Passing offense: D
Quarterback Andy Dalton made two awful decisions that proved lethal. One was a late throw off his back foot while being blitzed on third down, resulting in an interception. The other came on a first down with the Bengals at the San Diego 35, when he threw to a covered Tyler Eifert in the flat. The beat-up offensive line struggled to keep the San Diego pass rush at bay, which led to some of Dalton’s mistakes. But Dalton had plenty of time when missed a wide open Giovani Bernard on a third-and-1 play that would have been a big gain, and he botched a few other throws when pressure wasn’t an issue. On the plus side, Marvin Jones had a career day and set the franchise record for receiving yards in a playoff game (130).
Rushing defense: D+
You’re not going to win a playoff game – or any game for that matter – giving up 196 yards on the ground. True, 58 of those came on a late touchdown when the game was already decided, but the Bengals weren’t able to stop San Diego’s first-, second- or third-string running backs all day. The Chargers claimed starter Ryan Mathews wasn’t hurt and that the reason he only got one carry in the second half was what “was best for the team.” If that’s true, that’s a huge slap in the face that they thought they could rest their 1,200-yard back in the playoffs and save him for the following week.
Passing defense: C+
While it looks good to allow just 128 passing yards in a game, it’s important to note that San Diego only threw 16 passes. And Philip Rivers completed 12 of them. In the second half when the Bengals desperately needed stops, Rivers was 3 for 4 on third downs, with all three completions resulting in first downs. The Bengals sacked Rivers on third down of the opening possession of the game, but they never got any significant pressure on him the rest of the game.
Special teams: C
Brandon Tate had some decent kickoff returns, including a long of 33, but he managed just 6 yards on three punt returns, one of which he went backward for a 5-yard loss. New punter Zoltan Mesko dropped two inside the 20, but he sent his third punt into the end zone for a touchback, finishing the day with a 32.7-yard net.
Coaching: D
Whether it was the game plan going in or a reaction to the way things unfolded, ignoring the run game was a mistake. The Bengals ran all over the Chargers last month in San Diego, and the run game was working again Sunday. Why abandon it, especially when you have a quarterback who has proved to be prone to playoff mistakes. Shortening the game and decreasing the chances for Dalton to make mistakes would seem to be a priority. Another point of emphasis should have been to try to find a spark wherever possible. Other than A.J. Green, Adam Jones is best equipped to do that. But the Bengals kept sending Brandon Tate back to field punts instead of Jones. And while head coach Marvin Lewis didn’t commit any of the four turnovers, he is 0-5 in the playoffs and the responsibility for that futility ultimately falls on him.
About the Author