Cincinnati Bengals: 3 Takeaways from Week 3 loss vs. Panthers
By Kenn Korb
Bad Andy Throws Away The Comeback
Except for just 3:52 of clock time in this contest, Cincinnati was leading, tied or within one score of Carolina. This game was eminently winnable for the Bengals, and based on the way their first two games of 2018 had gone, it would not have been all that shocking if they would have found a way to leave Charlotte with a victory.
What would hopefully help them was the way turnovers had been on their side so far this year. After besting only Cleveland with their pitiable 14 forced turnovers in 2017, the Bengals seemed to be turning their luck around this year.
Two weeks in, they had already forced five in 2018, and there are plenty of talented young players who appear primed to continue that trend. On the other end, Cincinnati’s offense committed just two turnovers of their own.
This was led by none other than Andy Dalton. Two games in, the hot-and-cold Bengals signal-caller was positively fiery, with just one interception against six touchdown passes (including four touchdowns against Baltimore in Week 2). When Dalton is playing this well, that offense can fire on all cylinders and these Bengals are a hassle for anyone to slow down.
Unfortunately, Dalton can turn from blazing fire to chilling cold as quick as any quarterback in the NFL. Against Carolina, Dalton’s worst turnover tendencies struck hard as he threw four interceptions.
Not all of those can be blamed on him. The second was a tip drill and at least one mattered only for the box score as his fourth and final pick was on a Hail Mary as the game clock struck 0:00 with Cincinnati down by multiple scores. But when the game was truly in the balance he made what was an indefensible mistake.
With 3:40 left, Cincinnati was pinned back at their own 7-yard line. Dalton dropped back before quickly launching a deep throw for John Ross — a pass which was easily intercepted by Carolina’s Donte Jackson.
On the play, right tackle Bobby Hart (one of Cincinnati’s “big” offseason moves) was beat to the outside by Carolina’s Bryan Cox Jr. to make Dalton feel he had to throw before he really wanted to, but the inaccuracy was so bad that nobody but Dalton can be at fault here. Look at the play and you’ll see Dalton’s pass sailed well behind where Ross was headed and right into the defender’s hungry arms.
That drive was Cincinnati’s best chance to mount a comeback and steal a tough game on the road versus a team that will be in the thick of the NFC playoff race all year. Dalton’s mostly-unforced error on that particular drive threw away those chances in an instant, in a fashion that is all too familiar for Bengals fans this decade.