In an early “must win” game after an 0-3 start, the Cincinnati Bengals get in the win column with a close, but sound 34-24 win on the road against the Carolina Panthers.  They mixed it up with a balance attack in the first half, but took control early in the 2nd half with a solid run game that the Bengals have been seeking for quite some time now.

The Bengals defense, which was aligned for a lackluster effort against the Commanders a week before, stepped up early in the 1st quarter with a goal line stand on 4th down that set the tone early on. The 4th down stop helped their confidence as they played significantly better than Monday night, despite still giving up big plays to Andy Dalton and the Panthers offense. 

The story of the game was the 1-2 punch of Zach Moss and Chase Brown combining for 131 years and 2 touchdowns (both by Brown) to help a balanced offense that kept the Bengals defense off the field, especially in the 2nd half, where the Bengals gained control and essentially put the game away. It was the type of run game the Bengals have been trying to find for a while. On this day in Carolina, they saw the vision they were looking for. 

The Bengals basically pulled all stops necessary to get their first win of the 2024 season. It’s now back to work for a huge week 5 AFC North showdown with the Baltimore Ravens led by QB Lamar Jackson and RB Derrick Henry. The same Ravens team that swept them last season and the same AFC North division they went 1-5 in.

For the Bengals to have a chance to keep this game close and competitive, they must find a way to slow down that dynamic duo. Given how erratic the Bengals defense has played so far this season, it’s a tall order to where they will have to play perfect football for the whole 60 minutes.

The team knows what they’re up against this Sunday.