Game Recap: Bengals Fall 22-41 to Chargers

Where to begin with this bout between the Bengals and Chargers?

Through the first 20 minutes of the game, the Bengals looked as if they were set up as a sacrificial lamb to the Chargers on both sides of the ball. Nothing – despite what appeared to be a decent effort to play well – went their way. They didn’t score until their fifth drive, halfway through the second quarter, on a touchdown pass to Tee Higgins. A phenomenal play by both Higgins and Joe Burrow, to be sure – Burrow’s placement was precise and Higgins caught the ball over Michael Davis and Nasir Adderley. Regardless, it came after the Chargers had already bolted out (no pun intended) to a 24-0 lead.

Uchenna Nwosu ended the Bengals’ first drive with as great of a sequence as you’ll find from an individual defensive player, beating Jonah Williams on a speed rush before stripping the ball from Burrow and personally recovering it. Davis ended their second drive, intercepting a pass that Ja’Marr Chase bobbled to him after being beat in coverage. The team’s next two drives lasted three plays each and traveled a combined -11 yards.

The game became vastly more interesting over the team’s next five drives – four of which ended in points. Burrow scrambled in for a touchdown with slightly under 3 minutes remaining in the first half. Evan McPherson converted a 48-yard field goal on the team’s opening second half drive. Joe Mixon got on the board midway through the third quarter with a 7-yard touchdown run. On the other side of the ball, the Bengals ended each of the Chargers’ drives throughout this stretch with turnovers. By the end of the third quarter, the Bengals had narrowed the Chargers’ lead to 24-22. While the Bengals hadn’t quite won their way back on the scoreboard, it appeared they’d gained momentum and the investment of their home crowed.

The fourth quarter – as life sometimes does – came at the Bengals fast. Mixon fumbled for the first time since the opening game of the 2020 season – against, coincidentally enough, the Chargers. Tevaughn Campbell recovered and returned the ball 61 yards for a touchdown. Two drives later, the Bengals had punted and the Chargers had scored their second touchdown of the quarter. The Bengals ran 13 plays over a couple more drives, trying to climb up from their new 22-38 deficit, but came up short both times. With five minutes left in the game, still 38-22, the air had clearly left the Bengals’ metaphorical balloon.

What do we take away from all of this? From an impartial perspective, both of these teams are spicy and should be fun to watch in the playoffs. If they meet again, either could get the best of the other. Beyond that, it’s hard to tell.

Notes

• Both teams enjoyed performances from their top three wide receivers that should make fantasy owners celebrate. Burrow and Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert each enjoyed a first half that featured an uncanny number of deep passes that probably shouldn’t have been completed, yet were. The least probable of all these passes might’ve been Herbert’s throw to Jalen Guyton in the end zone – the pass was late, Jessie Bates was covering Guyton like a second skin, and both players were standing still and staring down the ball as it came toward them. Regardless, Guyton came down with the pass – as he did with each of his other targets en route to a 4-catch, 90-yard performance.
• Mike Williams led the Chargers’ receivers with 5 catches for 110 yards on 7 targets, but also lost his share of duels with Chidobe Awuzie. Awuzie followed Williams in man coverage, made big plays (including a tackle-for-loss and an interception) and had big plays made at his expense (including a 41-yard gain immediately following the tackle-for-loss). Overall, Williams finished the game without a score and Awuzie didn’t allow scores to any other receivers.
• Higgins led both teams’ receivers with 9 catches for 138 yards on 14(!) targets. Despite Williams’ presence on the other sideline, Higgins looked like the best 6’4″, 220-pound, physical-at-the-catch-point but all-round dominant receiver that was drafted out of Clemson University on the field. In his last two games, Higgins has now racked up 15 catches for 252 yards and 2 touchdowns.
• In addition to the teams’ combined 7 turnovers, the defensive units sacked Burrow and Herbert a total of ten times. Four of these went in the Bengals’ favor. Sam Hubbard and B.J. Hill were awarded half a sack each, while Vonn Bell, Larry Ogunjobi, and Trey Hendrickson each earned one. This marks Hendrickson’s eighth consecutive game with a sack, and brings his total to 11.5 on the season through 12 games.

– Andy Hammel is the Managing Editor for the Bengals at Full Press Coverage. Follow @Andy_Hammel