11-01-2023, 07:53 AM
NFL.Com -11
Don't look now, but Joe Burrow and the Bengals are hot, with the offense and defense quickly making huge strides following a 1-3 start. Sunday's victory over San Francisco marked the first time this season one could say Cincinnati resembled a team capable of winning the Super Bowl. Burrow connected on 19 straight passes at one point against the 49ers, and the Bengals' defense forced three turnovers, holding the Niners to 10 points over the final 48-plus minutes. Getting Tee Higgins and Joe Mixon back in a little groove helped, and Cincy could have scored more, had Irv Smith Jr. not fumbled near the goal line. The Bengals are back, just in time for a huge matchup at home vs. the Bills on Sunday Night Football.
Bleacher Report - 9
Last Week: 10
Week 8 Result: Won at San Francisco 31-17
Here come the Cincinnati Bengals.
After a rocky start to the season that included a 1-3 record and a clearly hobbled quarterback, Joe Burrow and the Bengals have peeled off three wins in a row. The last two have come against the top two teams in the NFC West, including an emphatic win Sunday in San Francisco in which the Bengals looked a lot more like the Super Bowl contender we expected to see in 2023.
After the game, head coach Zac Taylor told reporters that he knew it was just a matter of time until the real Bengals showed up.
"This is what we know we're capable of," Taylor said.
Wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase echoed a similar refrain, directed specifically at his quarterback.
"All you need to say now is, 'Welcome back, Burrow. Welcome back,'" Chase said.
For Cincinnati's star quarterback, it was just a matter of feeling like himself for the first time this season.
"I worked really hard on that all offseason and for four or five weeks I haven't been able to really show that," Burrow said. "So, when you see hard work pay off, it's exciting."
Seeing this complete of an effort from the Bengals should scare the rest of the AFC. But the Bengals don't get any time to bask in the glow in victory.
Sunday night Josh Allen and the Bills come to the Queen City.
Profootballtalk- 11
“Here they come”
The score - 7
For the second straight year, the Bengals have bounced back after starting the season 1-3. However, it'll be hard for Cincinnati to maintain its momentum, as the team has the second-hardest strength of schedule left this year.
Yahoo - 10
Maybe the Bengals are back. Those issues that seemed hard to fix a few weeks ago all were fine when they were dominating the 49ers' defense on Sunday. We can pretty much go forward assuming Cincinnati has returned to being a top team, though a Week 9 game against the Bills will be telling.
Fox sports - 11
Joey B. and the boys are back. It's one thing to win three out of four, but bullying the 49ers at their own place is an achievement of its own. Even if we think the Niners have taken a step or two back, this is still the most complete team the Bengals have beaten — and they got the job done on both sides of the ball. It took a minute, but Cincinnati finally looks like a team to fear.
USA Today - 10
They seem to be back, QB Joe Burrow looking quite spry and highly accurate Sunday as Cincinnati won for the fourth time in its past five games. But speaking of four out of five, the Stripes will face Buffalo, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Jacksonville over the next five weeks.
The ringer - 8
Welcome Back bengals. The rest of the NFL made a big mistake letting the Bengals hang around over the first six weeks of the season, and now it sure feels like they're back among the legit Super Bowl contenders. Quarterback Joe Burrow looked healthier than he has all season, completing 28 of 32 passes for 283 yards and three touchdowns against the 49ers. It was vintage Burrow—escaping pressure, scrambling for first downs, dropping dimes downfield. It was only one game, but given what it looked like, and who it was against, that victory felt pretty meaningful for Cincinnati. —Sheil Kapadia
Don't look now, but Joe Burrow and the Bengals are hot, with the offense and defense quickly making huge strides following a 1-3 start. Sunday's victory over San Francisco marked the first time this season one could say Cincinnati resembled a team capable of winning the Super Bowl. Burrow connected on 19 straight passes at one point against the 49ers, and the Bengals' defense forced three turnovers, holding the Niners to 10 points over the final 48-plus minutes. Getting Tee Higgins and Joe Mixon back in a little groove helped, and Cincy could have scored more, had Irv Smith Jr. not fumbled near the goal line. The Bengals are back, just in time for a huge matchup at home vs. the Bills on Sunday Night Football.
Bleacher Report - 9
Last Week: 10
Week 8 Result: Won at San Francisco 31-17
Here come the Cincinnati Bengals.
After a rocky start to the season that included a 1-3 record and a clearly hobbled quarterback, Joe Burrow and the Bengals have peeled off three wins in a row. The last two have come against the top two teams in the NFC West, including an emphatic win Sunday in San Francisco in which the Bengals looked a lot more like the Super Bowl contender we expected to see in 2023.
After the game, head coach Zac Taylor told reporters that he knew it was just a matter of time until the real Bengals showed up.
"This is what we know we're capable of," Taylor said.
Wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase echoed a similar refrain, directed specifically at his quarterback.
"All you need to say now is, 'Welcome back, Burrow. Welcome back,'" Chase said.
For Cincinnati's star quarterback, it was just a matter of feeling like himself for the first time this season.
"I worked really hard on that all offseason and for four or five weeks I haven't been able to really show that," Burrow said. "So, when you see hard work pay off, it's exciting."
Seeing this complete of an effort from the Bengals should scare the rest of the AFC. But the Bengals don't get any time to bask in the glow in victory.
Sunday night Josh Allen and the Bills come to the Queen City.
Profootballtalk- 11
“Here they come”
The score - 7
For the second straight year, the Bengals have bounced back after starting the season 1-3. However, it'll be hard for Cincinnati to maintain its momentum, as the team has the second-hardest strength of schedule left this year.
Yahoo - 10
Maybe the Bengals are back. Those issues that seemed hard to fix a few weeks ago all were fine when they were dominating the 49ers' defense on Sunday. We can pretty much go forward assuming Cincinnati has returned to being a top team, though a Week 9 game against the Bills will be telling.
Fox sports - 11
Joey B. and the boys are back. It's one thing to win three out of four, but bullying the 49ers at their own place is an achievement of its own. Even if we think the Niners have taken a step or two back, this is still the most complete team the Bengals have beaten — and they got the job done on both sides of the ball. It took a minute, but Cincinnati finally looks like a team to fear.
USA Today - 10
They seem to be back, QB Joe Burrow looking quite spry and highly accurate Sunday as Cincinnati won for the fourth time in its past five games. But speaking of four out of five, the Stripes will face Buffalo, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Jacksonville over the next five weeks.
The ringer - 8
Welcome Back bengals. The rest of the NFL made a big mistake letting the Bengals hang around over the first six weeks of the season, and now it sure feels like they're back among the legit Super Bowl contenders. Quarterback Joe Burrow looked healthier than he has all season, completing 28 of 32 passes for 283 yards and three touchdowns against the 49ers. It was vintage Burrow—escaping pressure, scrambling for first downs, dropping dimes downfield. It was only one game, but given what it looked like, and who it was against, that victory felt pretty meaningful for Cincinnati. —Sheil Kapadia