Cincinnati has failed to score 30-plus points this season and has scored 20 or fewer in three of five contests. The deadly fantasy offense we saw in 2021 has yet to emerge in 2022.
Through the first four weeks of the season, teams had been playing two high safeties against them, with one of those safeties clearly defined as the second set of eyes over Ja’Marr Chase. That had allowed Tee Higgins to have some big games, especially last Thursday night. When Higgins went down with an ankle injury aggravation, that option was removed from the table.