KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Joe Burrow stood on a podium within the bowels of Arrowhead Stadium holding a dejected stare of disbelief and the tone of nursing an open wound of defeat.
“As irritating as I’ve had,” he stated of the Bengals’ 26-25 loss to the Chiefs, unable to even clarify why. “I’ll want a pair days to determine that out.”
Doubtless as a result of for the overwhelming majority of Sunday, the Bengals have been the higher staff than the back-to-back Tremendous Bowl champions. One week after wanting like a far worse staff projected to complete close to the highest of the draft.
Joe Burrow speaks to the media following Week 2 at Kansas Metropolis. https://t.co/Rr7JOURZr9
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) September 15, 2024
Contained in the defensive nook of the tiny locker room, rookie seventh-round choose Daijahn Anthony sat at his locker, nonetheless sporting a part of the uniform he wore for the second regular-season sport of his life. His stare was related.
A series given by his grandmother was in his locker subsequent to a cellphone he used earlier within the day to take video of the sphere, wanting up and round in awe of a constructing he would play in for the primary time.
As a substitute of reflecting on that second of gratitude, he was swimming in guilt over a fourth-and-16 go interference penalty that turned a win right into a loss in arguably one of the best rivalry within the sport at the moment.
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On the opposite facet of the defensive financial institution of lockers stood Ja’Marr Chase. After practically a half-hour of quietly preparing and never speaking to reporters, Chase stood up for 2 minutes to supply one-sentence solutions caked in frustration from a sport, month and 12 months that’s had far too many problems for the usually jovial star receiver.
He snapped off responses that he didn’t need to speak about an outburst towards an official that went on and on that includes “abusive language,” in response to referee Alex Kemp. It will definitely drew an inexcusable 15-yard penalty within the defining moments of the fourth quarter.
“I don’t like shedding,” Chase stated.
Ja’Marr Chase was requested a number of instances in regards to the unsportsmanlike penalty and stated he was not speaking about it.
Ref Alex Kemp did within the pool report.
He calls it “abusive language towards a sport official.”
Full clarification: pic.twitter.com/ZFxjUFCyIJ
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) September 16, 2024
Regardless of the place you turned following the sport, you felt the emotion. Uncooked, unfiltered emotions of all sorts.
“We all know what it comes all the way down to, it’s going to be us and them,” security Vonn Bell stated. “It’s an emotional surroundings.”
These video games elicit them. Bell stood at this actual spot following an AFC Championship Recreation loss to Kansas Metropolis realizing it could be his final run with these teammates and his final shot on the Tremendous Bowl.
Anthony sat mere ft from a locker the place Joseph Ossai additionally lamented a penalty — with B.J. Hill subsequent to him in protection — that arrange a game-winning subject purpose by Harrison Butker in 2022.
The truth added to the depth. That historical past of three straight losses to Kansas Metropolis, a 3rd consecutive 0-2 begin to the season and the Week 1 debacle that had the Bengals inexplicably the butt of jokes on nationwide networks.
But, there’s one other actuality at play right here.
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They executed a sport plan that ought to have been sufficient to knock the champs off their pedestal. Kansas Metropolis wanted a scoop-and-score fumble and fourth-and-16 prayer to keep away from shifting to 1-4 towards Burrow.
They reminded the league of what Chase stated earlier within the week, calling the Bengals the staff to beat within the AFC.
“We should always act prefer it, we must always play prefer it,” he stated then.
They did.
They rattled Patrick Mahomes, at instances providing recollections of the 2021 AFC Championship Recreation the place he made uncharacteristic turnovers and poor selections. Akeem Davis-Gaither stepped in entrance of a go supposed for Travis Kelce for a straightforward interception. Cam Taylor-Britt made a leaping one-handed seize for one more. They turned first-and-goal from the two for Mahomes right into a subject purpose. Trey Hendrickson acquired rookie Kingsley Suamataia benched and everybody in entrance of him beat on his solution to two sacks and three drawn penalties that put the Bengals into the fourth-and-16 endgame. It gave the impression to be the end result of their return to the function of Achilles’ heel to the Chiefs’ invincibility.
HOLY 😱 What an INT by @CamTaylorBritt_!
📺: #CINvsKC on CBS/Paramount
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/f7r9MeCGIv— NFL (@NFL) September 15, 2024
“We confirmed everyone what we’re fabricated from,” Taylor-Britt stated. “We acquired an opportunity to point out our actual spark.”
After every week of nervous chatter about Burrow’s wrist and hesitancy, he hit his new weapon, rookie Jermaine Burton, on a stunning 47-yard go ball. He confirmed off the utilization of three tight ends as true weapons in an offense with extra versatility than ever in his profession, connecting with them 14 instances for 151 yards. They have been a potent reply for the double-Chase protection. An oft-maligned offensive line saved Burrow clear sufficient, together with 4.2 seconds to carry the ball whereas Andrei Iosivas broke free on fourth-and-goal for his second landing.
“Thought I performed quick and decisive at the moment,” Burrow stated, calling it one of the best he’s felt throwing since final season’s wrist harm.
That is 2 TD’s for @AndreiIosivas!!
📺: #CINvsKC on CBS/@paramountplus pic.twitter.com/0ZZGQZu1oq
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) September 15, 2024
They scored on six of 9 true possessions, solely twice going three-and-out. They did it with out Tee Higgins, who appears able to return subsequent week.
Coach Zac Taylor confirmed aggressiveness and variance in his sport plan, shifting from below middle to 2 and three tight ends and discovering explosives out of the beneath center and up prime. He confirmed aggressiveness on fourth down, and his staff rewarded it.
Contemplating the automotive wreck placed on tape final week towards New England, this represented a crucial return to a staff they have been alleged to be and one which must be reckoned with in January.
“I’m actually happy with the best way we fought,” Taylor stated. “Disillusioned we misplaced, it’s an emotional loss for us. However at that very same time, I like the place our staff’s psychological state is at proper now and the way we fought on the highway towards a very good opponent.”
Ethical victories are like soiled phrases round an expert athlete. They play to win, they count on to win. Ethical victories are for losers.
The mere point out of them, particularly round a staff that’s been to and expects to return to taking part in in late January and February, attracts a side-eye.
“On this league, it’s about profitable,” left deal with Orlando Brown Jr. stated. “That’s a very powerful stat. Beginning 0-2, that’s by no means a superb feeling. Can’t essentially say I sink my tooth into ethical victories.”
Gamers won’t like them and so they not often have a spot. Brown is correct, careers are constructed and ended by the ultimate end result. But, in Week 2, there’s room for far more nuance.
The season will likely be lengthy and the Bengals have executed this earlier than, now 0-2 for a 3rd straight season. Over the previous 5 seasons, solely two groups have made the playoffs after 0-2 begins, certainly one of them was the 2022 Bengals who noticed their season finish right here at Arrowhead.
Generally it’s a must to peel away the emotion and see the logic. In September, it’s a must to much more. The Bengals principally performed at a championship degree towards a championship opponent. They give the impression of being greater than able to repeating their odds-beating previous.
The end result could be arduous to digest by means of the lengthy stare of disbelief, suffocating guilt or overflowing frustration, however that’s the reality that can inevitably matter when this sport is filed into the massive image.
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“I really feel like s— harm,” Taylor-Britt stated. “We’re again at sq. one, 0-2 as soon as once more. Yearly I’ve been right here it’s been the identical approach. We all the time discover a solution to bounce again and are available collectively as one and go win.”
As soon as they get executed wading by means of their feelings, they need to understand Sunday proved they’re in an important place to take action.
(Photograph: Kevin Sabitus / Getty Pictures)