After an optimistic offseason, Cincinnati Bengals fans were surprised by a 24-3 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Not only did they lose, but the NFL’s highest-paid player, Joe Burrow, passed for a career-low 82 yards and only completed 45% of his passes.
Cincinnati’s leading receiver was Ja’Marr Chase, who only caught five passes for 39 yards, and the Bengals’ second receiver on the depth chart, Tee Higgins, caught 0 passes.
Bengals offensive lineman only won 30% of their pass-block attempts, the lowest pass-block percentage of the week.
“It was a pretty big disappointment, but I think they’ll make a comeback next week,” said sophomore Kelton Smith.
The Bengals are now 0-1 but have a chance to bounce back against the Baltimore Ravens in their second division game in a row. The Ravens are 1-0 after their definitive victory over the Houston Texans.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson passed for 169 yards and completed 77% of his passes however, he had an interception.
“I was pretty devastated about the loss on Sunday. Joe Burrow just needs some time to warm up,” said senior Amaya Barton.
If the Bengals want to beat the Ravens, they need a massive improvement in pass-blocking and overall offensive efficiency, as they only had five total first downs.
Fans are optimistic; the Bengals are used to starting poorly against division opponents, but only time will tell how the season will go.