg"></figure><p>Cleveland dropped their 2025 season opener to the Bengals in heartbreaking fashion. The Browns dominated statistically, outgaining Cincinnati 327-141 in total yards and holding the ball for nearly 36 minutes. That said, several errors proved costly. Rookie kicker Andre Szmyt <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-news-joe-burrow-one-point-win-browns-perspective">missed an extra point</a> after a touchdown and later hooked a 36-yard field goal attempt that would have given the Browns the lead. Those lost points loomed large in a game decided by the slimmest of margins.</p><p>Quarterback Joe Flacco threw for 290 yards and a touchdown. However, his two <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-joe-flacco-gets-brutally-honest-backbreaking-drops-to-ints">interceptions helped swing momentum</a>. Cincinnati’s defense stepped up when it mattered most, too. DJ Turner and Jordan Battle made game-changing picks in the second half. Despite the Bengals’ offensive struggles, Cleveland failed to capitalize in the closing moments. They started their final drive pinned at their own one-yard line. Head coach Kevin Stefanski admitted afterward that the missed kicks made the difference. This underscored how squandered opportunities and turnovers turned a dominant statistical performance into a bitter Week 1 loss.</p><p>Here we’ll try to look at and discuss the Cleveland Browns personnel most to blame for close Week 1 loss to Bengals.</p><h2><b>Kicker Andre Szmyt shoulders the heaviest blame</b></h2><p>The most obvious culprit in this loss is Szmyt. The rookie kicker cost Cleveland four points in a game they lost by one. Missing an extra point can rattle a team. However, missing a 36-yard field goal with the game hanging in the balance is the kind of mistake that keeps coaches awake at night.</p><p>To be fair, this was Szmyt’s NFL debut. Rookie nerves often strike even the most talented specialists. Still, the NFL is a results business. Missed kicks in close games are magnified. If this continues, the Browns may be forced to look elsewhere for stability on special teams. For now, Szmyt owns a spotlight he never wanted.</p><h2><b>Jerome Ford fades from the backfield picture</b></h2><p>If there was ever a chance for Jerome Ford to prove he could be a dependable option, this was it. With Quinshon Judkins sidelined, Ford had the opportunity to seize <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-why-quinshon-judkins-hasnt-signed-rookie-contract">control of the running back rotation</a>. Instead, he delivered just eight total yards on six uninspired carries. He failed to break first contact, showed no burst, and looked hesitant hitting the line of scrimmage.</p><p>Meanwhile, rookie Dylan Sampson seized his moment. Out-snapping Ford, 14 to 7, Sampson flashed versatility in the receiving game and gave Stefanski’s offense a spark. Ford may now be relegated to a backseat once Judkins returns. This was more than just a poor performance. It was a squandered audition.</p><h2><b>Offensive line cracks under pressure</b></h2><p>The Browns’ offensive line has long been the backbone of Stefanski’s zone-blocking scheme. However, cracks appeared at the worst times. Dawand Jones, getting his first start at left tackle, endured a nightmare afternoon. He was penalized four times (two accepted) and allowed seven pressures. As such, he drew a dismal 29.9 grade from Pro Football Focus. That kind of performance not only stalled drives but put an immobile veteran like Flacco at significant risk.</p><p>Joel Bitonio, Ethan Pocic, and Wyatt Teller offered steadier protection in the passing game. That said, their run-blocking was pedestrian at best. The once-elite interior trio failed to open consistent rushing lanes. That left their backfield stuck in neutral. If Cleveland can’t rediscover its dominance in the trenches, the offense will continue to lean too heavily on Flacco’s arm. That’s a dangerous gamble at this stage of his career.</p><h2><b>Receivers’ drops prove costly</b></h2><p>Quarterbacks are often judged by turnovers, but context matters. Flacco’s two interceptions were products of his receivers failing him in key spots. Jerry Jeudy let one ball slip through his hands. That resulted in an interception by Battle. Cedric Tillman followed suit in the fourth quarter, deflecting a catchable pass straight into Turner’s arms.</p><p>These weren’t fluky mishaps. They were avoidable errors that altered the game’s trajectory. Drops kill drives, but when they morph into turnovers, they’re devastating. Jeudy, in particular, needs to clean up his consistency if he wants to justify his role as a featured target.</p><h2><b>Joe Flacco deserved better support</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Cleveland-Browns-quarterback-Joe-Flacco.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Lost in the finger-pointing is the fact that Flacco played a strong game under difficult circumstances. He completed nearly 69 percent of his passes and added a touchdown. His command of Stefanski’s offense was evident. For stretches, he looked like the steadying veteran Cleveland needed.</p><p>The interceptions will blemish his stat line, but both were the fault of his receivers. Flacco gave the Browns a chance to win; others around him squandered it. The veteran delivered enough to keep hope alive, though he needs more help if that hope is to translate into wins.</p><h2><b>Accountability must come fast</b></h2><p>Week 1 losses don’t define a season, but they do expose fault lines. For Cleveland, this game laid bare issues on special teams, in the backfield, along the offensive line, and at wide receiver. The Browns obviously can’t afford to waste dominant statistical performances with self-inflicted wounds. They were objectively the better team between the lines, but not on the scoreboard. Until that changes, their ceiling will remain frustratingly low.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Browns most to blame for close Week 1 loss to Bengals

