NFL Week 13: Deshaun Watson no good this season, Bengals dangerous
The NFL playoffs are inching closer and closer, and we are starting to see which teams are looking primed for a playoff run, while other teams are trending down.
Tua Tagovailoa is who we thought he was
The Miami Dolphins are coming off a 33-17 loss against the San Francisco 49ers in which Tua Tagovailoa struggled mightily, completing 54% of his passes with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
This was the test to see how the Dolphins’ offense would fare against a legitimate defense, and if Tagovailoa can elevate the offense when everything is not clicking. The simple answer is no.
The third-year quarterback was often inaccurate and struggled with hitting receivers in stride. Jaylen Waddle did miss some of this game due to a leg injury sustained during the game, but when the scheme does not open up wide-open targets, it is evident that Tagovailoa cannot succeed outside the scheme.
This is not to say that you cannot win with Tagovailoa, but he clearly has a ceiling, and I have questions about how he will perform once the weather becomes cold, which will be during the playoffs. The Dolphins play at Buffalo in week 15. That game will most likely be in elements that can hinder the Dolphins’ offense. Unless the Dolphins are playing at home, fade Miami in the playoffs.
We may not see a good Deshaun Watson this season
Deshaun Watson made his controversial, uncomfortable return against the Houston Texans in week 13. Although the Browns won 27-14, nothing you saw from Watson and this offense gives you hope of a potential run to end the season.
In his first game in over two years, the 27-year-old quarterback completed 12 of 22 passes for 131 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception. Watson left a lot of passes short, bouncing at receivers’ feet while struggling with accuracy despite averaging six yards per passing attempt.
Houston was supposed to be a game where Watson could ease into and find rhythm, but that was clearly not the case. Things do not get easier for the quarterback, as the Browns travel to Cincinnati to take on a surging Bengals team that has an underrated defense. If the Texans’ defense gave Watson trouble, there is little reason to believe that he will turn it around against this Bengals’ defense.
The Browns are 5-7 and could still possibly make a run for a wild card spot, but I do not expect that to happen unless Cleveland puts in a convincing performance against the Bengals. After this week, Cleveland’s remaining schedule is Baltimore, New Orleans, Washington, and Pittsburgh.
The Bengals are the most dangerous team in the AFC
Cincinnati is playing its best football of the season, and the team has not been fully healthy for about a month. Ja’Marr Chase returned from a hip hairline fracture, and it did not even look like he was coming off an injury. Joe Mixon was out in week 13 due to a concussion but will be most likely returning in week 14.
The Bengals are coming off a 27-24 win over the Chiefs, something they have now done three times this calendar year. In 2022, the Bengals are 3-0 against the Chiefs, while Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs have yet to beat Cincinnati with Joe Burrow at quarterback.
Being 3-0 against the Chiefs is one of the reasons this Bengals’ team is the most dangerous team in the AFC heading into the playoffs, but there is more to why they are the team to fear in the AFC.
While the Chiefs have the ultimate denominator in Mahomes, the Bengals are a much more well-rounded team. Cincinnati has better weapons, running game, pass rush, and an offensive line that is not great, but one that stifled the Chiefs’ underwhelming pass rush.
As a Chiefs fan, I still will take Mahomes any day of the week, but whenever the Bengals are the team facing Kansas City, it does cause me more anxiety than even the Bills.
The Bengals stuck to their formula that they utilized in the AFC Championship on Sunday against the Chiefs, dropping eight in coverage and only rushing three. Kansas City failed to force the Bengals to alter their game plan by continuing to ignore the running game. If the Chiefs want to end this losing trend to Cincinnati, they must learn to stay patient and run the football.
The Bengals deserve all the credit in the world, but the Chiefs have had one or two plays in these games that completely alter the momentum.
In the first contest between these two last season, the Chiefs sent an all-out blitz on fourth-and-27. A stop would have put the game to rest, but Kansas City left Charvarius Ward on an island against Chase, and the wide receiver made an incredible catch along the sideline to convert the fourth down. The Bengals would eventually score and win the game.
The second meeting came in the AFC Championship game where the Chiefs seemingly had all the momentum going into the half. However, with seconds to go in the first half, instead of taking a field goal, the Chiefs elected to go for a touchdown. Mahomes threw a pass into the flat to Tyreek Hill, and the Chiefs could not stop the clock, leaving the game 21-10 going into the half. Kansas City would give up the lead in the second half, failing to keep control by running the ball, losing in overtime to the Bengals 27-24.
On Sunday, it was a bit unluckier as Travis Kelce fumbled the ball while going to the ground with the Chiefs up 24-20 in the fourth quarter. Burrow would lead the Bengals to a touchdown on the ensuing drive, and Kansas City was never able to score again.
The Chiefs have been in control of all of these games but have let the game slip through their fingers. Until the Chiefs either beat the Bengals or avoid them in the playoffs, the Bengals should be viewed as the most dangerous team in the AFC heading into the NFL playoffs.