Week 6 Game Recap: Cincinnati Bengals 13, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14

What you need to know

Cincinnati Bengals

Carson Palmer was solid, but unspectacular, throwing for 261 yards on 24 of 37 passing. He connected with WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh from 33 yards out in the second quarter for the only score of the half for either side. He targeted his starting wide receivers a combined 26 times, and as a result, both Houshmandzadeh and Johnson had successful days in the passing game.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh led the way receiving for Cincinnati, tallying ten catches for 102 yards and a touchdown, the only touchdown of the game for the Bengals. Chad Johnson also finished with solid numbers, catching six balls for 99 yards.

Rudi Johnson struggled to find much room against the Tampa Bay defense. In what was likely a combination of injuries along the Cincinnati offensive line and a challenged Buccaneers’ defense, Johnson ran for only 52 yards on 17 carries on what had been one of the worst rush defenses in the league.

The Bengals held the Buccaneers in check for most of the game, especially the first half. They held Tampa Bay to 75 first half passing yards on nine of 20 passing, and shut them out for the first half. In the second half, while they still held their own, the Buccaneers were able to make adjustments and come up with plays when they needed them to come through for the victory. Tampa Bay had success in their running game for the second week in a row, and that made things a lot easier on the offense as a whole.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Bruce Gradkowski’s performance could be used as a model for what you can expect with a rookie quarterback. He had many peaks and valleys in the game, making inconsistent plays and decisions for most of the first half, but making enough plays in the second half to bring the team back. His scores in the second half came on passing plays to TE Alex Smith and WR Michael Clayton, who earlier in the week begged and pleaded for the ball. Gradkowski looked to him when they needed it the most, late in the fourth quarter on a fourth down play that Clayton pulled down for the game winning touchdown. Whatever that “it” factor is, Gradkowski seems to have it. He doesn’t seem to get rattled and shows control in the huddle, so it’s easy to see why Gruden is so high on him.

Joey Galloway led the Buccaneers in receiving, catching seven passes for 67 yards and was targeted 15 times. Fellow wideout Michael Clayton also played well, snatching six passes for 55 yards and the game winning touchdown from eight yards out late in the fourth quarter. TE Alex Smith caught the other Tampa Bay touchdown on a two yard catch from Gradkowski.

RB Cadillac Williams ran for 94 yards on 19 carries, and for the second straight week gave the Tampa Bay offense a boost in the rushing attack. With a young starting quarterback, the Buccaneers seem to have put a greater emphasis on their rushing attack and their play on the offensive line demonstrates that they are making progress, a definite plus for owners of Williams.

The Buccaneers turned back the clock on defense, and played the way the Tampa Bay faithful expect them to play. As a result, while it never seemed they were in the game, it never seemed they were out of it either. The defense was able to keep the game close in the first half, when the offense traditionally has struggled. In the second half, they were able to maintain their intensity, finish plays and continued to set the tone and give their offense opportunities to get back in the game.

Number wise, Tampa Bay was led by LB Ryan Nece, who finished with six tackles and one assist. DL Ellis Wyms came up big for the Buccaneers, recording two sacks, five tackles and one assist. Tampa Bay lynchpin Derrick Brooks also contributed five tackles. The Buccaneers were without DB Brian Kelly, who missed the game due to injury.

What you ought to know

QB Carson Palmer, Pass: 24 - 37 - 261 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - 1 - 0

Palmer finished with respectable numbers, but could not do enough to win against a hungry Buccaneers’ defense. For the game, Palmer completed 24 of 37 passes for 261 yards and a touchdown, hitting WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh from 33 yards out for Cincinnati’s only touchdown. The Bengals were able to get in scoring range two other times in the game, but were unable to convert on third downs and were forced to settle for field goals on the other two red zone drives.

