Bengals Bytes (9/11): Looking for answers

Stunned offense looking for answers after Opening oh
They have a saying in Maine when you come up with no points in a hand of cribbage. “Crabs in ice water.” That turned out to be the Bengals offense in Sunday’s disheveled effort during a 20-0 Opening Day loss to the Ravens at Paul Brown Stadium.

Gio supplies silver lining after Opening Day vow rings true
When they carted him off this field last November, Bengals running back Giovani Bernard knew this day would come even if everyone else was guessing. A mere 292 days after he blew out his ACL his enormous will was one of the silver linings in a mushroom cloud of a 20-0 Opening Day loss to the Ravens on the same Paul Brown Stadium turf.

Ravens at Bengals Postgame Quotes
Going into the game, we knew we couldn’t hurt ourselves with turnovers, and obviously we did that. We ended up with four or five. We had the ball in the scoring zone (red zone) a couple of times, and we don’t come away with anything. We turn the ball over and didn’t make the big play before halftime. We come out the second half and give the ball right back.

Ravens slam door on Bengals opener, 20-0
The biggest issues facing the Bengals in the hangover of Sunday’s 20-0 Opening Day loss to the Ravens before a stunned 55,254 at Paul Brown Stadium are right up front. Offense and defense. After three of four career-high Andy Dalton interceptions staked Baltimore to a 17-0 half-time lead, the dazed Bengals got a flicker of hope on the second half’s first series when SAM linebacker Nick Vigil made a diving interception at the Ravens 26.

Quick hits: Fear for Hopkins; Dalton takes blame; Suggs haunts again; Bengals picked apart
On Opening Day of their 50th anniversary season the Bengals had no time dwell on the wrong side of history they had just committed in Sunday’s loss to the Ravens by 20-0 at Paul Brown Stadium, scene of Thursday night’s suddenly next must-win game against the Texans. After the first home shutout loss in the 15 seasons of the Marvin Lewis Era, they were dealing with what seems to be their first major injury of the year. The fear is right guard Trey Hopkins suffered a major injury late in the first half, giving T.J. Johnson a promotion.

For Bengals, 0-3 start may be reality if offense continues to sputter
The Cincinnati Bengals' 20-0 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday might just be one game, but it was notable enough for Bengals coach Marvin Lewis to rank it among the most disappointing of his 15-year career. The Bengals committed nine penalties to go along with five sacks and five turnovers by their starting quarterback.

'Bad Andy' Dalton returns with dismal performance versus Ravens
The Cincinnati Bengals had plenty of things to worry about going into the season opener, but quarterback Andy Dalton wasn't supposed to be one of them. A 20-0 loss to the Ravens in Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday fell largely on Dalton's shoulders. Dalton completed 16 of 31 passes for 170 yards, four interceptions, a fumble and no touchdowns. He was sacked five times and finished with a quarterback rating of 28.4, the second-lowest of his career.

Giants, Texans, Bengals Lose Big. Should They Panic?
There’s only one question worth asking after the first NFL weekend: Is my team going to be OK? We can't start predicting who is going to be competitive into January, and stratifying the league’s middle-class will remain a fool’s errand well into autumn. But the opening slate of games is good for identifying the fatal flaws that could sink seasons. Seven teams lost by more than 10 points yesterday. If you’re a fan of one of them, should you be panicking?

NFL Week 1 Grades: Raiders get an 'A' for unusual win, Bengals a 'D' for Dalton
Signing a 27-year-old kicker -- who's never played in a regular season game -- less than 24 hours before your regular opener isn't something that usually works out for you, but it definitely worked out for the Raiders on Sunday. New kicker Giorgio Tavecchio, who spent time in six NFL training camps over the past five seasons before finally getting a shot to play this week, was the star of the game for Oakland. The former Cal kicker went 4 for 4 on the day, hitting field goals from 20, 52, 52 and 43 yards in the win.

Bengals make case as worst team in NFL with blowout loss to Ravens
The Jets, Browns, Bills and Colts have company, unexpectedly. On second thought, maybe it shouldn't have been unexpected. The Bengals look bad. Rock-bottom bad. No. 1 pick, Suck-for-Sam, Lose-for-Lamar bad. The Bengals didn't approach the 2017 season trying to "rebuild," or "emphasize youth," or "bring in your own people," or any of the other euphemisms in play to avoid admitting to tanking. They also didn't botch the health decisions of their starting quarterbacks, like certain Midwest-based teams with a franchise quarterback to nurture.

Doc: Some Cincinnati Bengals traditions aren't worth celebrating
The old guys came out at halftime wearing jerseys bearing the number 50, to celebrate half a century of Bengals history and their parts in it. He ranks 11th in team history in sacks!’’ said the public address man, as Gary Burley strode to midfield. “A six-time Pro Bowler, Leapin’ Lemar Parrish!” Parrish got big applause, some of the biggest of the day.

