T.J. Houshmandzadeh thinks he’s seen the blueprint for slowing down the Bengals, and it starts on the left side of Cincinnati’s offensive line.
After the Bengals’ loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the former Cincinnati wide receiver said opponents have already identified where to press the attack. Joe Burrow had stretches where he looked sharp, but he also threw two costly interceptions and kept dealing with pressure.
"To beat the Bengals, it seems as if you attack the left side of the offensive line," Houshmandzadeh said. "The left side of the offensive line, bro, we gotta be better, man.
Like, we gotta be better. We can't just be letting [guys] come and smack Joe."
That’s a problem the Bengals can’t afford to ignore with Burrow driving everything they want to do this season. If defenses believe they can consistently get to him by working one side, Cincinnati is going to have to clean it up fast.
Houshmandzadeh also flagged another issue on the other side of the ball, saying tight ends have been a recurring headache.
"Every tight end just gets off on us," Houshmandzadeh said. "We cannot stop a tight end."
Still, he wasn’t ready to turn the temperature all the way up on Cincinnati’s season. He said he was disappointed, but he also separated one rough defensive outing from the bigger picture.
"It's tough, man. I'm kind of disappointed, to be honest with you," Houshmandzadeh said.
"Defense had one off game. Not yesterday.
Last week, one off game. They played well yesterday."
He pointed to Burrow’s two interceptions as "two costly plays" in a game where Cincinnati otherwise had plenty to like. The Bengals now move on to the Miami Dolphins before their Week 6 bye, and Houshmandzadeh described Miami as a possible "get right team."
But he also made it clear there’s no safe week in this league.
"This is the National Football League. Anybody can beat you," Houshmandzadeh said.
Baltimore comes out of the bye, which only raises the urgency. If the Bengals want Burrow protected and their offense on track, the left side of that line has to hold up before opponents keep making it the first place they look.
In Other News...
Rex Ryan Just Sparked A New Bengals Debate Around Joe Burrow
The Bengals have been leaning on Joe Burrow and the passing game to carry the offense, and early in the season the running game has not done much to ease that load. It is the kind of imbalance that can work when the quarterback is humming, but it also puts extra pressure on the passing attack to stay sharp every week.
Rex Ryan recently put that familiar issue back in the spotlight, warning that a team built almost entirely around the pass can run into trouble if it never finds a steadier ground game. For Cincinnati, the concern is not whether Burrow can produce, but whether opponents will start selling out against the pass and force the Bengals to answer with a rushing attack that has not yet shown enough consistency. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Suddenly Have A Receiver Debate Fans Cant Ignore
The Bengals receiver room has suddenly become a talking point again, and not in the way they would prefer. With Tee Higgins and JaMarr Chase both dealing with injuries, Cincinnati is staring at a familiar problem at the exact moment the offense can least afford it, which is why the idea of adding another wideout has started circulating around the team.
Marvin Harrison Jr. is the name getting the most attention in that conversation, thanks to his talent and the kind of fit he would represent in Cincinnatis passing game. It is still only speculation, but the discussion says plenty about where the Bengals are right now: thin at receiver, under pressure to keep the offense afloat, and suddenly in the middle of a debate fans did not see coming. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Suddenly Have 3 Trade Deadline Holes To Fix Around Burrow
After opening 2-0, Cincinnatis momentum has stalled, and the recent slide has exposed a few places where the roster could use help before the Nov. 10 trade deadline. The Bengals have seen trouble on both sides of the ball, and head coach Zac Taylor is weighing whether the answer is to stand pat or add some much-needed depth around Joe Burrow.
The clearest needs are becoming hard to ignore: a complementary running back to take some pressure off the offense, another receiver who can deepen the rotation, and help at safety to stabilize the back end. None of those fixes is simple, but if Cincinnati wants to keep pace in a crowded AFC picture, this is the part of the season when a targeted move could matter most. [Read more 🡒]