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-news-lucas-patrick-unfortunate-injury-update-zac-taylor');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bengals’ Lucas Patrick gets unfortunate injury update from Zac Taylor');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Lucas-Patric.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Bengals’ Lucas Patrick gets unfortunate injury update from Zac Taylor</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-08T17:42:19-07:00">September 8th, 5:42pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-08T18:38:01-07:00">September 8th, 6:38pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Bengals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cincinnati Bengals narrowly <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-news-joe-burrow-one-point-win-browns-perspective">edged out the Cleveland Browns</a> for a 17-16 Week 1 win. After finishing 2024 with the top-ranked offense in the NFL, Cincinnati struggled in the season opener Sunday. And an injury to one of Joe Burrow’s protectors up front could hamper an offensive rebound.</p><p>Bengals head coach Zac Taylor expects starting right guard Lucas Patrick to <a href="https://x.com/pauldehnerjr/status/1965128294376018061" rel="noopener">be sidelined</a> “a couple weeks,” according to The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. Patrick injured his calf and was forced to leave Sunday’s game in the second quarter.</p><p>The Bengals signed Patrick to a one-year deal over the offseason. The ninth-year veteran played for the New Orleans Saints in 2024. He started 10 games for New Orleans before suffering a season-ending knee injury.</p><h2><b>Bengals guard Lucas Patrick sidelined by calf injury</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Lucas-Patric-2.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>On Sunday, Dalton Risner took over for Patrick at right guard, finishing the game against Cleveland. Cincinnati signed Risner after losing guard Cordell Volson to a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-news-cincinnati-loses-key-joe-burrow-protector-season-ending-injury">season-ending shoulder injury</a>.</p><p>The Bengals will now decide who takes over right guard while Patrick remains out. The offensive line is still anchored by left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. and center Ted Karras, who <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-news-key-joe-burrow-protector-extension">signed a one-year extension</a> with Cincinnati prior to the season.</p><p>The Bengals’ offense stalled against the Browns. The team generated just 141 total yards on Sunday, creating concern for fans. However, Cincinnati did come away with the Week 1 win, something that had eluded the team for years. The Bengals last won the season opener in 2021. Sunday’s victory was just the second Week 1 win for the team since Taylor took over in 2019.</p><p>Cincinnati missed the playoffs in each of the last two seasons. The Bengals have a habit of starting slow and, despite an MVP-caliber campaign from Burrow last year, the team couldn’t recover.</p><p>However, Cincinnati brought back its offensive core and a key defender for 2025. The team extended Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins while working out a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl-editorials/bengals-trey-hendrickson-grades-restructured-1-year-30-million-contract">one-year deal with Trey Hendrickson</a>.</p><p>Although the offense struggled against the Browns, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-news-much-maligned-defense-won-week-1-vs-browns">Bengals’ much-maligned defense</a> played well. Cincinnati hosts the Jacksonville Jaguars for the home opener in Week 2.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bengals’ Lucas Patrick gets unfortunate injury update from Zac Taylor

