You are missing the point. If you get that close to winning a Super Bowl, it's a blown opportunity. Sure he was under attack but he was only about 15 yards from going into overtime. 15 yards.... To think it's not a blown opportunity is "dumb shit".
I expected the Bengals to call more QB draws - Burrow seems uncannily good in those, and they play perfectly to the fact that their OL was overwhelmingly outmatched by the Rams' DL. As to missed opportunities, I heard someone on ESPN mention this morning a comparison to Andrew Luck, as a cautionary tale about a team that could never fix their OL woes, and ended up wasting the career of a top-quality quarterback. Saying that the Bengals need to fix their OL is not the same as doing it, and if they don't do it, Burrow is either going to get killed, or he's going to get out of town.
The defensive holding was ticky-tack, but the Bengals second-half touchdown came on a blatant facemask the refs missed. With good reffing, the Rams would have won more easily.
every play that doesn't work isn't "blown" wide open guy he missed on a crucial play ( a la Jimmy G vs Chiefs in SB) you can say blown. blown implies error mistake he did his knee
great throw by a future HOF QB to Santonio who did a remarkable job with the catch and getting the toes down... while being plenty tired of the Steel Curtain after all these years.... thats still quite the throw and catch... thats closer to a "blown" opportunity... having the lead and not being able to close...
I'm cool with the result. Cincinnati was always one of the few franchises more slapdick and hapless than the Jets. Who would we have left, the Lions and Jaguars?
