In his return trip to The Black Hole, Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson wasted no time emptying the kitchen sink on Cincinnati’s first series of the season and then tight end Tyler Eifert supplied the hammer by establishing career highs of nine catches for 104 yards as the Bengals rolled to a 33-13 Opening Day victory over the Raiders.
As if to showcase the Bengals’ dizzying array of offensive versatility, Eifert tortured Raiders in and out of the slot and owned the middle of the field with two touchdowns and the second 100-yard game by a Bengals tight end since 1995. Jermaine Gresham did it in 2012, a year before the Bengals took Eifert in the first round out of Notre Dame.
In the most complete effort of head coach Marvin Lewis’ 13 Opening Days, the defense stalked the club’s first shutout in 48 Opening Days after they knocked out quarterback Derek Carr out of the game with a hand injury late in the quarter while coming up with two turnovers. The shutout bid ended when Carr’s backup, Matt McGloin, threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to fullback Marcel Reese with 7:55 left in the game.
Quarterback Andy Dalton helped the Bengals to their first win ever here in 11 tries and six quarterbacks when he hit 25 of 34 passes for 269 yards, no picks and the TDs to Eifert for a 115.9 passer rating as the offensive line barely allowed any of the baseball dirt on Dalton’s No. 14 jersey. After three quarters, Raiders super sophomore defensive end Khalil Mack was not among his team leaders in tackles.
Eifert launched himself over cornerback D.J. Hayden to make a spectacular eight-yard touchdown catch with 3:42 left in the third quarter to make it 30-0 after Mike Nugent had his extra point blocked. With Hayden’s back to the quarterback, Eifert reached around him to grab the ball.
Then defensive tackle Geno Atkins came up with his first sack of the season and, in a reunion, with his partner in crime, right end Michael Johnson, Johnson recovered Atkins’ forced fumble from backup Matt McGloin at the Raiders 17. From there Nugent hit a 35-yarder with 1:25 left in the third quarter.
Eifert’s leaping 13-yard touchdown catch over cornerback Neiko Thorpe with seven seconds left in the first half gave the Bengals a 24-0 half-time lead and capped a 56-second drive that covered 61 yards and was ignited by the other player of the game, cornerback Adam Jones and his 18-yard punt return.
Jackson, fired after his one season as the Raiders head coach in 2011, had the faithful booing its club off the field at halftime after Dalton hit 18 of 23 passes for 202.
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