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/worried-about-bengals-week-1-escape-you-have-every-right-to-be');   ga('set', 'title', 'Worried about Bengals’ Week 1 escape? You have every right to be');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/780746488-joe-burrow-zac-taylor.jpg"><figcaption>Jeff Lange-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>Worried about Bengals’ Week 1 escape? You have every right to be</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-08T13:27:57-07:00">September 8th, 1:27pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-08T13:27:57-07:00">September 8th, 1:27pm</time><address><a>Bailey Bassett</a>Bailey Bassett is a sports writer from Denver, Colorado, covering major sports events and athlete backgrounds at ClutchPoints. He has experience covering and writing on high school, collegiate, and professional sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Bengals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-news-joe-burrow-one-point-win-browns-perspective">Cincinnati Bengals narrowly pulled out a victory</a> against the Cleveland Browns in Week 1. They ended the game with a score of just 17-16, and the Browns had numerous opportunities to walk away victorious. Grinding out wins is important in the NFL, but certainly, this was a slow start for the Bengals because projections shows the Browns as one of the worst teams in the NFL. The Bengals are no strangers to starting the season off slow, and it has cost them in the past.</p><p>The Bengals have missed the playoffs in each of the past two seasons largely in part because they started out those campaigns 0-3 and 1-3, respectively. The team even started 0-2 back in 2022 before making a run to the Divisional Round.</p><p>Clearly, the team’s insistence on digging themselves into a hole before trying to climb out is not ideal, and there is reason to be worried that losses could be just around the corner after their underwhelming Week 1 performance. The Bengals have the talent to get back into the Super Bowl, but their early-season struggles are not helping their case.</p><h2><b>Bengals have started out slow yet again</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/780746500-trey-hendrickson.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Greene-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>At the end of the day, a win is a win, but the Bengals’ one-point victory over the Browns did no favors when it comes to proving that they can come out of the gate fast. The team has been called out for a lack of offseason/training camp preparation before, and Joe Burrow oftentimes doesn’t quite look like the MVP-caliber player that he is early on during the regular seasons.</p><p>The Bengals have even had numerous contract holdouts that they didn’t resolve until just before the start of the regular season, and these have led to players not being at game speed right away.</p><p>Last year, it was Ja’Marr Chase. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-news-cincinnati-trey-hendrickson-agree-to-30-million-contract-restructure">This year it was Trey Hendrickson</a> and Shemar Stewart. Hendrickson and the Bengals were engaged in a long stalemate when it came to a contract extension. And it seemed like the team’s best defender and the 2024 NFL sacks leader was on the trade block.</p><p>They didn’t reach an agreement until Aug. 25, and Hendrickson had been either holding out or holding in until then. Stewart was the team’s first-round pick, and he had contract drama leading up to the season as well. The Texas A&amp;M product was the last first-rounder to sign a rookie deal, and there were even rumors that he’d try and <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/45764247/coach-says-bengals-pick-shemar-stewart-not-returning-texas-am" rel="noopener">return to college.</a></p><p>Hendrickson recorded a sack in his first game back, and Stewart had moments of brilliance in his regular-season debut, but there isn’t much talent elsewhere on the defense. The team’s overall defensive shortcomings won’t make wins easy to come by over the coming month. The Bengals play an improving Jacksonville Jaguars next week, and Super Bowl-contending teams such as the Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, and Green Bay Packers are on the schedule after that.</p><p>The offense struggled in Week 1, too. Burrow only had 113 passing yards. Chase only caught two passes for 26 yards, and Chase Brown had just 43 yards despite carrying the ball 21 carries. Cincinnati’s track record shows nothing to make fans believe that they should be better in the coming weeks, and slow starts have resulted in playoff absences before for the team. There is reason to be concerned when it comes to the Bengals despite the fact that they did end up victorious in Week 1.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Worried about Bengals’ Week 1 escape? You have every right to be

