KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Joe Burrow stood on a podium within the bowels of Arrowhead Stadium keeping a dejected stare of disbelief and the pitch of nursing an unmistakable wound of defeat.
“As frustrating as I’ve had,” he mentioned of the Bengals’ 26-25 loss to the Chiefs, not able to even give an explanation for why. “I’ll need a couple days to figure that out.”
Most likely as a result of for the giant majority of Sunday, the Bengals have been the simpler workforce than the back-to-back Tremendous Bowl champions. One while upcoming taking a look like a a ways worse workforce projected to complete alike the manage of the draft.
Joe Burrow speaks to the media following Age 2 at Kansas Town.
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) September 15, 2024
Throughout the defensive nook of the little store room, rookie seventh-round select Daijahn Anthony sat at his store, nonetheless dressed in a part of the uniform he wore for the second one regular-season duel of his time. His stare was once alike.
A series given by means of his grandmother was once in his store nearest to a telephone he worn previous within the age to remove video of the ground, taking a look up and round in miracle of a development he would play games in for the primary week.
In lieu of reflecting on that month of gratitude, he was once swimming in guilt over a fourth-and-16 go interference penalty that grew to become a win right into a loss in arguably the most productive contention within the duel as of late.
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At the alternative aspect of the defensive vault of lockers stood Ja’Marr Chase. Upcoming just about a 30 minutes of quietly getting in a position and no longer chatting with newshounds, Chase stood up for 2 mins to trade in one-sentence solutions caked in frustration from a duel, time and day that’s had a ways too many headaches for the usually jovial megastar receiver.
He snapped off responses that he didn’t need to discuss an outburst towards an legit that went on and on that includes “abusive language,” in step with referee Alex Kemp. It ultimately drew an inexcusable 15-yard penalty within the defining moments of the fourth quarter.
“I don’t like losing,” Chase mentioned.
Ja’Marr Chase was once requested a couple of occasions concerning the unsportsmanlike penalty and mentioned he was once no longer speaking about it.
Ref Alex Kemp did within the lake record.
He shouts it “abusive language toward a game official.”
Complete rationalization: pic.twitter.com/ZFxjUFCyIJ
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) September 16, 2024
Regardless of the place you grew to become following the sport, you felt the emotion. Uncooked, unfiltered emotions of all kinds.
“We know what it comes down to, it’s going to be us and them,” protection Vonn Bell mentioned. “It’s an emotional environment.”
Those video games elicit them. Bell stood at this precise spot following an AFC Championship Sport loss to Kansas Town understanding it could be his latter run with those teammates and his latter shot on the Tremendous Bowl.
Anthony sat mere toes from a store the place Joseph Ossai additionally lamented a penalty — with B.J. Hill nearest to him in protection — that arrange a game-winning ground target by means of Harrison Butker in 2022.
The truth added to the depth. That historical past of 3 instantly losses to Kansas Town, a 3rd consecutive 0-2 begin to the season and the Age 1 debacle that had the Bengals inexplicably the butt of jokes on nationwide networks.
But, there’s every other truth at play games right here.
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They done a duel plan that are meant to were plethora to knock the champs off their pedestal. Kansas Town wanted a scoop-and-score fumble and fourth-and-16 devotion to steer clear of transferring to 1-4 towards Burrow.
They reminded the league of what Chase mentioned previous within the while, calling the Bengals the workforce to overcome within the AFC.
“We should act like it, we should play like it,” he mentioned upcoming.
They did.
They rattled Patrick Mahomes, every now and then providing reminiscences of the 2021 AFC Championship Sport the place he made uncharacteristic yieldings and unpriviledged selections. Akeem Davis-Gaither stepped in entrance of a go meant for Travis Kelce for a very easy interception. Cam Taylor-Britt made a jumping one-handed clutch for every other. They grew to become first-and-goal from the two for Mahomes right into a ground target. Trey Hendrickson were given rookie Kingsley Suamataia benched and everybody in entrance of him beat on his option to two sacks and 3 drawn consequences that put the Bengals into the fourth-and-16 endgame. It seemed to be the end result in their go back to the function of Achilles’ heel to the Chiefs’ invincibility.
