Bengals Notebook: Green Says He Was In For Win, but Burrow Is 'Unbelievable'; Bullock's Tying Kick Denied By Injury; Jonah Settles In; Defense Kept Them In It
In '18, it had been a rolling catch over the middle to set up Randy Bullock's winner. On Sunday it was a three-yard touchdown catch with seven seconds left, knifing between Chargers cornerback Casey Hayward, Jr. and the front right pylon. And thrown perfectly by rookie quarterback Joe Burrow.
Bengals fall to the Chargers 16-13 in Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season
After wide receiver A.J. Green was called for pass interference against cornerback Casey Hayward, Jr., with seven seconds left to nullify a perfect winning touchdown pass from rookie quarterback Joe Burrow, Randy Bullock missed the tying 31-yard field goal to the right while suffering a left calf injury in the Chargers' 16-13 victory Sunday in the opener at Paul Brown Stadium
Postgame news conference quotes from Zac Taylor and Joe Burrow
"We didn't put them away when we felt like we had the opportunity to in the third quarter. There were some situations offensively and defensively where we could have put points on the board. We let them hang around. It's disappointing how the third quarter went."
Joe Burrow's best plays from NFL debut | Week 1
Take a look at highlights from Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow's NFL debut in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Joe Burrow gives himself a 'D' in rookie debut as Bengals' comeback falls short
The 2020 top overall draft pick refused to settle for any excuses after a late penalty and a missed 31-yard field goal prevented Burrow from becoming the first QB taken No. 1 overall to win in Week 1 of his rookie year since David Carr accomplished the feat in 2002.
Comeback falls short, but Bengals' Joe Burrow shows resiliency in NFL debut
The top overall pick in the 2020 draft made a few mistakes in his NFL debut. But he showed enough good things to suggest the Bengals can live with those rookie errors if it means Burrow cements himself as the next franchise quarterback.
Podcast: The good, the bad and the ugly from the Bengals' loss to the Chargers
Jake Liscow and I breakdown the Bengals' loss to the Chargers. We discuss Joe Burrow's performance, the offensive line, the final sequence, Randy Bullock and so much more. Listen to the episode of the Locked on Bengals below and subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Podbean or wherever you get your podcasts.
Winners and losers from the Bengals loss to the Chargers
Bynes was all over the field. He finished with eight tackles and a sack. The former Baltimore Raven stepped up and made plays when it mattered, making multiple stops on 3rd-and-short. The 31-year-old linebacker showed why he was named one of the defensive captains. He's a great leader and he played well on Sunday.
Bengals vs. Chargers final score: Turnovers, missed field goal spoil Joe Burrow's NFL debut
That was a wild one. Ten unanswered points by the visiting Chargers gave them a 16-13 win over the Bengals on Sunday. Trailing 13-6 entering the fourth quarter, a 46-yard kick return by rookie Joe Reed set up fellow rookie Joshua Kelley's 5-yard touchdown run. Los Angeles grabbed its first lead on Mike Badgley's 22-yard field goal with 8:56 left. The score was set up by Nick Vigil's recovery of Joe Mixon's fumble (that was forced by linebacker Denzel Perryman) at Cincinnati's 25-yard-line just moments earlier.
Bengals lost after kicker got hurt in middle of chip-shot FG attempt
Week 1’s matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers marked the beginning of the Joe Burrow era in Cincinnati with the No. 1 pick getting his career started with a sweet touchdown run in the first quarter. But all that excitement would turn into all-too-familiar disappointment for Bengals fans in the game’s final drive.
Around the league
What we learned from Sunday's Week 1 early games
Drew Brees and the Saints bested Tom Brady and his new squad, Cam Newton looked like his old self with his new team, Lamar Jackson and the Ravens got off to a dominant start and some upsets were had. Here's what we learned from Sunday's Week 1 early games.
Tom Brady's Buccaneers a work in progress following season-opening loss to Saints
At least the Tampa Bay Buccaneers now have some sense of what they're working with this year. It's great to have a Hall-of-Fame quarterback like Tom Brady under center, along with a slew of young talent surrounding him. It's even better when a team plays without miscommunication, mental errors and monumental turnovers inside an opposing stadium. That's what this team will remember most about the start of Brady's tenure.
Cam Newton leads new-look Patriots to quiet victory vs. Fins
It felt that way on Saturday, at least, when the mall adjacent to Gillette Stadium was packed with people eating outside and listening to local bands, strolling in their new Newton jerseys, and their old-school Edelman, Moss and -- yes -- Brady jerseys. If you still wanted one of those, they were flapping in the soft breeze, marked 50 percent off at the local sporting goods store.
Vander Esch suffers broken collarbone; headed to IR
Vander Esch suffered a broken collarbone and is headed to injured reserve after suffering the injury in the first half of Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Rams, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.