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-news-joe-burrow-one-point-win-browns-perspective');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bengals QB Joe Burrow keeps one-point win over Browns in perspective');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Bengals-news-Joe-Burrow-keeps-one-point-win-over-Browns-in-perspective.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Bengals QB Joe Burrow keeps one-point win over Browns in perspective</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-07T18:33:42-07:00">September 7th, 6:33pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-07T18:33:42-07:00">September 7th, 6:33pm</time><address><a>Allan Binoy</a>Allan Binoy is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NCAA Football, and NBA for ClutchPoints. With a deep passion for storytelling and analysis, he brings fans closer to the action by breaking down the biggest moments and storylines across the world of sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Bengals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals took a big step forward with a gritty 17-16 win <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-wnba-ugly-sex-toy-trend-cleveland-bengals-game">over the Cleveland Browns in Week 1</a>, a victory that felt like breaking a long, frustrating cycle.</p><p>Burrow was clear about <a href="https://x.com/FOX19Jeremy/status/1964788850754273383" rel="noopener">what this meant for the team</a> after the game. “We didn’t win any of these games last year. Usually, when you win a game like this, that’s a recipe for success, and it means you’re gonna be a good team if you can find a lot of different ways to win, and we did today,” Burrow said, per Jeremy Rauch of FOX19.</p><p>His stats weren’t eye-popping, 113 yards passing and a touchdown, but the old line about ugly wins counting just as much rang true here. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-news-much-maligned-defense-won-week-1-vs-browns">Bengals leaned heavily on their defense</a> to get the job done. Cleveland’s offense was held mostly in check thanks to the defensive pressure and key turnovers forced.</p><p>DJ Turner and Jordan Battle came up big with interceptions off tipped passes, tipping the momentum firmly in Cincinnati’s favor. Defensive coordinator Al Golden’s unit showed the toughness Cincinnati fans have been craving, especially on crucial fourth-quarter stops. They even held the Browns to just two yards per carry, stifling their ground game when it mattered most.</p><p>Cincinnati also caught a lucky break from Browns rookie kicker Andre Szmyt, who missed a late field goal and an extra point. Those misses kept the Bengals in the lead and sealed the victory. That kind of fortune <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-news-cincy-keen-not-make-myles-garrett-mistake-week-1">has been rare for Cincinnati in close games</a> over the past years, where late losses became common. This time, the breaks swung their way, giving the Bengals a fresh start to the season.</p><p>On offense, Burrow’s top receivers, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, didn’t light up the stat sheet. The Browns’ <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-rumors-zac-taylors-challenge-joe-burrow-led-offense-to-help-much-maligned-defense">defense made it tough for them</a> to gain big yards, but the Bengals’ ground game, powered by Chase Brown, helped keep drives alive. All told, it wasn’t a perfect game by any means, but Cincinnati showed enough resolve to finish strong.</p><p>They leave Week 1 with a hard-fought win on the road, a division victory, and a feeling that this team can grow and improve week by week. After years of tough season openers, this victory feels like a true step forward for the Bengals and their fans.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bengals QB Joe Burrow keeps one-point win over Browns in perspective