Will Bengals' Week 1 meltdown be the new standard?
This was not the result that fans needed to witness. As I watched the insanity at Paul Brown Stadium, my first thought was to pinch myself. It was indeed the Bengals home opener and it was also–to coin a phrase–hot garbage. My sincerest apologies for the knee-jerk reaction. But, sometimes, being polite will get you in worse trouble. There are times when honesty is truly the best policy to follow. The Bengals’ 20-0 loss to Baltimore was an exercise in frustration that brought back horrible memories.

Ravens defense dominates Bengals, posts team's first shutout since November 2009
The preparation for one of the more dominant defensive performances in team history started in late July. At the time, the Ravens were over seven weeks away from their regular-season opener here and they had four preseason opponents ahead of them.

Baltimore Ravens defense boldly backs up words by silencing Bengals
The Baltimore Ravens defense opened the 2017 season with an air of dominance and defiance that should've surprised no one -- especially if you've listened to the players this year. After six months of saying the defense's potential could be "legendary" and could rival Baltimore's historic 2000 defense, the Ravens made a loud early statement with a season-opening 20-0 win over the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday.

Sad set of stats from Cincinnati Bengals season opener
For a team that never has won a Super Bowl and doesn’t a playoff win since 1991, digging up the past is never a good thing. But to find something that rivals the performance the Cincinnati Bengals put on Sunday in a season-opening 20-0 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, it requires a deep dive into the annals.

Bengals' Joe Mixon: Leads team in touches
Mixon rushed for nine yards on eight carries and had 15 yards receiving on three catches in Sunday's loss to Baltimore. Mixon rushed for 10 yards on three carries and had a nine-yard catch during the Bengals' second drive, but didn't record a touch again until the fourth quarter where losses of four and five yards to end the game damaged his already modest production.

Bengals Fans Marry at Tailgate Ceremony
It started as a joke, but soon became a reality. Bengals fans Ryan Bidlack and Julia Kofler got married at a tailgate party on Sunday morning a couple of hours before the Bengals kicked off against the Ravens. Bengals.com talked with Bidlack before his wedding to learn more about the couple’s plans.

Ravens-Bengals by the numbers
Key numbers from the Ravens’ 20-0 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1

AFC North Bytes

Report: Steelers fear Stephon Tuitt tore his biceps tendon, could be done for the year
The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Cleveland Browns in Week 1, but they may have lost a big piece of their defense for an extended period of time. Early in the first quarter, defensive end Stephon Tuitt left the game with what was reported as an “arm” injury. He didn’t return to the game, and afterwards, Mike Tomlin stated the injury was to his biceps, and would need to be further evaluated.

Hue Jackson on DeShone Kizer's debut: 'This guy's going to be a really good player'
The Browns lost a game, but may have found a quarterback. Hue Jackson took a risk in starting rookie DeShone Kizer against the Steelers when no one else in the world thought he was ready, and Kizer backed him up with an outstanding debut in Sunday's 21-18 loss to the Steelers in the opener at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Random Bytes

Winners and Losers of NFL Week 1
Week 1 of the 2017 NFL regular season featured plenty of surprises, both good and bad. Watch the video above as Adam Lefkoe and Bleacher Report NFL Analyst Matt Miller break down the biggest winners and losers from Week 1.

Allen Robinson Out for the Season After Suffering Torn ACL vs. Texans
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Allen Robinson exited Sunday's game against the Houston Texans in the first quarter after suffering a knee injury, and the team would later announce it was diagnosed as a left knee ACL injury. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported it's an ACL tear and he'll be out for the rest of the 2017 season.

David Johnson Suffers Wrist Injury vs. Lions
The Arizona Cardinals announced running back David Johnson suffered a wrist injury in Sunday's 35-23 loss to the Detroit Lions. According to Pro Football Talk, initial X-rays on Johnson's wrist were negative. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Johnson suffered a sprained wrist. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported he'll have an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of the injury.

Beth Mowins: From Backyard Quarterback to MNF's 1st Woman in the Booth
Beth Mowins will make history Monday night when she becomes the first woman to call play-by-play on Monday Night Football. Mowins, the preseason voice of the Oakland Raiders and a fixture on ESPN college broadcasts for years, will be the first woman to call an NFL game since Gayle Sierens did a regional Seahawks-Chiefs game in 1987 on the last Sunday of the regular season. On Monday, she'll team with Rex Ryan (making his booth debut) on ESPN's late-night Chargers-Broncos game. Mowins will also join Jay Feely in the CBS booth for a regional Browns-Colts telecast September 24.