Bengals Win As Sh*t Hits The Fin
By Rob Ward
Thursday Night Football in Week 4 delivered two teams that, when on form, deliver spectacular passing games. But as your old mate Wardy brings you his recap, the focus of last night remains squarely on the health of Tua Tagovailoa:
The shit has hit the fan. Or, to be more precise, the Fin.
When Bills’ linebacker Matt Milano drove Miami’s quarterback Tua Tagavailoa into the ground Sunday, we all saw the images of Tua get to his feet, wobble uncontrollably and be taken off the field for assessment. It looked to all the world like a concussion. The Dolphins claimed it to be a reaggravation of a back injury, and Tua returned to lead the Bills to a dramatic victory over their AFC East rivals. The organisation, it’s medical staff and Tua himself have maintained that line in the four days since.
But to the majority of observers, regardless of their medical background, one conclusion was drawn. If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck then it’s probably a clucking duck.
On Thursday night, when Bengals’ defensive tackle Josh Tupou brought the Alabama alumni down, in an incident eerily similar to that which took place in the sweltering Miami heat in Week 3, the situation escalated. Tua lay motionless. Medical staff charged onto the field. A stretcher was called for. Dolphins’ players gathered around their stricken comrade as he was taken from the field and straight to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. It was later confirmed to have been a concussion.
It was a chilling sight and one that you can’t help but feel could – and perhaps should – have been avoided.
The court of public opinion has delivered its verdict. And how. Now it is down to the medical staff who cared for Tua following Sunday to explain themselves, as well as for the top brass and coaching staff of the Miami Dolphins – and the NFL – to answer one question: how the hell was he allowed to take to the field Thursday?
To reiterate, I am no medical expert. But even if there was no concussion on Sunday and it was ‘only’ a back and neck injury, don’t the organisation have a care of duty to their player? Particularly on a short week.
The whole incident has overshadowed the action that took place on the field as Joe Burrow brought the Bengals back to .500 with a 27-15 victory.
QB1 has arrived. @JoeyB | #RuleTheJungle pic.twitter.com/wgyppMNrEc
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) September 29, 2022
It is difficult to talk football when there remains a strong sense that we have just witnessed an egregious neglect of a player’s welfare, but I’ll offer up some takes on the game.
It was colour rush night for the home team in the Queen City and so the Bengals decided to play in all white. I couldn’t work out at first whether I was watching a Siegfried & Roy spectacular or there were simply too many referees on the field. The crowd seemed to get into it. Paul Brown Stadium (or whatever corporate moniker it has now adopted) was a sea of white.
Mike Brown was there. Sat in his box and reading from a play sheet. He may well have been calling plays, such was the antiquated approach taken by the Bengals for most of this match. Why throw for a first down when you can rush for 2 yards? Cincinnati was determined to get Joe Mixon going. We’ve seen the tactic used many times before on TNF. Ground and pound and tire out the opposing defense on a short week, particularly when said opposing defense had been on the field for 90 plays against the Bills four days prior.
The problem is, the Bengals are not very good at doing it. The offensive line is pants and Joe Mixon looks like a running back on the decline. If he wasn’t running up the gut for no gain, he was labouring to the edge. In one particularly comedic moment, the Bengals ran the ball three straight times from inside the 10 (to no joy) and, on 2nd down, Mixon rushed straight into the back of his own lineman La’el Collins on a rare occasion when the Line managed to open a lane into the endzone. True, Mixon did score a rushing touchdown on the Bengals’ first drive of the game, but even that required the entire offensive unit to barge him into the paint in a scene reminiscent of a playground scrap.
All the more mystifying when you have two of the best receivers in football. Chase finished the first half on 1 catch for 8 yards. Tee Higgins was heading in the same direction bar the one moment when the coaching staff opened up the playbook and allowed Burrow to test the Dolphins’ secondary. He connected on Higgins for a 61-yard TD targeting Xavien Howard.
The Dolphins stayed around in this game thanks to the mostly positive play of replacement quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who drove them down the field shortly upon entering and connected with Chase Edmonds for a score. They briefly led in the third quarter before being overwhelmed in the fourth, when Joe Burrow was finally allowed to be Joe Burrow.
Vonn Bell making a case for Defensive Player of the Week 🔒 pic.twitter.com/NeUP6I9lqJ
— PFF CIN Bengals (@PFF_Bengals) September 30, 2022
Shout out to some defensive players in this one. The Dolphins’ stout run defense was motored by Christian Wilkins, Jerome Baker and Elandon Roberts, whilst Bengals’ safety Von Bell had two picks, one on each quarterback, with the second effectively killing the game.
But it was hard to reflect on anything else in this game with the situation involving Miami’s Number 1. We wait and see what happens as the inquisition continues. The can of worms has been opened and could have ramifications for the Dolphins and, indeed, the NFL for years to come.
Fantasy Fallout
Joe Mixon’s usage is elite. He had 28 total touches in this game. But he rushed at an average of 2.5 YPC and bailed you out with his touchdown. Despite this, the Bengals refused to go away from him and he doesn’t have a situation like others in the league with a hungry rookie or capable number two breathing down his neck. He has Samaje Perine. If you can still trade on his name, it might be worth exploring options. Otherwise, you’re stuck and you’re hoping the volume will continue and he can find paydirt.
I don’t think Teddy hurts Hill and Waddle too much. He’s one of the best backups around, he knows how to manage a game and should be fine in the Dolphins’ system of short passes and big YAC. Waddle was quiet tonight. It happens.
Raheem Mostert looks the lead running back right now. Chase Edmonds had 7 total touches and luckily scored. He’s probably bench worthy right now, even in PPR.
ROB WARD
NFL/Fantasy Football Enthusiast
ROB IS A LOVER OF ALL THINGS 49ERS AND HOST OF THE COLLAPSING POCKET PODCAST IN WHICH HE, SIMON CARROLL AND SAM AKROYD BUTT-FUMBLE THEIR WAY THROUGH THE WORLD OF THE NFL. AWAY FROM SPORT, ROB IS A PROFESSIONAL WRITER AND PERFORMER. HIT HIM UP ON TWITTER @ROBWARDRW!