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-news-much-maligned-defense-won-week-1-vs-browns');   ga('set', 'title', 'How much-maligned Bengals defense won Week 1 vs. Browns');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Bengals-DC-Al-Golden.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>How much-maligned Bengals defense won Week 1 vs. Browns</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-07T15:12:29-07:00">September 7th, 3:12pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-07T15:12:29-07:00">September 7th, 3:12pm</time><address><a>Jaren Kawada</a>Jaren Kawada is a former full-time sports bettor and is now a NFL, College Football and Betting Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. Kawada was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, but now resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, after graduating from Butler University with a B.A. in sports media. Aside from football, Kawada is an avid combat sports and basketball bettor.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Bengals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After years of being known for having one of the worst defenses in the league, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-news-lou-anarumo-4-coaches-fired-zac-taylor-staff">Cincinnati Bengals fired defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo</a> and replaced him with Al Golden in the offseason. The move immediately paid off in the Bengals’ Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns.</p><p>The Bengals’ defense held the Browns to just 16 points after allowing 20 or more points in 12 of their 17 games in 2024. They also <a href="https://x.com/SleeperBengals/status/1964786056274006423" rel="noopener">forced two turnovers</a> while not allowing a single rush attempt of more than five yards, according to Sleeper Fantasy on X, formerly Twitter.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bengals?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bengals</a> defense today:</p><p>🔒16 points allowed<br>🔒2 INT<br>🔒2 sacks<br>🔒0 points given up in last five drives<br>🔒Didn’t allow a rush longer than FIVE yards</p><p>Impressive start to the season. <a href="https://t.co/PF3WIgL7xa">pic.twitter.com/PF3WIgL7xa</a></p><p>— SleeperBengals (@SleeperBengals) <a href="https://twitter.com/SleeperBengals/status/1964786056274006423?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>After the game, head coach Zac Taylor <a href="https://x.com/CharlieG__/status/1964783423991751098" rel="noopener">credited the defense</a> for the win. Taylor said the defense “rose up” to the challenge and liked that they won the turnover battle, according to reporter Charlie Goldsmith. Second-year defensive backs DJ Turner II and Jordan Battle accounted for the team’s two takeaways, picking off Joe Flacco once each.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-news-notre-dame-al-golden-set-to-be-dc">Cincinnati hired Golden</a> after contributions to Notre Dame’s National Championship runner-up season in 2024. Golden previously worked as the Bengals’ linebackers coach under Zac Taylor in 2020 and 2021 before joining Marcus Freeman’s staff in South Bend.</p><p>Notre Dame allowed just 15.5 points per game in 2024, the fifth-fewest in the country. The NFL is certainly a different level, but Golden impressed in his first test.</p><h2><b>Al Golden’s Bengals defense locked up Browns in Week 1</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Hendrickson.jpg"><figcaption>Katie Stratman-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While the Bengals were uncharacteristically slow on offense, their defense saved the game. It made for an unorthodox method of victory that fans are accustomed to seeing, but Golden’s influence was evident from the jump.</p><p>Flacco had some success through the air, but the Bengals completely eliminated Cleveland’s rushing attack. The Browns had just 49 rushing yards on 24 carries for 2.04 yards per carry as a team. Rookie linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. led the charge, racking up 10 tackles, including a team-high eight solo stops.</p><p>The Bengals’ new-look defense will continue to be tested in Week 2, when they return home to host the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars only averaged 18.8 points per game in 2024, the seventh-fewest in the league, but they are coming off a 26-10 win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 1.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

