The Cincinnati Bengals special teams unit has consistently ranked in the top 10 under coordinator Darrin Simmons. On Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium, this unit had two costly punt return fumbles that led to 10 points and ultimately a loss against the San Francisco 49ers. This game was crucial in terms of a playoff birth for both teams. Judging by how the game started for the Bengals, you wouldn’t have known it. They once again came out flat, looked uninspired, and committed costly mistakes. In December, as the playoff push begins, you have to be on top of your game in all three phases of offense, defense, and special teams. It’s also imperative to play a complete game for all four quarters. This latter point has been elusive for Cincinnati all season long. If they don’t clean up the small things and fail to play complete football games, they’ll be on the wrong side of the playoff ledger as the season concludes. This would be a major disappointment for this football team after an impressive 5-2 start.
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Special Teams Unit Fails Cincinnati Bengals Against San Francisco 49ers
Bengals punt returner Darius Phillips has been a solid kick and punt return specialist the past three seasons. Against the 49ers, he had two fumbles, including one right before the half that led to a San Francisco touchdown. This proved to be too much for the Bengals to overcome in a gutting 26-20 overtime defeat. Multiple times this season the Bengals have shown a ton of resilience in overcoming deficits heading into the second half. This game was no exception. Joe Burrow led a furious comeback in the game’s final 10 minutes to tie the game and get to overtime. Even though the Bengals came up just short, their future with Burrow seems to keep getting brighter and brighter.
Joey Franchise
Bengals tight end C. J. Uzomah refers to Burrow as Joey Franchise. This seems like a perfectly apropos description of the Bengals signal-caller and leader. Burrow continues to deliver in his sophomore season following a devastating knee injury in 2020. He finished the game Sunday as the highest-rated quarterback in Week 14 at 90.6 per Pro Football Focus. Game after game, Burrow has put the Bengals on his back and carried them. Sunday might have been his most impressive performance as a professional. Down by 14 heading into the fourth quarter, Burrow dropped two dimes to Ja’Marr Chase for touchdowns including this clutch throw to extend the game.
JOE BURROW CLUTCH DIME 🥶
Bengals tie it up late against the 49ers
(via @NFL)
pic.twitter.com/yWqQq11M0K— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 13, 2021
With four games remaining in the season, the Bengals are still in the playoff hunt, thanks in large part to Joey Franchise.
Make a Move
The Bengals room for error to close the season is incredibly thin. They face four very good teams in the Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, and Cleveland Browns. Each game on the schedule is essentially a playoff game. It’s important they stay focused and committed to the game plan for every opponent. Now is the time to make a move and also be aggressive with the play calling from head coach Zac Taylor. After being asked if he feels if the Bengals are a playoff team Sunday, he noted, “Absolutely. I don’t think anybody wants to play us, quite frankly. And we haven’t won all the games that we felt like we should’ve won. But I think our guys have a ton of confidence, and people see what they’re about, see the talent we’ve got in all three phases, and see that we’re going to fight to the last second.” The city of Cincinnati and Bengals fans hope they get the chance.
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