The Bengals fell to 1-4 with Sunday’s overtime loss to the Ravens, but they were gifted a golden opportunity to try to win the game on Baltimore’s first possession of the extra period.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson fumbled a snap and the Bengals recovered on the Ravens’ 38-yard-line. They ran the ball three times and got the ball to the 35 before calling on kicker Evan McPherson, who missed his field goal try after a botched snap. The Ravens would win a couple of plays later and wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins took issue with the offensive approach after the game.
Higgins said he thought the team should have been “a little bit more aggressive” on a day when Joe Burrow threw for 392 yards and head coach Zac Taylor said at a Monday press conference that he has no issue with the criticism.
“It’s fine. It’s after the game, it’s emotional and those two guys made every single play that came to them. They want the opportunity to finish the game off. That doesn’t bother me for one second. . . . I have to make decisions that I’ll take full blame for when they don’t go our way and we lose the game. That’s part of my job. That’s part of this profession. That’s what I love about it, to be honest with you.”
Speaking more generally about the team’s poor start, Taylor said he has to put them in “better position” to win games. Letting Burrow throw to Chase and Higgins might be a good start on that front.