Palmer looked to his two favorite targets early and often, targeting his talented starting wideouts a combined 26 times for the game, connecting for 16 receptions with Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Their inability to convert on third downs really slowed down the Cincinnati offense, and was a big part of the reason they left Tampa Bay with a loss.

RB Rudi Johnson, Rush: 17 - 52 - 0 (2 targets)

Johnson was unable to find much running room against Tampa Bay, totaling 52 yards on 17 carries, for only a 3.1 ypc average. His long run for the game was 13 yards, and it was evident that the Buccaneers made it a point to stop the run this week. Johnson was targeted two times in the passing game, but did not record a reception.

RB Kenny Watson, Rec: 4 - 18 - 0 (4 targets)

Watson was used primarily in the passing game, catching all four passes thrown to him for 18 yards.

WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0, Rec: 10 - 102 - 1 (14 targets)

Houshmandzadeh had a big game for Cincinnati, finishing with ten receptions for 102 yards, including a 33 yard touchdown. He made a great catch on the touchdown, beating Tampa Bay DB Ronde Barber and making a great adjustment to finish the play. The play was challenged by the Buccaneers and upheld. He was the most targeted receiver for the Bengals, with 14 targets for the game.

WR Chad Johnson, Rec: 6 - 99 - 0 (12 targets)

Johnson was targeted 12 times in the game, pulling in six passes for 99 yards. Four of Johnson’s receptions resulted in first downs for the Bengals. Johnson had one reception of 51 yards, but totaled only 40 yards on his five other receptions.

WR Antonio Chatman, Rec: 2 - 13 - 0 (2 targets)

Chatman was targeted two times, catching both passes for 13 yards.

TE Reggie Kelly, Rec: 1 - 27 - 0 (2 targets)

Kelly caught one pass for 27 yards, and was targeted two times for the game.

PK Shayne Graham 2 - 3 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 7 points

Graham hit field goal attempts from 37 and 47 yards out, but missed a game winning attempt from 62 yards in Cincinnati’s last second desperation attempt. He hit his only extra point and finished with seven points.

CIN Rush Defense

Cincinnati gave up 126 yards rushing, at 5.0 yards per carry, to one of the more struggling offenses in the league. That included a 94 yard game by Buccaneers’ running back Cadillac Williams. His solid running helped open things up offensively for Tampa Bay, as well as helped protect their rookie quarterback, for the second week in a row. The Bengals just did not seem to get the penetration they needed in their rush defense that other teams have in the early part of the season, which could be a sign of improved offensive line play from Tampa Bay. Their struggles could also be attributed to playing with their third string middle linebacker, with LB Brian Simmons out with a knee injury and Odell Thurman serving a suspension.

Filling in at MLB, rookie Ahmad Brooks led the way with ten tackles and one assist. DL’s Justin Smith and Robert Geathers each recorded a sack for the Bengals.

CIN Pass Defense

The Bengals’ pass defense was able to contain the Buccaneers’ wideouts and limit the big plays they got in the passing game. However, the Cincinnati defensive unit did give up two touchdowns in the red zone through the air, including the game-winner on fourth down. They were able to put some pressure on the Tampa Bay offense for much of the game, but were able to come up with only two sacks and one forced turnover. Buccaneers’ quarterback Bruce Gradkowski threw a number of balls he shouldn’t have, and the Bengals missed a few interception opportunities on a few of those throws. Cincinnati also had a questionable roughing the passer penalty called against them, on a sack by DE Justin Smith, that forced a fumble, and eventually led to the Buccaneers winning touchdown.

DB Kevin Kaesviharn recorded the interception for the Bengals.

QB Bruce Gradkowski, Pass: 25 - 44 - 184 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 4 - 19 - 0

Gradkowski had an up and down game for Tampa Bay. At times, he made good decisions, hit his check downs, or threw the ball away when it was appropriate. Other times, he looked very much like the rookie quarterback that he is, either over or under throwing his receivers or making the wrong audibles at the line of scrimmage. Much to the delight of the Buccaneers, Gradkowski showed most of his ups when they needed them the most.

