Cincinnati Bengals: Takeaways and reactions from Week 1 vs. Colts

Turnovers Can Be Your Friends, Too

Throughout the tenure of Andy Dalton with this franchise, turnovers have been a frightening specter hanging over Cincinnati’s hopes for victory in a given week. In five of his seven seasons prior to 2018, he threw at least 12 interceptions. He’s also fumbled at least 4 times each year, with 37 total in his career to this point.

This has played a big role in his teams struggling to do well in turnover differential at times (2014 saw the team force 26 turnovers — a top-10 rate league-wide — but due to 26 giveaways the team ended with a 0 turnover differential), but it isn’t the whole story.

Last year was a great embodiment of that. The offense again gave away the ball more often than one would hope (23 turnovers; tied for 12th-worst in the NFL), but the defense became allergic to forcing any themselves. The group only forced 14 total turnovers — better than just Cleveland (13) — and had an atrocious -9 differential (sixth-worst).

With the defense unable to force opposing drives to end quickly, they simultaneously faced tougher odds against stopping their opposition and failed to give their own offense the extra opportunities which can be necessary to put up a lead on an opponent.

The turnovers, to a certain extent, are going to come for their offense. Dalton’s follies are known, and A.J. Green is starting to show a scary propensity for letting the ball hit the turf the past couple years. To overcome that disadvantage, the defense must cause their own. If not, Cincinnati will be stuck grasping for wins in the same manner 2016 and 2017 saw them doing.

This game gave hope that this defense is ready to take on that challenge. Against Indianapolis, Cincinnati had two turnovers on offense, but their defense responded in turn with two of their own. The timeliness of those turnovers was particularly impactful too. To open the game Dalton threw an interception which ended up returned to the Bengals 7-yard line.

Two plays later, Cincinnati had the ball back after new Bengals linebacker Preston Brown picked off Luck to end an expected scoring opportunity with no points. At the end of the game came the second one: Jack Doyle caught a Luck pass, but got decked and fumbled. From there, backup Cincinnati safety Clayton Fejedelem got his hands on the ball and ran it 83 yards back for the game-sealing touchdown.

Turnovers can be a double-edged sword for a team, but if a team is able to cause them with relative consistency it becomes a reliable strength to lean on. There is a certain amount of randomness which can’t be affected or planned for on this end, but if this defense does a better job than recent years at utilizing players’ strengths and keeping guys in good spots, turnovers could soon be a weapon for them in a way we haven’t seen from them lately.