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Back in the jungle: Review of the weekend at Cincinnati Sports

Back in the jungle: Review of the weekend at Cincinnati Sports
Posted on | Posted on Theodore

Joe Burrow throws a pass against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, photo courtesy of Bengals on X.

by Chris Ball

Loveland, Ohio – As the clock hit zero in last year’s final regular season game against the Cleveland Browns, a new wish began in the minds of Cincinnati Bengals fans. This time, the countdown to the moment we would all see a healthy Joe Burrow take the field in a Bengals uniform and play in a real game. And on Saturday, those wishes were granted, if only for one magical series.

It was a series that saw Cincinnati’s franchise quarterback throw a total of 5-7 passes for 51 yards and featured a little bit of everything. That included a near-touchdown deep up the middle to Tee Higgins that Burrow almost made pass into the tightest double coverage imaginable. It was further evidence of the precision we’ve all come to expect from him and another sign that he’s not suffering any ill effects from last year’s injury. And while that pass didn’t result in a point, after the Bengals marched down the field he was able to find Higgins again just before the goal line, but the franchise-tagged wide receiver pulled off a nice move to shake off the Buccaneers’ Josh Hayes and strolled into the end zone for the team’s first touchdown of the year.

In total, the first and only drive with the starters lasted 12 plays and covered 73 yards. Burrow seemed comfortable in the pocket and was barely bothered. This was a testament to how well prepared the offensive line was, and the tackle duo of Orlando Brown, Jr. and rookie Amarius Mims held up against Tampa Bay’s defense. Mims’ play in particular was highly rated as he appears to be well ahead of schedule in his development. When he was drafted out of Georgia, there were questions about how long it would take him to be NFL-ready, as his career as a starting pitcher in college was not as stormy as other top picks. With every snap he takes in practice and in games like this, Amarius Mims proves he is ready for prime time and could be the Bengals’ right tackle of the future.

Mims wasn’t the only Bengals rookie to make a splash. Jermaine Burton caught 3 balls for 82 yards, including a 38-yard touchdown. The pass was a complete blast to backup quarterback Logan Woodside (who also had a very good game with 149 yards passing and a 137.2 rating), but it was Burton’s double that got him the space to make the catch. With Tee Higgins likely leaving the Bengals after this season, Bengals fans have to be excited about the talent and potential of the wide receiver trio of Chase, Iosivas and Burton.

The Bengals’ starting defense also started strong, forcing the Buccaneers’ backups into a three-man formation on the first drive. After that, Tampa Bay’s offense gained a lot of yards and made some big plays. Without Sheldon Rankins and BJ Hill in the middle of the defensive line, the offensive defense left something to be desired. But Dax Hill seemed right at home after switching positions from safety to cornerback, catching three passes and even nearly making an interception (which was ruled incomplete). The biggest defensive story of the night was linebacker Maema Njongmeta, an undrafted free agent from Wisconsin, who led the team with 10 total tackles.

Although the Bengals didn’t come away with the win, winning isn’t necessarily the most important thing in these preseason games. Most importantly, Joe Burrow and the offense looked in sync, which is a direct result of the health of their key players who were in training camp together. They also left the game with key players healthy and ready for their next game, which will be against the Chicago Bears on August 17 at 1 p.m.

The Cincinnati Reds had their own titanic battle to fight this weekend. The Milwaukee Brewers were coming off a series against the Atlanta Braves in which they scored 52 hits, 34 runs and 8 home runs. The Brewers took that passion into their series against the Reds, scoring 8 runs in the first win of the 3-game set. Milwaukee fired Carson Spires with those 8 runs in just 5 innings before the bullpen took over. The trio of Jakob Junis, Fernando Cruz and Yosver Zulueta stepped in and held the Brewers hitless in the final 3 innings of the game.

Game 2 was another story about Reds hitters being out of action. Cincinnati had more hits than Milwaukee (3-2), but managed zero runs overall. The difference in their 1-0 loss was a solo home run by Rhys Hoskins in the bottom of the 8th inning. It was also another tragic story about the waste of a Reds pitcher’s gem. This time the victim was Nick Martinez, who has emerged as one of the team’s best additions in recent memory. Although he’s not technically a starter, he stepped in as one in Game 2, throwing 7 innings with 1 hit. He was a pitcher who started games, filled in as a reliever, and did whatever was asked of him.

Game 3 was a bit of a different story. The Brewers took a 2-0 lead and the Reds could have given up, but they managed to tie the game in the fourth inning. They then took the lead in the fifth inning on a solo home run by Tyler Stephenson. Milwaukee, being the great team they are, refused to give up and tied the game again in the sixth inning and the Reds had one more chance to give up and lose another game. But they kept fighting and took a 4-3 lead on a sacrifice fly by Spencer Steer that was almost a grand slam. Alexis Diaz then came in in the ninth inning and finished off the Brewers to secure the win with just 14 clean throws and 2 strikeouts.

The Brewers series gave Reds fans a little bit of everything in terms of emotions. Cincinnati fought back after being a little shell-shocked in Game 1. Game 2 showed that Nick Martinez is a solid part of this pitching staff in various roles. Game 3 showed that this team still has a lot of fighting spirit left in them, even when the going gets tough. While the 2024 playoffs may be out of their reach, the team still has a lot to prove and fight for, and Reds fans will still have a wealth of highlights to cheer about before the clock strikes midnight on this baseball season.

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Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before becoming an assistant coach at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has followed and supported the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has experienced the many ups and downs that the fandom has brought over the years.

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