Every week will bring win or losses. Those wins and losses will all have stand out players and players that underwhelm. Studs and Duds will highlight two players from each of those categories after every game. If there is a particularly bad game, there may be an extra dud and likewise for good games and the studs.
Studs
Andy Dalton, Quarterback
Andy Dalton bounced back from 4 interceptions against the Panthers with a 3 touchdown, 1 interception performance against the Falcons. He took full advantage of a banged up and vulnerable Atlanta defense. Even though it was an injury-laden defense, Dalton played so well that a healthy Atlanta defense may not have made a big difference. Standing tall in a regularly collapsing pocket, Dalton consistently found the open man. He was about as accurate as Bengals fans have ever seen him.
One of his biggest liabilities as a passer has always been throwing deep, and he finally looked efficient as a deep passer. The game-winning drive orchestrated by him might have been the best we’ve seen him play in a long time. Dalton is playing out of his mind this season for the most part and looks capable of a playoff run.
Tyler Boyd, Wide Receiver
Tyler Boyd is emerging as one of the best number-two wide receivers in the game. As shown on the game-winning drive, Dalton trusts him to be open and make the catch no matter what the situation. A.J. Green used to be the only player the Bengals could count on to be clutch (and he showed why with winning touchdown catch), now there is another reliable player. Clean breaks off the line of scrimmage, silky smooth route running, and much-improved hands are big reasons why he is so good. 11 receptions and another 100-yard game, fans and teams need to start paying attention to Boyd.
Honorable Mentions
- Offensive Line (excluding Bobby Hart) – A very weak offensive line had a relatively good game. Guard Alex Redmond still struggles and commits too many penalties but as a whole, the line held their own.
- John Ross – After a sorry excuse of a game against Carolina, Ross stepped up in week 4. He finally got behind the defense for a touchdown which is so nice to see from the former top ten draft pick.
Duds
Bobby Hart, Offensive Tackle
WHY IS THIS MAN STILL ALLOWED TO SEE THE FIELD? I will die on this hill if I have to – Bobby Hart is not fit to be on the football field. Cincinnati had bad tackle play in 2017, Hart is making the Cedric Ogbuehi and Jake Fisher duo look like All-Pros. The return of Takk McKinley meant that it was him beating Hart to a pulp instead of Vic Beasley as I had predicted. Hart was regularly embarrassed by McKinley. There is no one in the world that can convince me that Ogbuehi or Fisher would be worse for the Bengals than Hart has been.
Dre Kirkpatrick, Cornerback
Watch the Bengals sorry excuse of a veteran cornerback get roasted by a rookie at the bottom of the screen pic.twitter.com/cM4NObm3Cx
— Kenny Guthrie (@guthrie26) October 4, 2018
And again pic.twitter.com/ufaUxRzZG4
— Kenny Guthrie (@guthrie26) October 4, 2018
Dre Kirkpatrick was once a league average, solid cornerback. He has never been spectacular but always somewhat reliable. With all that being said, he is no longer even an average starter. Kirkpatrick is a liability in coverage week in and week out. He struggles to keep up with speed receivers and doesn’t have the feet or hips to keep up with precise route runners. Rookie Calvin Ridley smoked him for two touchdowns. Ridley didn’t just beat him, he straight up embarrassed Kirkpatrick. Don’t be surprised if Kirkpatrick ends up on this list more than once this season.
Honorable Mentions
- Shawn Williams, Safety – Williams is supposed to be the enforcer in the secondary. Maybe his ejection against Carolina made him play a little more reserved because he was not the aggressive player we all know him to be.
- Linebackers – Preston Brown brought stability to the middle and was a force in the run game. As a whole, the group struggled in pass protection which is a problem in the pass-happy NFL.
Kenny Guthrie is a Staff Writer for Full Press Coverage Bengals. Like and follow on Follow @guthrie26 Follow @FPC_Bengals.
