Earlier in the game Tyler Boyd was hit out of bounds and ended up exchanging punches with Xavien Howard, causing both to be ejected. The Bengals are now 2-9-1 and have struggled offensively since Joe Burrow’s season-ending injury three weeks ago.
“I don’t think they’re related whatsoever,” Bernard said. “Zero relation. You know it’s football, guys are gonna get pissed off because somebody hits them. You know, like somebody hits me in the back, I’m gonna get pissed off too, whether or not we’ve won every single game or not. Doesn’t matter. You know, it’s football. Tempers are gonna fly a couple of times and it is what it is.”
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the incidents are being reviewed for possible fines but not suspensions.
There had been a lot of back-and-forth talking between players throughout the game. Asked if that was a sign Miami (8-4) was a little overconfident, Bernard laughed a bit.
“I mean, it’s tough to say,” he said. “I really don’t try to worry about what other guys are saying. I just don’t really have the time or the patience or the energy to waste on conversations like that. So, I have to really just do what I can to help my team win, but obviously they’re playing good football right now. But that, you know, I don’t care about their confidence, I just care about my own and my own teammates.”
Zac Taylor News Conference https://t.co/UJZO1bnURh
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) December 7, 2020
Defensive tackle Mike Daniels was right in the middle of it all, trying to make sure everyone was staying out of trouble and to make sure his teammates and coaches were safe. Assistant Nick Cosgray was knocked down, but head coach Zac Taylor said he is doing OK.
Daniels said “you could see the leaders on both sides really trying to keep order.” He had only been part of a brawl like that in his youth football days, but something like that has the potential to galvanize a team, as players show they support one another.
“Oh absolutely, guys coming together, and that’s football,” Daniels said. “You’re technically in a fight the whole game. It’s just a fight without the punches to the face, so that’s just football.”
Taylor said the players were still disappointed in the loss as they returned to work, virtually, on Monday as they begin preparations for the Dallas Cowboys – and former Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton -- on Sunday.
Cincinnati has lost four straight games since closing the first half of the season with a win over Tennessee.
“Always disappointing when you lose and you lose the stretch of games that we’ve lost,” Taylor said. “Particularly going into the last three games at halftime, we feel like we’re in control and doing the things we set out to do. And then in the third quarter, we haven’t accomplished our mission there. That leads to frustration. Everyone is handling it the right way, but there’s nothing wrong with being frustrated and disappointed. We’ve got to put it behind us and get focused on Dallas this week very quickly.”
The Bengals for the second time this season recorded just 25 yards of offense in the second half, and closing out games has been a common theme in many of the losses this year. They also had 25 yards in the second half against Washington, but that was the game when they lost Burrow in the third quarter and Ryan Finley came in cold.
Cincinnati lost left tackle Jonah Williams in the second half Sunday, but the game was already slipping away before that. Left guard Mike Jordan got replaced for the final series because of poor performance and likely will be bumped by Quinton Spain in the future with Xavier Sua-Filo now showing he is ready to return at right guard. Taylor didn’t have an update on Williams’ right knee injury yet but it’s likely he will be out at least a couple weeks.
SUNDAY’S GAME
Dallas at Cincinnati, 1 p.m., Fox, 700, 1530, 102.7, 104.7
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