Ten Things From Bengals-Saints

A win is a win. Or is it?

“You go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time.” — Donald Rumsfeld, Defense Secretary under George W Bush.

The ‘22 Bengals aren’t the ‘21 Bengals. If they proved one thing Sunday — other than they could beat yet another backup QB — it was that. Forget what you thought you knew about the Burrow Boys. Different year, different team, different circumstances. They are the army you have now.

Different isn’t bad. It remains to be seen, though, if this year’s model is good enough to live up to its aspirations.

Great teams don’t try to hit homers. Longball isn’t their game. They prefer singles up the middle, at-bat after at-bat. Football’s no different. Consistency is king. Establish what works — call it an “identity’’ if you want to sound smart — and run (or pass) with it. Six games into things, the Bengals are the league’s most perfect 3-3 team: Nowhere, but with everywhere in front of them.

What are you trying to say, Doc?

For most of a half in the raucous Nawlins dome, they perfected their horizontal passing game. They took what the soft Saints zones gave them. It was painful to watch, if you liked watching last year’s team. They changed in the 2nd half, taking what they wanted. They have the singular talents of Burrow and Chase to do that. Will they stick with it?

That’s what won them this game. It wasn’t their defense, due for a letdown after five weeks of overachieving. If Chase doesn’t score with two minutes left, the Bengals lose to a Saints team minus its starting QB and its three top receivers. Everybody from Bourbon Street to Baton Rouge knew the Saints would have to run the ball to have a chance. They did. Emphatically.

The Bengals are groping for a groove, an identity. They’re trying to hit those singles up the middle. Sunday didn’t change that. And soon enough, they won’t be playing Dalton, Flacco, Rush, Trubisky and Bridgewater every week. Brady, Jackson, Mahomes and Allen await.

Without further ado. . .

TEN THINGS.

1. Burrow was Burrow again. Two magnificent escape-n-runs, one for a TD. A seeing-eye TD pass to Chase. If the Saints have Burrow and the Bengals have Dalton, who wins?

2. Chase’s winning catch was favored by poor tackling.

3. Curious that players apparently believed this to be a “must win.’’ Huh? The North stinks, 2-4 would not be a death sentence in a division where nobody has a winning record. Remember, the Men were 7-6 last year, with four to go. A little too breathless, doncha think?

4. The defense had one over-arching job: To make Dalton beat them. For 58 minutes, it couldn’t do that job.

5. For all realistic purposes, the game ended on the Saints three-and-out just before the two-minute warning. They consumed all of a minute or so of clock time, with just a 2-point lead. The game really ended on their 29-yard punt that followed. McPherson was already in field goal range. (We exaggerate, but you get the point.) Chase’s TD sprint just made the W official, given that I’d. . .

6. . . . grow a tail before Dalton could take the Saints 70 yards in the last two minutes, to win that game.

7. You go with the play-caller you have. . . On the Bengals first TD drive of the game, their longest gain was a 15-yard roughing-the-passer penalty. I’m sorry, but with three receivers like Chase, Boyd and Higgins, and a blooming weapon at tight end with Hurst, it’s time to do a little will-imposing, isn’t it? The Saints aren’t the ‘85 Bears. After six games, they’re allowing 26 points a game, 28th-worst in the league. And they were missing a starting corner Sunday. It’s time to stop hearing about the other team’s Cover 2 zone. It’s not as if Cover 2/Tampa 2/whatever is a new concept.

8. Unsung play of the game: Trey Hendrickson, bull-rushing off the edge, grabbing Dalton’s arm just as Dalton was releasing the ball on 3rd-and-4 on that Saints 3-and-out. Hendrickson is having a Pro Bowl-maybe-even-all-Pro year. Sam Hubbard is right there with him.

9. Much was made of the Saints homefield edge, because that’s what we always say about teams that play indoors. Fact is, over the past five-plus years, including this one, the Saints are 22-14 at home and 27-8 on the road.

10. Did you watch KC-Buffalo? The Bengals have miles to go to be as good as either of those clubs.

Now, then. . .

FROM P KING’S ALWAYS AWESOME FOOTBALL MORNING IN AMERICA.

“This is Josh and Pat’s league,” said Jordan Palmer, the offseason quarterback tutor for quarterbacks including Allen, and a major admirer of Mahomes. “They are established, bonafide superstars in the league, and neither is 28 yet. They’re becoming a rivalry like Brady and Manning was.”

And Burrow?

Former UC stud CB Sauce Gardner is every bit as good as he looks early on in his NFL career. On Sunday, against Aaron Rodgers, Gardner played man coverage on 11 of 42 coverage snaps and allowed no completions in two targets. So far this year, he’s allowed one reception for six yards in 40 man-coverage snaps, the best record in man coverage of any cornerback in the league.

SO MUCH FOR A DESMOND RIDDER HOMECOMING Sunday against visiting Atlanta. Previously struggling starter Marcus Mariota’s job was likely on the line Sunday, with the rookie Ridder next in line. . . then he didn’t throw an incompletion until the 4th quarter in the Falcons 28-14 W over the 49ers. Mariota’s line: 13 of 14 for 129 yards and two touchdowns while adding six rushes for 50 yards and another score on the ground.

A VERY GOOD WEEKEND FOR MLB. . . and further proof that Scott Rolen was right: We really don’t give much credit to regular-season champions. The grind of the Big 162 is harder but far less glamorous than the champagne of October. The Dodgers, Braves and Mets are out. They won 111, 101 and 101 regular-season games and now will be seen as underachievers.

Meantime, go Guardians. They’re not going to be favored tonight in Game 5 at Yankee Stadium, as if that matters. But they have a chance to make the annual Little Guy statement in MLB. You can’t be a Reds fan and not pull for that. It (1) shows a team with a $68 mil payroll can compete and win and (2) it puts the lie to the notion that a $68-mil payroll team never has a chance.

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF the NFL allowed in-game interviews with coaches and players, the way MLB does? Can you imagine the poor sideline reporter trying to chat up Bill Belichick on 3rd-and-goal? Loved listening to Terry Francona the other night.

ME! ME! ME! I’m on at 10:40 this morning with Thom Brennaman, for his Off The Bench show on Chatterbox Sports. Actually, it’s a quasi-regular gig. I’m on twice a week, usually Mondays and Fridays. TML sez ckitout.

AND PLEASE SHARE TML and tell everyone you know and everyone you don’t to subscribe. Thank you.

TRIP REPORT. . . My favorite local park is Rocky Fork Lake. There’s an amazing 1.3-mile jaunt up hills and through a hardwood forest that fairly glows this time of year. Frequent Perusers here will recall my appreciation for the large number of day- and half-day trips in this area. For someone who once lived in exurbian Dallas, the ability to drive two hours or less and actually be somewhere worthwhile is an underappreciated gift.

Within two hours here are big cities, small towns, incredible local and state parks, bourbon distilleries, lakes, trails etc. My favorite hike is in Adams County: Buzzards Roost Rock. It’s like Rocky Fork, only several times bigger. If you enjoy hiking, ckout Buzzards Roost. Even if you’re not a hiker, the drive out there is very good and straight through Amish country.

TUNE O’ THE DAY. . . When it comes to favorite guitarists, Santana is Top 3 for me, right there with Dickey Betts and Jimi Hendrix. Carlos can be soulful and blistering hot, often in the same tune. This tune is the aural equivalent to a shot of EH Taylor over ice.