Raiders @ Bengals
Final Score: Bengals 41, Raiders 24
Writer: Brett Ford (@FadeThatMan on Twitter)
Two underachieving teams met in Cincinnati on Sunday afternoon as the Bengals hosted the Las Vegas Raiders in the early time slot. Both squads entered this game coming off of a loss with the Bengals having fallen to the Eagles, 37-17, a week ago while the Raiders limped in on a four-game losing streak, including a tightly contested loss to the division rival Kansas City Chiefs, 27-20, a week ago. Joe Burrow looked every bit of a superstar, slicing and dicing the Raider defense for a career-high five touchdowns while on the other side of the ball, Gardner Minshew was relieved of quarterbacking duties midway through the game for the third time this season. This game featured plenty of offense, as with nearly every Cincinnati game this season defense was optional. Let’s dig in.
Four Up
- Joe Burrow – Burrow was outstanding again, and this time his defense didn’t give up as many points as he scored!
- Chase Brown – Chase Brown was meant for a bellcow role and Sunday’s game proves it!
- Mike Gesicki – Worst Gritty in the NFL, but he got to do it twice on Sunday on a pair of scores
- Jakobi Meyers – Picked up the slack as Brock Bowers had a slow day
Three Down
- Ja’Marr Chase – He just doesn’t run deep enough routes – blame Zac Taylor.
- Gardner Minshew – Getting pulled for performance reasons AGAIN wasn’t what Minshew had in mind for Sunday’s game.
- Alexander Mattison – Only nine touches, and zero pass-game involvement
Las Vegas Raiders
Quarterback
Gardner Minshew: 10/17, 124 Yards | 1 Carry, Fumble (Lost)
I’m not sure what the Raiders were expecting coming into this season, but when you put a below-average quarterback behind a below-average offensive line with a below-average running game you’re probably going to get below-average results. Minshew has had his moments, but Sunday was devoid of any good ones. Minshew was pulled in the third quarter after leading the Raiders on three consecutive scoreless drives. It marked Minshew’s third start of the season where he was pulled for performance reasons, not a good look for the journeyman quarterback.
Desmond Ridder: 11/16, 74 Yards, TD | 1 Carry, 2 Yards, Fumble (Lost)
Desmond Ridder came into the game with the hope of providing a spark to a stagnant offense, but in each of his first two drives under center, the Raiders went backwards and punted after just three plays. He started with a short field on his third drive and took the team 31 yards on 12 plays but couldn’t convert in Bengals territory turning the ball over on downs. Ridder is a downgrade from Minshew from an arm-talent perspective and would hurt Las Vegas pass-catchers’ fantasy outlooks if he were to take over.
Running Back
Alexander Mattison: 9 Carries, 36 Yards
It was not a good day for Alexander Mattison, who carried the ball just nine times, had his only touchdown opportunity vultured by fellow running back Zamir White, and was not involved in the passing game at all. Fantasy managers that have watched Mattison perform on their benches in previous weeks are seething if they decided to start him this week.
Zamir White: 6 Carries, 10 Yards,TD
Congratulations if you stuck with White since draft season. He’s been hot garbage so far this season (as has the Raiders’ run game in general) but in this one, he pounded the rock up the middle and found the end zone. Really, he did it twice on the same drive as a penalty kept him out the first time. White saw six touches on just seven offensive snaps, but two of them came in goal-to-go situations (including his touchdown). He’s now in Mattison’s old vulture role which means very little other than frustrating fantasy managers.
Ameer Abdullah: 4 Carries, 12 Yards | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 14 Yards
Ameer Abdullah was on the field for 30 of 61 offensive snaps for the Raiders, proving his role as the passing situation back. With Las Vegas trailing by multiple scores for nearly the entire second half, Abdullah was the guy in the backfield for most of that time.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Brock Bowers: 8 Targets, 5 Receptions, 45 Yards
The best fantasy tight end in the league had his slowest day in quite some time, catching just five passes for 45 yards as his quarterback (and his backup quarterback) struggled. Bowers’ usage has been elite so far this season, but the Bengals did a solid job of tilting the defense to take him away as much as possible.