How much-maligned Bengals defense won Week 1 vs. Browns

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-news-key-joe-burrow-protector-extension');   ga('set', 'title', 'Key Joe Burrow protector signs extension with Bengals');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Bengals-center-Ted-Karras-preparing-for-practice.jpg"><figcaption>Eric Hartline-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Key Joe Burrow protector signs extension with Bengals</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-05T07:18:51-07:00">September 5th, 7:18am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-05T07:18:51-07:00">September 5th, 7:18am</time><address><a>Gerard Angelo Samillano</a>Gerard Angelo Samillano is an Associate Editor for ClutchPoints, with his focus primarily on the NBA, NFL, MLB and NCAA Football. When he's not writing for CP, Gerard can often be seen playing VALORANT or playing pick-up basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Bengals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>There’s no better way to win in the NFL than to build up the trenches. The offensive and defensive lines are the heart of a football team’s success on that end. If you want to win in the league, you need to show a solid front on both ends. That’s what the Cincinnati Bengals are now trying to do with their offensive line.</p><p>Before their first game of the 2025 NFL season, the<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-joe-burrow-reveals-weapon-his-ol-really-wanted-as-gift"> Bengals are making sure that their offensive line stays intact</a> for the next few years. Center Ted Karras, who’s been a consistent force for Cincinnati, <a href="https://www.bengals.com/news/ted-karras-signs-one-year-contract-extension">signed a one-year contract extension with the team</a>. It’s a great move that helps the team stay consistent in protecting star quarterback Joe Burrow.</p><p>“We’ve got a lot of work to do in both (Bengals and the Cincinnati community),” Karras said, per the team’s official website. “I’ve been blessed and lucky to be doing it this long and to be now signed for year 11.”</p><p>Karras signed with the Bengals during the 2022 offseason, right after the team’s Super Bowl loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Formerly with the New England Patriots, Karras has been one of the bright spots of an offensive line that’s been constantly criticized. His best asset is his pass protection: he ranked 7th last season amongst all centers in pass protection, according to Pro Football Focus. With the Bengals’ emphasis on their passing attack, having an elite center is critical to their success.</p><p>The Bengals’ offensive line has always been a bit shaky, especially in pass protection. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-news-cincinnati-loses-key-joe-burrow-protector-season-ending-injury">interior offensive line, in particular, has been a revolving door of players</a> who didn’t hold up against the many star pass rushers in the league. With Karras in the fold for at least the next few years, Cincinnati is hoping for more stability in the interior to give Burrow more time. Last season, Burrow ranked fourth in the league amongst quarterbacks in sacks with 48.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Key Joe Burrow protector signs extension with Bengals

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-rumors-zac-taylors-challenge-joe-burrow-led-offense-to-help-much-maligned-defense');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bengals rumors: Zac Taylor’s ‘challenge’ to Joe Burrow-led offense to help much-maligned defense');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Taylor-coaches.jpg"><figcaption>Katie Stratman-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Bengals rumors: Zac Taylor’s ‘challenge’ to Joe Burrow-led offense to help much-maligned defense</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-04T09:04:14-07:00">September 4th, 9:04am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-04T10:38:20-07:00">September 4th, 10:38am</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University alum from Atlanta who graduated with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Bengals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-news-cincy-keen-not-make-myles-garrett-mistake-week-1">Cincinnati Bengals are hoping</a> for a bounce back year in 2025 when they take the field after a 2024 season in which they missed the playoffs altogether. This occurred despite a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-news-cincinnati-veteran-joe-burrow-protector">career year from quarterback Joe Burrow</a>, who figures to be squarely in the prime of his career entering this new campaign.</p><p>Recently, NFL insider Jeremy Fowler of ESPN broke down what head coach Zac Taylor expects out of the offense in order to keep the team above water <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/46146415/nfl-week-1-buzz-news-updates-fantasy-intel-questions-predictions" rel="noopener">despite its awful defense.</a></p><p>“Expect the Bengals’ offense to be ultra-aggressive to start <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/game/_/gameId/401772829/bengals-browns" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sunday’s game</a> against the Browns. Despite a maligned defense, Taylor has challenged his offense to get off to faster starts so that the defense can aggressively pursue the quarterback while holding a lead,” reported Fowler on ESPN.com.</p><p>Fowler also noted that “quarterback <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/3915511/joe-burrow" rel="noopener noreferrer">Joe Burrow</a> has taken to that sentiment, setting the tone with one of his best — and healthiest — training camps. Cincinnati also believes its defense will be better than fans and media do. The Bengals have worked on shoring up tackling issues and playing more as a unit.”</p><p>Burrow is indeed counted upon more heavily to carry his team than any other player in the NFL at this point.</p><h2><b>Can the defense hold up?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Trey-Hendrickson_eb3c26.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK</figcaption></figure><p>The Cincinnati Bengals’ defensive unit avoided an all-out disaster when they brought back star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson on a restructured contract for this season that will still allow him to hit unrestricted free agency next spring.</p><p>Still, even with Hendrickson in the lineup last year, the Bengals’ defense was atrocious, suffering the consequences of the ownership’s decision to watch several key players from the 2021-22 Super Bowl team walk out the door with nothing in return.</p><p>However, if the Bengals defense can simply be an average unit this year, or close to it, there’s a chance that Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and the offense are talented enough for that alone to get the team back into the Super Bowl mix in the crowded AFC.</p><p>The Bengals are set to kick off their 2025 season on the road against their NFC North rival, the Cleveland Browns, on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bengals rumors: Zac Taylor’s ‘challenge’ to Joe Burrow-led offense to help much-maligned defense

