For the NFL’s seven winless teams, is it time to panic or should they stay the course? ConorOrr examines
First, it’s fair to note that the Bengals have faced two of the best individual pass rushers in the NFL over their first two weeks. By extension, they faced two of the most difficult pass rushes in the league, anchored by a pair of coaches who are able to vary their fronts and present an expansive array of looks. I took a look back at the Steelers game, especially early on, and noted that the protection problems Cincinnati was having should not be considered terminal.
Burrow seems to be sensitive to the amount of protection he’s receiving via the scheme, asking the coaching staff on the sidelineon the following play during a water break. But, he’s also extending plays when he shouldn’t be. Our thesis here is that perhaps Burrow and coach Zac Taylor are still working out individual responsibilities for adjusting protection at the line. Meanwhile, Burrow is simultaneously getting used to life without the incredibly dependable blocking tight end C.J. Uzomah, getting acclimated to game speed again and getting used to his completely retooled offensive line. All of this is fixable.Renfrow and the Raiders saw one slip through their hands against the Cardinals.
The underlying point: Despite playing middling football and suffering from a few thorny situations, the Raiders were in position to win against the Cardinals. They had a chance to beat the Chargers in Week 1, having the ball while trailing by less than a score in the closing minutes before Derek Carr was sacked twice. They are running the ball well and should they be able to dictate the pace of a game; we could see them improving fairly rapidly.