Pro Football Focus had plenty to say about the Bengals after their 33-27 Week 1 win over Tampa Bay, and the numbers painted a clear picture: some new faces popped, some familiar names got dragged down, and Cincinnati found enough production in key spots to open the season 1-0.
On offense, Mike Gesicki stood out immediately. His five catches for 78 yards earned the top grade on that side of the ball, a 90.1 overall mark.
The passing game also got strong showings from Tee Higgins, Dohnte Meyers, and Chase Brown, each of whom landed in the 70-plus range. That group helped carry an attack that cashed in on the Buccaneers’ four turnovers and turned those mistakes into 24 points.
Joe Burrow’s grade didn’t look nearly as clean, though. His pick-six weighed heavily on the final result, leaving him with a 66.1 grade.
The numbers up front told a rougher story. Even if the game may have felt better in real time, no Bengals offensive lineman graded higher than Amarius Mims, who came in at 65.9. That left the blocking unit with more questions than answers despite the win.
Defensively, three Bengals finished with grades of 77 or better, highlighted by Boye Mafe at 86.5 and a career-best 80.5 for Barrett Carter. Carter was especially upbeat after the game.
“Playing behind those guys, it’s truly an honor. It’s truly a blessing," Carter said after the win.
"Football is not an easy game, as we all know. But they definitely make it a little easier.
There’s still a lot of stuff to clean up, but there’s not a defensive line I’d rather play behind, there’s not a line I would rather go to war with every single game, and I love those guys like they’re my brothers. There’s a lot more plays to be made, a lot more stacking to do.
We have a lot of work to do, but the Bengals are 1-0, and that’s all I could ask for.”
Dexter Lawrence also turned in the kind of game that doesn’t always show up cleanly in the box score. He had just one QB hit, but he still posted a 77.6 grade and added three pressures. His 36% win rate currently leads all defensive tackles in quarterback pressure rate.
“Honestly, stats don’t mean too much because he wrecks the game as soon as the week starts, and offensive coordinators have to prepare for the week. Just having him in the middle, being a stump in the middle, creating a push - that’s not a stat line, but he’s creating a push all game. That’s exactly what we were looking for," Myles Murphy said on Sunday.
Murphy had a tougher afternoon himself, finishing with a 49.6 grade. Other low marks on defense included Jonathan Allen at 39.6, B.J. Hill at 33.1, and Jordan Battle at 39.3.
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For one Sunday, the Bengals looked a lot closer to the finished product they spent the summer trying to build. Cincinnati handled Tampa Bay 33-27 behind four defensive takeaways and an offense that was steady enough to complement the pressure the defense created, with Joe Burrow moving better and the new faces on that side of the ball showing up right away.
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Amarius Mims was a big reason the right side felt steadier, and maybe a little different, than it has at other points in the season. The rookie right tackle did not allow a pressure in 38 pass-blocking snaps and posted an 84.5 pass-blocking grade, his best single-game mark so far. For Bengals fans who have been waiting to see whether the line could settle in around Burrow, it was the kind of outing that can start to change the conversation, even if the bigger test still lies ahead. [Read more 🡒]