HOLY What an INT by means of @CamTaylorBritt_!
: #CINvsKC on CBS/Paramount
: pic.twitter.com/f7r9MeCGIv— NFL (@NFL) September 15, 2024
“We showed everybody what we are made of,” Taylor-Britt mentioned. “We got a chance to show our real spark.”
Upcoming a while of frightened chatter about Burrow’s wrist and lack of certainty, he strike his brandnew weapon, rookie Jermaine Burton, on a beautiful 47-yard progress ball. He confirmed off using 3 tight ends as true guns in an offense with extra versatility than ever in his occupation, connecting with them 14 occasions for 151 yards. They have been a potent solution for the double-Chase protection. An oft-maligned offensive order stored Burrow blank plethora, together with 4.2 seconds to secure the ball generation Andrei Iosivas needy separate on fourth-and-goal for his 2nd landing.
“Thought I played fast and decisive today,” Burrow mentioned, calling it the most productive he’s felt throwing since latter season’s wrist shock.
That’s 2 TD’s for @AndreiIosivas!!
: #CINvsKC on CBS/@paramountplus pic.twitter.com/0ZZGQZu1oq
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) September 15, 2024
They scored on six of 9 true possessions, handiest two times going three-and-out. They did it with out Tee Higgins, who seems to be in a position to go back nearest while.
Lecturer Zac Taylor confirmed aggressiveness and variance in his duel plan, transferring from below heart to 2 and 3 tight ends and discovering explosives out of the beneath heart and up manage. He confirmed aggressiveness on fourth unwell, and his workforce rewarded it.
Taking into consideration the auto devastation placed on tape latter while towards Brandnew England, this represented a crucial go back to a workforce they have been intended to be and one that are meant to be reckoned with in January.
“I’m really proud of the way we fought,” Taylor mentioned. “Disappointed we lost, it’s an emotional loss for us. But at that same time, I like where our team’s mental state is at right now and how we fought on the road against a really good opponent.”
Ethical victories are like grimy phrases round a qualified athlete. They play games to win, they be expecting to win. Ethical victories are for losers.
The mere point out of them, particularly round a workforce that’s been to and expects to go back to enjoying in overdue January and February, attracts a side-eye.
“In this league, it’s about winning,” left take on Orlando Brown Jr. mentioned. “That’s the most important stat. Starting 0-2, that’s never a good feeling. Can’t necessarily say I sink my teeth into moral victories.”
Avid gamers would possibly no longer like them and so they hardly ever have a park. Brown is true, careers are constructed and ended by means of the overall end result. But, in Age 2, there’s room for a lot more nuance.
The season can be lengthy and the Bengals have achieved this prior to, now 0-2 for a 3rd instantly season. Over the date 5 seasons, handiest two groups have made the playoffs upcoming 0-2 begins, one among them was once the 2022 Bengals who noticed their season finish right here at Arrowhead.
From time to time it’s a must to peel away the emotion and spot the common sense. In September, it’s a must to much more. The Bengals most commonly performed at a championship degree towards a championship opponent. They give the impression of being greater than able to repeating their odds-beating date.
The end result could be crisp to digest during the lengthy stare of disbelief, suffocating guilt or overflowing frustration, however that’s the fact that will inevitably subject when this duel is filed into the heavy image.
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“I feel like s— hurt,” Taylor-Britt mentioned. “We are back at square one, 0-2 once again. Every year I have been here it’s been the same way. We always find a way to bounce back and come together as one and go win.”
After they get achieved wading via their feelings, they must understand Sunday proved they’re in a admirable place to take action.
(Photograph: Kevin Sabitus / Getty Photographs)
