Rams scores, summary: Cincinnati gets first win, Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase rediscover magic
Exhale, Cincinnati.
The Bengals ended Week 3 with a 19-16 victory over the Los Angeles Rams, moving them into the win column for the first time this season. The big question in the week leading up to kickoff was whether Joe Burrow would be available for the game due to a calf injury that had been bothering him since early in training camp.
Burrow gutted it, and even though he wasn’t at 100%, he was able to string together enough plays to score enough points and win. He completed 26-of-49 passes for 259 yards through the air with one interception.
He was finally able to unlock Ja’Marr Chase, who had his best game of the year, catching 12 passes for 141 yards. While it was an encouraging move for the offense, it was the defense that was the true MVP of the night for Cincinnati.
This unit nearly shut out Matthew Stafford and the Rams on Monday night, especially strong on third down and in the red zone, giving Los Angeles virtually no room to maneuver.
That night, the Rams were unable to move the chains on 10 of 11 third-down situations. The Bengals were also able to force a turnover, with linebacker Logan Wilson throwing two interceptions. Stafford completed 54.5 percent of his passes for 269 yards, one touchdown and two picks.
More information about how this game was developed can be found in the findings below. Why the Bengals won
Before we focus on the offense, we need to do some evaluation of Cincinnati’s defense. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo kept Los Angeles’ offense moving and keeping it out of rhythm Monday night.
They were a brick wall in the red zone and on third down and were able to put a lot of pressure on Stafford, bringing him down with six sacks and 10 QB hits.
Logan Wilson also had two interceptions on the night. That ability to create turnovers, give hitters short throws and, more importantly, keep Los Angeles out of the end zone, was crucial on a night when Burrow was clearly not at his best.
Speaking of Burrow, he has been playing well even as he continues to battle a calf injury. The biggest improvement is finally starting to sync up with Jah Mar Chase, who has had his best game of the season so far. In fact, his 12 receptions are a career high, which is certainly a positive sign for the future of this team.
In this game, Chase was very effective in scoring the only touchdown of the night and helped take the lead in the second half. On a third-and-10 play from the Rams’ 44-yard line, Burrow connected with Burrow for a 13-yard reception, helping to keep the drive alive.
Four plays later, Joe Mixon ran into the end zone for a 13-9 lead. From then on, the Bengals never relinquished the lead. It was a bad night for Los Angeles’ situational offense. He started the game 0-10 on third down and scored the game’s only conversion on the final play.
At that point, the Rams were unable to move the chains 99% of the night as they prayed for an onside kick to keep their hopes alive. This continued into the red zone, where they started 3-0, and once again their only conversion came on the final play of the night, with a successful onside kick effectively ending the game.
These outcomes in important aspects of the game simply do not lead to victory. It’s a bad night for any team, but it’s pretty shocking that the Rams were the culprit. Entering Week 3, Los Angeles led the NFL in red zone touchdown percentage (83.3%) and ranked third (58.1%).
Additionally, head coach Sean McVay struggled to return to games late. Instead of going fourth-and-5 from his own 30-yard line to the 10, McVay elected to punt with 6:09 left in the fourth quarter. This allowed Cincinnati to play 2 hours and 28 minutes before getting back on offense.
He then made a bizarre decision to call an early play on first-and-goal from the Bengals’ own 3-yard line with 1:35 left in regulation, ultimately wasting valuable time. It wasn’t the nail in the coffin, but McVay’s strange behavior during the race didn’t set the team up for success. There were several moments in this game that swung the pendulum toward a Bengals victory.
But Trey Hendrickson, who scored the third goal off Matthew Stafford, may have lit the fuse. With the game still tied at six, the Rams came out of halftime with a strong drive that nearly led to a touchdown. However, with third out and 6th base from the Bengals’ own 17-yard line, Hendrickson beat Stafford, allowing Los Angeles a field goal.
The momentum from that defensive stop transferred to the offense, driving 75 yards down the field for the first touchdown of the game and a four-point lead.
He didn’t have many amazing moments in this match. That said, Ahello Witherspoon’s interception of Joe Burrow in the fourth quarter is sure to garner rave reviews from film critics.
At this point, Los Angeles was still a touchdown behind the Bengals, but Cincinnati continued to advance down the field and threatened to extend its lead. After Joe Mixon made a fourth-and-1 to move the chains and get the Bengals to the Los Angeles 37-yard line, Burrow dropped back and targeted Tyler Boyd.
At that time, Witherspoon collided with Boyd as the ball arrived and was able to hold Boyd away for a one-handed interception. Unfortunately for the Rams, the offense went 3-1 on the ensuing possession and was unable to capitalize on the turnover.
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