Bengals News (9/9): Defense kept Cincinnati in it

Defense Makes Its Stand
Using a battery of creative schemes, last year’s last-ranked defense sent a message as loud as its offensive counterparts by smothering the NFL’s top running game on 2.9 yards per carry while sacking quarterback Russell Wilson four times. Anarumo mixed it up, often playing a five-man line. Other times he used three safeties and no linebackers. His top two helmet callers were safeties, first Shawn Williams and then Jessie Bates III.

Taylor, Bengals Leave Calling Card In Bitter Miss
The Bengals hired Taylor to steal games like the one on Sunday, a grimy, dank gut-check of an opener in a Northwest mausoleum where you’re never supposed to win. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and his wunderkind of a quarterback Russell Wilson have never lost a home opener and are fresh off the playoffs. Of the last 15 AFC opponents that have dared darken the door, 14 have been carried out on their shields.

Bengals at Seahawks Postgame Quotes
“With Russell Wilson, they are going to hit big plays. You try and limit it as best you can. We did a great job of pressuring him and getting him out of his comfort zone. He is going to step up and make some plays. He has played in the league a long time. We knew the big plays were going to come at some point, you’re not going to be perfect. You just have to limited him and I thought they did a good job of that.”

Quick Hits: 'We’re going to win a lot of games with those guys if they play like they did today.'
Taylor knows why didn’t win despite out-gaining Seattle, 429-233, and keeping the ball nearly 10 more minutes. They didn’t score a touchdown in three red-zone trips, they missed a 45-yard field goal and they missed two third-down tackles that turned into a Seattle touchdown instead of a field goal.

Bengals Can't Close Out Hawks In Opener
As the clock ticked under eight minutes left, Dalton, leading a 13-play, eight-minute drive down, 21-17, had a first down on the Seattle four after rookie wide receiver Damion Willis was interfered with on third-and-six. Getting a huge lift from Ross’ first 100-yard game, Dalton found him for seven yards on a third-and-six screen to keep that drive alive.

Bengals' missed chances cost Zac Taylor a win in his debut
But all the yardage the Bengals amassed were in vain as the Seahawks held on for a 21-20 victory in the season opener. In Zac Taylor’s head coaching debut, Cincinnati squandered a strong defensive showing under new coordinator Lou Anarumo.

What We Learned: Bengals vs. Seahawks | Week 1
Here are three takeaways from the Seattle Seahawks' Week 1 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. This game is streaming live on the Yahoo Sports mobile app, or on CBS

Around the league

Jerry Jones: Extension for Dak Prescott 'imminent'
He saw his franchise pass rusher get paid. Then he saw his starting middle linebacker and starting right tackle break the bank. Finally, with a week to go before the season, his running back smashed records with a deal of his own.

Kirk Cousins: Throwing 10 times in win 'really unique'
"Throwing it 10 times is really unique. I probably haven't had a game with that few attempts since literally, Pop Warner. It was what the game called for," Cousins said, via FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul. "I have no problem with being conservative as long as we win the football game. That's all that matters to me. We found a way to get the win, so the approach was a great approach."

Vinatieri after three misses: 'Loss is 100% on me'
"I was lousy," Vinatieri said, via ESPN. "Obviously, I did not kick well today and let my team down. They played well. Proud of the guys who fought their butts off and came back. ... I feel like that loss is 100% on me. You play a team like the Chargers, who obviously are a good team, can't come in here and miss three kicks and expect to win. That's too many points to give away."

Steelers 'not ready for prime time' in loss to Patriots
On a night New England hung its sixth Super Bowl banner, Pittsburgh lost by at least 30 points for just the second time in the Ben Roethlisberger era, which has itself birthed two Super Bowl champions. For a franchise so used to being on the big stage and under the bright lights, the Steelers were notably not camera-ready on Sunday night.

Lamar Jackson after Ravens' romp: 'Not bad for a RB'
As a rookie last season, Jackson never even sniffed this type of production through the air. The Ravens QB's previous career high was 204 passing yards and two touchdown passes (in separate games). He had just six touchdown passes all of last regular season and nearly eclipsed that total in the 2019 season opener.

Walker: Browns 'were who we thought they were'
Delanie Walker wasn't buying the hype around the Cleveland Browns ahead of this weekend. The tight end definitely wasn't buying it after his Tennessee Titans laid the boom Sunday on the most interesting (and published) team in football.