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-tee-higgins-drops-hall-of-fame-nba-comp');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bengals’ Tee Higgins drops Hall-of-Fame NBA comp');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Cincinnati-Bengals-wide-receiver-Tee-Higgins.jpg"><figcaption>© Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Bengals’ Tee Higgins drops Hall-of-Fame NBA comp</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-02T13:25:00-07:00">September 2nd, 1:25pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-02T13:25:00-07:00">September 2nd, 1:25pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Bengals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cincinnati Bengals kick off the NFL season facing huge expectations. Joe Burrow all but demanded the team <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-news-jamarr-chase-tee-higgins-agree-4-year-contract-extensions">re-sign Tee Higgins, Ja’Marr Chase</a>, and Trey Hendrickson. Higgins got his done second, securing his future as the secondary wide receiver in one of the league’s best offenses. Despite his football talent, he compared himself to Kevin Durant on the basketball court.</p><p>Higgins is one of many NFL players who dabble in other sports. He played basketball in high school and still shows off what he can do with Chase and his other teammates. However, he has carved out a premium role for himself as a Bengals wide receiver. He and Chase are a big reason why Burrow enters the season as an under-the-radar MVP candidate.</p><p>Higgins spoke about his basketball ability on The Schultz Report, hosted by NFL Insider Jordan Schultz. The reporter asked Higgins about his ability on the court and who he would compare himself too. The receiver <a href="https://twitter.com/Schultz_Report/status/1962965753251967202" rel="noopener">caught him off guard</a> when he responded with Durant’s name.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bengals?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bengals</a> WR <a href="https://twitter.com/teehiggins5?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@teehiggins5</a> was once one of the highest-rated high school basketball players in Tennessee.</p><p>So who's his NBA comp? 🏀 <a href="https://t.co/ffY3nPAAu8">https://t.co/ffY3nPAAu8</a> <a href="https://t.co/og62W9kttq">pic.twitter.com/og62W9kttq</a></p><p>— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) <a href="https://twitter.com/Schultz_Report/status/1962965753251967202?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 2, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“I wanna say KD,” Higgins said. “Maybe not the height. You know, I can score. I feel like I can score on all three levels.”</p><p>Durant has plenty of friends all over the NFL, but not many would compare themselves to him when it comes to basketball. However, Higgins didn’t back off of his claim, saying that he sees himself as a primary scorer who can get it done wherever he needs to. Cincinnati hopes that he can translate that ability to the football field during the season.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-news-cincinnatis-defense-historically-brutal-mark">The Bengals’ defense was bad last season</a> and didn’t look much better in the preseason. If Burrow and Chase are going to overcome that, Higgins needs to play a big role. However, he and the team are confident that last season’s struggles will not bother the team again this year. If that is true, the Bengals are a serious contender in the AFC.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2025 SEASON STATS
RUSHING YDS	RECEPTIONS	RECEIVING YDS	TOTAL TDS	POSITION RANK
0	0	0	0	-

2025 SEASON STATS
RUSHING YDS	RECEPTIONS	RECEIVING YDS	TOTAL TDS	POSITION RANK
0	0	0	0	-

Tahj
Brooks

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Tahj Brooks

Latest Related Team News

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• Bengals’ Tee Higgins drops Hall-of-Fame NBA comp

Tahj
Brooks