Cincinnati Bengals: Week 3 Offensive and Defensive MVPs

On Sunday afternoon, the Cincinnati Bengals made it four consecutive wins over the Baltimore Ravens and beat their AFC North rivals on the road for the second straight season thanks to a thrilling 28-24 victory.

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Marvin Lewis’ team is 3-0 for the second straight year, while the Ravens fell to 0-3 for the first time in their brief but impressive history.

So who were the Bengals’ most valuable players on both sides of the football in this very important victory. There were numerous candidates but we settled on our selection(s).

Sep 27, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (14) stiff arms Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker C.J. Mosley (57) as he run during the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Offensive MVP: QB Andy Dalton

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton came into Sunday vs. the Baltimore Ravens playing some of the best football of his career. Albeit was only a two-game sample, but Dalton looked like the quarterback that signed and was deserving of the contract extension back in 2014. The Bengals signal-caller hadn’t been sacked and hadn’t turned the ball over. While those two streaks came to an end yesterday, Dalton continued his phenomenal play bringing the Bengals back from a late deficit to defeat their divisional foe, the Baltimore Ravens. Although Dalton threw an interception in the end zone, as well as coughed the ball up on a strip sack by Elvis Dumervil, he took over the game when needed to lead his team to a tough victory.

Dalton finished the game completing 20-of-32 passes for 383 yards, 3 touchdowns, and just 1 interception. Those stats were good enough for a 122.3 rating and a 89.2 QBR. The most impressive aspect of Dalton’s game on Sunday was his ability to exploit the Raven’s blitzes. When being blitzed, Dalton completed 11 out of 18 passes for 277 yards and 3 touchdowns.

According to Pro Football Focus, Dalton received a +5.8 grade, which was right behind Carson Palmer and Matt Ryan for this week. Even without a strong running game this week, Andy Dalton was able to bring his team back. If he continues this strong play, we won’t be calling this team the ‘same old Bengals’.

Aug 14, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins (97) against the New York Giants in a preseason NFL football game at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 23-10. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Defensive Co-MVPs: DE Michael Johnson and DT Geno Atkins

Defensive end Michael Johnson came back to the Bengals this offseason after a dismal 2014 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to try and regain his 2012 form back in which he tallied 11.5 sacks. In yesterdays game, while Johnson did not fill up the stat sheet, his presence on the field was definitely felt. Johnson totaled 5 pressures on Joe Flacco and 1 quarterback hit.

Even if you are not tallying up sacks, having the ability to put pressure on the opposing quarterback will go a long way for a defense. Pro Football Focus gave Johnson a +4.3 grade, in which was one of the, if not the best game since he was last on the Bengals in 2013.

As for defensive tackle Geno Atkins, he was able to stuff the stat sheet a little bit more than Johnson, while having the same impact on the Ravens offense. Atkins, who looks to be back to his Pro Bowl-self after his 2014 ACL tear, racked up four tackles, with two of them coming behind the line of scrimmage. Both Akins and Johnson disrupted the offensive line of the Ravens all day long, even though the team did not secure a sack on Flacco. If both of these players return to their dominant form, it is going to be tough for teams to get down the field against this defense.

With a tough matchup against the visiting Kansas City Chiefs on the horizon, Johnson and Atkins will need to continue their excellent play.

Next: NFL: After Further Thought: Week 3 Early Edition

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