Jakobi Meyers: 7 Targets, 6 Receptions, 52 Yards, TD
With the defense focusing on Bowers, Jakobi Meyers was able to feast, pulling in a season-high eight catches and breaking the century mark for the first time this year. Former QBL correspondent Ryan Heath (@RyanJ_Heath) laid out why Meyers should see increased usage and success in his pre-game tweet. With the Bengals’ alignment, Meyers was poised for a big game and delivered despite spotty quarterback play.
https://www.twitter.com/RyanJ_Heath/status/1853097824994382216
DJ Turner: 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 28 Yards, TD | 1 Carry, 4 Yards
DJ Turner had a late touchdown that buoyed his production. He’s the WR2 on the roster, but with Bowers as the tight end, he really is the third option, and the offense is not good enough for him to be rostered.
Tre Tucker: 6 Targets, 2 Receptions, 5 Yards
Tre Tucker was relegated to the flat areas and didn’t make much happen after the catch. On the field for 56 of 61 offensive snaps, his role as WR2 is solidified but it didn’t mean much on Sunday.
Harrison Bryant: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 22 Yards
Ramel Keyton: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 7 Yards
Cincinnati Bengals
Quarterback
Joe Burrow: 27/39, 251 Yards, 5 TDs, INT | 3 Carries, 11 Yards
Every time I cover Burrow, he throws for five touchdowns. Burrow tied a career-high, matching his output against the Ravens earlier this season, with five touchdown passes as the Bengals worked the Raiders’ secondary to the tune of 251 yards and 41 points. His only mistake of the game was a telegraphed screen pass to Ja’Marr Chase in the flat that was read easily and picked off for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Other than that, Burrow was nearly flawless. With 20 touchdowns and just four picks this season, Burrow continues to shine in stripes.
Running Back
Zack Moss: DNP – Injury
Chase Brown:
27 Carries, 120 Yards | 5 Targets, 5 Receptions, 37 Yards, TD
Brown looked every bit the part of a below running back, taking over the backfield with Zack Moss sitting this one out. Brown darted around the field for 120 rushing yards, grabbing 4.4 yards per carry, and then snatched all five of his targets for 37 yards and a touchdown. This is the type of usage that fantasy managers were hoping for during draft season when he skyrocketed up draft boards. He looks so explosive and I want him to get the ball every snap just to watch him run.
https://www.twitter.com/CoachMinich/status/1853250798186090879
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Ja’Marr Chase: 11 Targets, 7 Receptions, 43 Yards
Sometimes, I wish Zac Taylor would get out of his own way and just let his talented guys do things that only they can do. Taylor loves to run Chase on West Coast-style routes, short and immediate, with the hope that the talented wide receiver can get yards after catch. Chase’s average depth of target (aDOT) this season is 9.0 yards, which tracks with his career numbers. But if Taylor would allow his top wide receiver to get deeper downfield in his routes, we would see so much more fantasy production from one of the best in the game. Dear Zac Taylor, Let Chase Cook!
Tee Higgins: DNP
Andrei Iosivas: 4 Targets, 1 Reception, 10 Yards, TD
Andrei Iosivas was on the field a ton, playing more snaps than Chase, but he was an afterthought for Burrow for nearly the entire game. His one catch came in the red zone where he stretched his body to the goal line to earn the touchdown.
https://www.twitter.com/Bengals/status/1853155789973684715
Mike Gesicki: 6 Targets, 5 Receptions, 100 Yards
Mike Gesicki was the biggest beneficiary of Tee Higgins‘ absence, going for 100 yards for the first time as a Bengal. In the last three games that Higgins has missed, Gesicki has finished with 100, 73, and 91 receiving yards. On Sunday, Gesicki worked his way to the back corner of the end zone as Burrow extended the play to find the tight end (and then he celebrated with the NFL’s worst Gritty). Late in the game, the Raiders oversold on a Chase screen in the flats and left Gesicki wide, WIDE open in the seam for a long score.
https://www.twitter.com/Underdog__NFL/status/1853179633388106060
Erick All, Jr.: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 24 Yards
Tanner Hudson: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 14 Yards
Drew Sample: 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 14 Yards, TD
The Bengals used four tight ends in this game, with each of them earning at least two targets. Drew Sample led all four of them with 56 offensive snaps played while Gesicki ran 25 routes and Sample ran 21. Erick All Jr. and Tanner Hudson ran 10 and nine routes, respectively. Gesicki is the clear top pass-catching tight end in this offense while All should be viewed as a budding pass-catcher. Sample and Hudson are blockers that might run a route here and there.