Bengals awards from 33-25 win over Jaguars in Week 4

A win! For the first time in a long time, we are able to talk about a victory for the Cincinnati Bengals.

In the team’s Week 4 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, there were many Bengals players deserving of credit. Cast your vote on some of the team’s individual awards for the 33-25 win over the Jags!

Most Valuable Player

Joe Burrow:

Another week, another 300-yard passing performance for the rookie. Burrow remains pinpoint accurate and it’s clear that this team has bought into both his leadership abilities and overall talent.

He was 25-for-36 with 300 yards and a touchdown and an interception, but that stat line didn’t tell the full story. Drops and poor execution by surrounding cast members tarnished what could have been a near-perfect day of passing.

Joe Mixon:

One could argue that this was the best game by No. 28 as a pro. He had a career high three touchdowns (one receiving, two touchdowns), his second-most single-game rushing yards with 151 and a single-game career-high in yards from scrimmage with 181.

Effort is never a question with Mixon, it’s just a matter of if the blocking can match it and if the scheme allows it to pay off. It did this week.

Tyler Boyd:

It sounds odd to say, but Boyd is this team’s best receiver right now. He’s incredibly talented, but he doesn’t have the raw skills of A.J. Green nor Tee Higgins.

Still his football savvy, reliable hands and knack for first-down grabs are immeasurably valuable. Boyd once again finished as the team’s leading receiver with seven catches for 90 yards on eight targets.

Jessie Bates III:

Aside from the debacle in Cleveland, this may be the best season we’ve seen from Bates so far. He tipped the ball that Evans intercepted and was seemingly omnipresent once again. Aside from the catalyst for the interception, he had 10 tackles, including one for a loss.

Randy Bullock:

I know the missed kick in Week 1 is in the forefront of everyone’s mind, but Bullock has literally been perfect since. And, many of the kicks he has made have been from decent distance in clutch situations.

Bullock accounted for 15 of Cincinnati’s 33 points on 4-of-4 field goal kicking and 3-of-3 extra point tries. It’s also saying something with the weather he had to deal with on Sunday.

Unsung Hero of the Week

Tee Higgins:

There were a couple of drops and ensuing frustration, but the potential is obvious. Higgins finished as the team’s second-leading receiver with four catches for 77 yards (on seven targets), and came down with big catches in tight coverage.

You know what I love about this kid? When a mistake is made or play is missed, it seems like he comes right back with a positive play. It looks like the Bengals have the next great No. 85 in the making.

Alex Redmond:

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what the difference was this week up front—lesser opponent, Redmond’s overall experience, his rapport with Bobby Hart, a good scheme fit and/or coaching adjustments—but, it worked. Redmond did have a holding penalty in the fourth quarter, but when the offense rushes for over 200 yards and your quarterback throws for 300, the offensive line gets big credit.

With many of the big runs coming on the right side, tip the cap to No. 62. Hopefully, that will get some of his relatives to be nicer to me on social media.

Jonah Williams:

The “rookie” in some senses, is showing improvement with more starts and for the offensive statistical reasons mentioned above with Redmond, you have to give credit to the team’s left tackle. In many situations, Williams was seen doing second-level blocks, and with the Bengals’ 505 total yards, you have to believe he was succeeding.

Bobby Hart:

He’s been on our “Goat of the Week” list for the first three weeks, but the right tackle stepped up this week. Maybe it’s his comfort level with Redmond, or his channeling of anger from hearing the criticisms stemming from experts-from-the-couch like myself. Again for the reasons we laid out with Redmond and Williams, you have to high-five Hart this week.

Jordan Evans:

The veteran linebacker was a rotational guy because of the concussion to Logan Wilson, but he made the most of some of his first defensive snaps of 2020. Evans finished with a sack, an interception and two total tackles.

D.J. Reader:

Jacksonville sported an undrafted rookie free agent running back, but James Robinson is talented. Reader and a depleted interior defensive line limited Robinson and the Jaguars to just 89 rushing yards is something to use as a building block. Reader had five total tackles and quietly continues to be a nice pickup for the Bengals.

Play of the Game

Joe Burrow’s 30-yard completion to Tee Higgins

The Bengals Bengals needed a spark and some points, but had a long field to go in the first quarter. Burrow hit Higgins across the middle and he scooted for 30 yards. Unfortunately, Cincinnati squandered the opportunity for points because of an interception in the end zone, which was not Burrow’s fault.

Joe Mixon’s 9-yard touchdown reception from Joe Burrow

The Bengals’ star running back was extremely quiet the first three games, as blocking was terrible. However, as mentioned above, Mixon had arguably his best game as a pro, with the first touchdown in his Sunday hat trick showing off his receiving ability.

Higgins had just dropped a ball, so Cincinnati went with something safe and allowed Mixon to show his power and elusiveness. He hurdled one defender and took a shot after entering the end zone, but it was a beauty.

Joe Mixon’s 34-yard touchdown run

On the same second quarter drive, Cincinnati exploited a weakness of the Jaguars on the right side of their defense. After Giovani Bernard gained 11 yards to the right, Mixon exploded for the team’s longest run of the season and hit paydirt.

Joe Mixon’s 23-yard touchdown run

It was quite the encore by Mixon, who had his second long rushing touchdown in as many third quarter drives by the Bengals. Mixon went right up the gut, eluded a couple of tacklers and cruised into the end zone to begin Cincinnati’s continual two-score lead late in the game.

Tee Higgins’ 23-yard reception from Joe Burrow:

Really, this is just in here to spotlight Burrow’s accuracy and the potential Higgins has shown to make tough catches. The new No. 85 was blanketed by coverage, but Burrow threaded the needle, while Higgins came away with a reception to lead to a gigantic fourth quarter field goal for the Bengals.