The Buccaneers (6-8) jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the second quarter, but Cincinnati took advantage of their second-half meltdown as the defense got four takeaways to help put the offense in good field position to mount a comeback. The Bengals scored on five straight drives between the end of the first half and early in the fourth quarter and finished the game with 34 straight points.
Here are three takeaways from the game:
1. Slow start for Cincinnati
The defense couldn’t stop Tom Brady in the first half, as he led the Bucs to 261 yards of offense with no turnovers, and Cincinnati’s offense couldn’t get anything going.
Joe Burrow had a pass tipped for an interception on the first drive, and the Bucs got on the board first with a field goal. The Bengals went three-and-out on offense three straight drives after that, and Tampa Bay got touchdowns on two of the ensuing possessions and missed a field goal on the other.
The Bengals finally put some points on the board with an Evan McPherson field goal at the end of the half, and that was the start of an incredible comeback.
Cincinnati only recorded 83 yards in the first half – a season low for any half. The Bengals had almost no running game in the first half with just four carries for 13 yards, and Burrow completed 10 of 14 passes for 86 yards and was sacked twice.
Brady threw for 194 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, and the Bucs had 67 yards rushing on 17 carries. Mike Evans caught five passes for 83 yards over the first two quarters, and Chris Godwin added 63 yards and a touchdown on six catches.
2. Bucs lost control
The Bengals defense stepped up in the second half but it started with some silly mistakes by the Bucs. Giovani Bernard tried to abort a fake punt on a fourth-and-1 at the Tampa Bay 26-yard line, but the center didn’t hear it and snapped while Bernard wasn’t looking. He managed to recover the fumble but the turnover on downs put Cincinnati on the 16-yard line.
Cincinnati settled for a field goal but the Bucs turned the ball over four straight possessions, and the Bengals got touchdowns on three straight drives.
Tre Flowers had the first takeaway, becoming the first cornerback to record an interception for the Bengals this season. Then, DJ Reader forced a fumble punching the ball out while Logan Wilson sacked Brady, and Joseph Ossai recovered. Later, Brady fumbled an exchange and Reader recovered, and in the fourth quarter Germaine Pratt had his second pick of the season when Ossai tipped a pass while pressuring Brady. Pratt grabbed the ball just before it hit the ground.
The three third-quarter turnovers marked the first time in Brady’s career he lost two fumbles and recorded an interception.
3. Overcoming adversity
Not only did the Bengals overcome the slow start, they also battled injuries before and during the game. Defensive end Trey Hendrickson and cornerback Mike Hilton were both ruled out Friday, and Cincinnati lost Sam Hubbard (calf) and Cam Taylor-Britt (shoulder) during the game.
The Bengals accounted for Hendrickson not being available by trying some new rotations on the defensive line. B.J. Hill took some snaps at defensive end, and Josh Tupou started in his usual tackle spot. Cam Sample and Ossai played third downs, but when Hubbard went out in the second quarter Sample stepped into his spot on early downs.
Taylor-Britt went down early in the fourth quarter, forcing Tre Flowers into action on the outside. Dax Hill had started in the nickel corner role with Hilton out, and Brady had been targeting the two rookies early in the game.
Offensively, the Bengals came to life in the second half, but the short fields made it easier so the stats weren’t overly impressive. Burrow finished with 200 yards passing and four touchdowns, including one to each of his three starting wide receivers and tight end Mitch Wilcox scored the final touchdown on a 19-yard reception. Wilcox has been starting in Hayden Hurst’s spot while he is out with a calf injury.
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