Baltimore was a tough match for the Bengals’ offense. Than can’t win against the Bills

Due to some strange late-game management from the Baltimore Ravens, the Cincinnati Bengals are heading to Buffalo to face the Bills. The Bengals won a win over their divisional rival with the key play of this game being on a 98-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard

The name of the game in the playoffs is survive and advance, so the Bengals don’t really have to be upset about the way they won. But in order to get past Buffalo, they’re going to need some more help from their offense.

Joe Burrow, the Bengals offense, had moments Sunday night in which they were moving the football, but overall, played below their standard against the tough, physical Ravens defense. This defense improved tremendously during the season. Cincinnati managed a mere 4.3 yards per play and survived thanks to third-down conversions. Converting 53.8% of your third downs is a great way to offset other struggles on offense, but it’s tough to win against better teams while also burning through first and second downs. According to Ben Baldwin of The Athletic, the Bengals got a first down on just 24% of their first- and second-down plays — comparatively, the Ravens achieved a first down on 31% of their first- and second-down plays.

More is required by the Bengals. The game was so close that it was evident that Hubbard had to make an amazing clutch fumble recovery for touchdown. Burrow was only able to run for 6.5 yards on each attempt and was sacked 4 times. Joe Mixon averaged 3.5 yards per attempt, struggling to find running lanes behind the Bengals’ beleaguered offensive line.

The tough part about the playoffs? How quick it is to turn the tide before you play an opponent that is better than your previous one. Josh Allen, the Bills’ quarterback, is expected to be on a higher level of NFL existence than Tyler Huntley. It will take some more energy to get past Buffalo than what the Bengals did against the Ravens. But they can rest easy knowing that their defense was strong.

The Bengals’ offense struggling doesn’t mean they’re doomed as they get ready for the Bills, though. The Bengals are able to match up against them well, while the Ravens do not have much to fear. Burrow was restrained for most of the Ravens game, but he had some third-and-long conversions which helped the Bengals keep some drives alive.

There’s just too much talent on the Bengals’ offensive roster to keep them in check for an entire game. As they prepare for a thrilling game against the Bills, they have one week to work out how to overcome their offensive line shortcomings. It won’t be easy, but Burrow, Mixon, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd are good enough to overcome that.

This team was able to win a game with a poor offensive showing, that’s a good thing. It’s possible that it won’t be the same result if you repeat the feat against the Bills.