"When you get double teams like that, they're going up to the second level. It just makes our life easy," Chase Brown said. "We had a ton of space, and we're both against them. We're both able to play with more patience, more tempo, and hit the holes and hit the running lanes when they're there. So, it was a positive. I think the run game took another step forward in that area."
Quinnen Williams had a nice line with seven tackles, one for a loss, and he got his hands on two balls. But he didn't wreck the game.
"I feel like, for the most part, our offensive line did a great job, specifically Ted sending the calls the right way to make sure he became less of an X-factor," Perine said. "And he's a great player, but I feel like we did a great job minimizing his production."
Karras and Orlando Brown Jr. lead an emotional group. As Karras sizzled ("I'm not going to get quoted with a cliché this week"), Brown recalled the giddy moments he was looking over to the sidelines and exulting with each 8.0-yard per run call.
"I was very happy with how we were able to run," Brown said. "It's a lot of fun and very exciting, especially when some of those runs were going behind me. It wasn't enough to win today, and that's all that matters. We need to figure out how to score enough points and keep popping. Especially those last two possessions."
It looked as if those were the only possessions the Jets touched Flacco, both on games up front. Even on the play Flacco took his only sack, it appeared that Brown and Fairchild passed off the stunting edge, Quinton McDonald IV, so well that McDonald had to go all the way to the right edge as Flacco tried to extend the play.
Brown was still in pads a half-hour after it was over, as if he were trying to walk off the angst. Toughest loss as a Bengal? He thought back to "Nashville in '23." That was a 27-3 with just 211 yards. This was the third time in two seasons they had lost despite scoring 38 points.
"I think we all had a hand in this. We have to learn to finish," Brown said. "We can't have these things where we're leading by two scores or three scores with nine minutes left and lose."
Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase came in as the NFL's leading receiver and probably left the same way after 12 more catches. The steam of the finish rolled off him as he met the media while toying with a hat that had a Batman logo.
"It's pretty frustrating, but the offense still needs to capitalize at the end," Chase said. "We left stuff out there."
Chase Brown had an idea where to re-discover the super heroes.
"I think (Taylor's) message is that when you have opportunity to finish the game," Brown said, "make some big plays to finish the game. Make them. End of story."