In a battle of dark horse Super Bowl contenders, QB Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons (1-0) travelled to Ohio to do battle with the Cincinnati Bengals (1-0) and their suffocating defense.
Scary Start For The Bengals: Despite picking up a field goal on their 13-play opening drive, the Cincinnati Bengals had to be holding their breath as star WR AJ Green was taken out of the game with a right toe injury. His return was listed as questionable.
Trick Plays For Days: With AJ Green out, the Cincinnati Bengals were forced to delve deep into their playbooks for some offensive explosiveness. They would find some pop in WR Mohamed Sanu who would toss and complete his third career pass, this one a short dump to WR Brandon Tate. Tate would sprint 50 yards into Atlanta territory, but the Bengals would fail to follow up - with the drive being capped by K Mike Nugent pushing a 38-yard kick wide right.
Gio Bernard's Big Day: Coming into the 2014 NFL season, Bengals RB Giovani Bernard was a sexy fantasy football pick after an impressive rookie season. He showed why in the first half on Sunday, emerging as Andy Dalton's most reliable (and multifaceted) weapon with Green on the sidelines. Along with a couple of huge receptions, Bernard capped off a lengthy 10-play, 91-yard TD drive for the Bengals with a 4-yard burst off of right tackle, giving the Bengals a 10-3 lead.
Top Performers:
Atlanta: WR Julio Jones (3 catches, 31 yards)
Cincinnati: RB Giovani Bernard (14 rushes, 49 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD, 2 receptions, 80 receiving yards)
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