Bengals roll with injuries, roll the Falcons

[Arkansas Bengal]

Bengals roll with injuries, roll the Falcons

Kevin Goheen FOX Sports Ohio

SEP 14, 2014 7:44p ET

 

Frank Victores / FR170726 AP

Cincinnati Bengals running back Giovani Bernard (25) dives into the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown in the first half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2014, in Cincinnati.

 

CINCINNATI -- A.J. Green is one of those automatic players. You put him in the game and you know the chances are good that you're going to get something special.

The Bengals got nothing from Green on Sunday against Atlanta. It's hard to produce when you're on the sideline with an injured toe.

Green was the first of five Bengals to leave the game and not come back. Defensive tackle Brandon Thompson (left knee), tight end Alex Smith (left biceps), right guard Kevin Zeitler (calf) and then star linebacker Vontaze Burfict (stinger) followed Green to the sideline. That's three starters â two of them Pro Bowlers â and two key backups not available to play.

So naturally, the Bengals rolled to a 24-10 victory against a team that was coming off the biggest offensive performance in its franchise's history. Last year the Bengals uttered the phrase "next man up" so often you'd think their eyes were permanently looking over their shoulders. Instead, they don't blink.

Quarterback Andy Dalton completed passes to five different receivers, none of whom have the last name of Green, and directed a running attack that produced 170 yards on 45 carries. It's the most rushing attempts by a Bengals team since Dec. 19, 2010, in a 19-17 win against Cleveland.

The defense held a Falcons offense that produced 37 points and 568 yards last week, including 448 yards passing, to just 309 yards and didn't allow it into the end zone until midway through the fourth quarter.

Next man up.

It's more than just having depth. It's having confidence to use that depth and count on it.

"I think attitude is most important," said head coach Marvin Lewis. "It really doesn't matter. 'If it's my turn, let's go. It's why I'm here.' They're all here for a reason, and they're all cut from similar cloth. They know what they're made of."

 

Green, now in his fourth season, had missed just one previous game and caught at least one pass in every game he's started. No receiver in NFL history had caught more passes than Green (260) through the first three seasons of a career. The Bengals were already minus wide receiver Marvin Jones (foot) and tight end Tyler Eifert (elbow) before the game started. Combined, the trio had accounted for 188 receptions, 2,583 yards and 23 touchdowns last season.

"During the game stuff happens so the next guy has to be ready, be focused in and be ready to make a play," said wide receiver Brandon Tate.

Tate is one guy who didn't catch a pass from Dalton. His lone reception came from fellow wide receiver Mohamed Sanu. It was good for 50 yards late in the first quarter. Sanu came in motion, took a quick flip from Dalton and then connected with Tate down the right sideline despite two Atlanta defenders in coverage.

The Bengals didn't get any points out of the possession but it proved the point that they didn't need their stars in the game in order to win it.

"I was excited because it was the perfect opportunity to make a play when we needed it," said Sanu, who is now 3-for-3 for 148 yards and one touchdown throwing the ball in his career. "Brandon Tate ran an unbelievable route and I just laid it up for him to go make a play on it and he did."

Sanu gave the Bengals some breathing room on the first possession of the third quarter the normal way. The Falcons came with a heavy blitz, leaving no deep safety help. Dalton checked into a slant route for Sanu and delivered the ball in stride for him against cornerback Robert Alford.

Seventy-six yards later, the Bengals had a 17-3 lead.

"I'll take the touchdown. Touchdowns are better (than completions)," said Sanu.

Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan had a career day last week against New Orleans, completing 31 of 43 passes for 448 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. The Bengals held him to 231 yards passing on 24-of-44 completions, one touchdown and three interceptions. His passer rating was 48.6, the fifth-worst rating for him in a game in his career.

The Bengals sacked Ryan twice but had nine total quarterback hits. They had 12 pass breakups in the game by seven different players.

"You could tell because you saw Matt running around all day that the DBs were on all of the routes," said defensive end Carlos Dunlap, who had one sack and five of the quarterback hits. "We just had to get him down. He was pretty shifty today but we got him a few times and got a few hits. Hopefully he's sore tomorrow."

Left tackle Andrew Whitworth hobbled off the field in the fourth quarter with a leg bruise but he came back on the next series. Whitworth is a genuine tough guy but he sat out the final possession, giving way to Marshall Newhouse. The Bengals were up 14 points and giving Whitworth a rest was a good idea at that point.

Whatever the reason, when a starter leaves the game these days the Bengals don't let it affect what they do.

"This team is built for that," said defensive end Robert Geathers, who is the longest tenured player on the team. "When I got here in '04, it wasn't. We weren't deep. We had guys coming in who had to play a lot and that guy was a drop-off when somebody else had to go in. But we're built for this. A lot of our guys who aren't starting could start in the league. I think we'll be fine. There are a lot of hungry guys waiting for opportunity."

 

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