For the game, Gradkowski finished 25 of 44 for 184 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. His touchdown scores both came in the second half. His first score was a two yard scoring strike to TE Alex Smith that capped an 11 play, 80 yard drive. The second, and most important score, came late in the fourth quarter, when Gradkowski hit WR Michael Clayton on a fourth down play that at first appeared incomplete, then seemed to fall short of the goal line. However, after the play was reviewed, it was ruled a completion, and a touchdown, giving the Buccaneers the lead at 14-13.

RB Cadillac Williams, Rush: 19 - 94 - 0, Rec: 3 - 10 - 0 (5 targets)

Williams had a strong outing for the second straight game, rushing for 94 yards on 19 carries, for a 4.9 ypc average. He’s starting to show some of the explosion he showed in spurts last year, and seems to be getting more and more help from his offensive line each week. His 38 yard run in the third quarter helped set up the Buccaneers' first offensive touchdown. In the passing game, he was targeted five times, and caught three passes for ten yards.

RB Michael Pittman, Rush: 1 - 11 - 0, Rec: 2 - 20 - 0 (4 targets)

Pittman had only one rush for 11 yards, and caught two passes for 20 yards on four targets. One of his receptions resulted in a first down.

RB Mike Alstott, Rec: 3 - 10 - 0 (3 targets)

Alstott did not carry the ball for the Buccaneers, but caught all three balls thrown his way for ten yards.

WR Joey Galloway, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0, Rec: 7 - 67 - 0 (15 targets)

Galloway was targeted a team high fifteen times, catching seven passes for 67 yards. He was unable to come up with any big plays, but he continues to be the focal point of the Buccaneers’ passing attack. He also had one rushing attempt on a reverse, changing direction and running back across the grain and turning a potential loss into a two yard gain.

WR Michael Clayton, Rec: 6 - 55 - 1 (11 targets)

Clayton called for the ball earlier in the week, and someone on the Buccaneers’ coaching staff must have been listening. He was targeted eleven times, catching six passes for 55 yards, including an eight yard touchdown on fourth down with 43 seconds left to give the Buccaneers the lead. The play was called incomplete, reviewed and eventually reversed, giving Tampa Bay the touchdown, and the victory.

TE Alex Smith, Rec: 3 - 10 - 1 (4 targets)

Smith received four targets, catching three passes for ten yards, including a two yard touchdown.

TE Anthony Becht, Rec: 1 - 12 - 0 (1 targets)

Becht was only targeted once, finishing with one catch for twelve yards.

PK Matt Bryant 0 - 1 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 2 points

Bryant missed a 43 yard attempt, largely due to a high snap, and hit both of his extra point attempts to finish with two points.

TB Rush Defense

Tampa Bay’s defense showed flashes of its old self against the Bengals, and showed extreme improvement in stopping the run. They held Cincinnati to 53 yards on 20 rushes, for a 2.7 ypc average. Buccaneer defenders swarmed the ball the way they have in the past, and in doing so, held RB Rudi Johnson to 52 yards on 17 carries.

LB Ryan Nece led the way for Tampa Bay with six tackles and one assist, and LB Derrick Brooks chipped in five solo tackles of his own.

TB Pass Defense

The Buccaneers’ pass defense was able to keep the Bengals’ passing attack under control by applying more pressure than they have in the last few weeks. Their front four, and whole defensive in general, responded to being called out by coach Jon Gruden, and got to QB Carson Palmer enough to make him rush some throws. While they did not force any turnovers, Tampa Bay’s defense was able to sack Palmer twice for the game and held the Bengals to three of 14 on third downs. DB Ronde Barber was beaten for a long touchdown, but his effort defending the play wasn’t enough to overcome an even greater effort from WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh to complete the play.

DL Ellis Wyms recorded both sacks for the Buccaneers, and also contributed five solo tackles and one assist.