Cincinnati Bengals vs. Arizona Cardinals: 2023 Week 5 Recap

Game story

In Week 5 of the 2023 NFL season on 2023-10-08, the Cincinnati Bengals took care of business against the Arizona Cardinals, pulling away with a 34–20 final that built a comfortable lead.

The highest-scoring period was Q2 with 27 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.

J. Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals) paced the passing game, with +10.12 total EPA, and +9.7% completion percentage over expected.

On the individual side, J. Chase (Cincinnati Bengals) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +17.09 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.

The momentum swing (-21.5% win probability) landed in the second quarter when Arizona Cardinals changed the game: (1:30) (Shotgun) 9-J.Dobbs pass short right intended for 0-Z.Pascal INTERCEPTED by 29-C.Taylor-Britt at ARI 11. 29-C.Taylor-Britt for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Line score

Final score and points by quarter.

Stars of the game

Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.

1. 1 J. Chase · Cincinnati Bengals · Receiving · +17.09 total EPA · 19 snaps · +0.90 EPA/play
2. 2 J. Burrow · Cincinnati Bengals · Passing · +10.12 total EPA · 53 snaps · +0.19 EPA/play
3. 3 G. Swaim · Arizona Cardinals · Receiving · +2.35 total EPA · 2 snaps · +1.18 EPA/play
4. 4 R. Moore · Arizona Cardinals · Rushing · +2.17 total EPA · 3 snaps · +0.72 EPA/play
5. 5 T. Boyd · Cincinnati Bengals · Receiving · +1.59 total EPA · 7 snaps · +0.23 EPA/play
6. 6 M. Brown · Arizona Cardinals · Receiving · +1.53 total EPA · 10 snaps · +0.15 EPA/play
7. 7 T. Williams · Cincinnati Bengals · Rushing · +0.81 total EPA · 1 snaps · +0.81 EPA/play
8. 8 J. Conner · Arizona Cardinals · Rushing · +0.77 total EPA · 6 snaps · +0.13 EPA/play

Player of the game

FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.

Who scored touchdowns and field goals

Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.

Touchdowns

• Cincinnati Bengals — J. Chase (J. Burrow pass) (Q1 52:15)
• Arizona Cardinals — M. Brown (J. Dobbs pass) (Q2 42:30)
• Arizona Cardinals — Z. Ertz (J. Dobbs pass) (Q2 38:31)
• Cincinnati Bengals — C. Taylor-Britt (Q2 31:30)
• