Trey Hendrickson made the play that summed up the Cincinnati Bengals’ performance on Sunday.
The Bengals did just enough to defeat what might be the NFL’s worst team.
The Bengals got out of Charlotte, North Carolina, with a 34-24 win over the Carolina Panthers , giving Cincinnati its first victory of the season two days before October. But no one should feel much better about the Bengals.
Bengals' defense vs Ravens, Lamar Jackson next week
Especially with the rugged Baltimore Ravens coming to Paycor Stadium on Sunday. And especially with uncertainty about Hendrickson, the Bengals' lone defensive star who left the game in the fourth quarter with a neck injury. Being 1-3 heading into your first AFC North game of the season isn't exactly ideal, particularly after the Bengals had to fight like hell to stave off a pesky Panthers team.
Cincinnati’s much-maligned defense got diced up by former Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton. The Bengals made a handful of plays that saved them against the No. 28 offense in the league entering the game.
Trey Hendrickson injury looms large after win
None were bigger than when Hendrickson relentlessly pushed through a blocker, reached out and barely grabbed Dalton’s arm just as the quarterback released a pass late in the first quarter.
The ball fluttered in the air like a wounded pigeon, falling into Bengals safety Vonn Bell’s hands. Bell’s return set up a short field, and the Bengals scored first on Chase Brown’s three-yard touchdown run.
The Bengals made another opportunistic play on the opening drive of the game. With nothing to lose, the Panthers went for it on fourth-and-goal from the Bengals’ 1-yard line. Cincinnati rookie defensive tackle Kris Jenkins Jr. stuffed Chuba Hubbard, and the Bengals took over on downs.
Andy Dalton, Panthers' offense moves ball vs Bengals' defense
Still, Carolina had first-half drives of 69, 70 and 70 yards, the last two ending in touchdowns. The Panthers ran a double-digit number of plays on every drive. Dalton often picked on cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt, who’s only an all-pro at trash-talking.
Cincinnati’s front office thinks games like this are the blueprint for success. The Bengals have spent most of their resources on quarterback Joe Burrow and the offense, which has played well the last three games. The organization went cheap on defense. The Bengals have a depth chart full of defensive draft busts and underachievers – and their defensive line has been decimated by injuries.
But the front office thinks the defense only has to make just enough plays, and the offense will do the rest. That may work against teams like the Panthers, who have lost 18 of their last 21 games since the start of last season. But it won’t cut it against division rivals Baltimore, Pittsburgh and other top teams in the AFC.
We actually found out last week that formula doesn’t work against mediocre teams, either. Need anyone be reminded the Washington Commanders and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels waltzed into Paycor Stadium and strutted away with a 38-33 primetime victory.
Chuba Hubbard became the latest average running back to gash the Bengals. He topped 100 yards rushing and a touchdown, helping the Panthers to record 151 yards on the ground against a team that entered 26th in the NFL against the run.
What are Baltimore's Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson going to do against the Bengals?
Contact columnist Jason Williams at jwilliams@enquirer.com
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Williams: Cincinnati Bengals do just enough to win. It won't cut it against good NFL teams
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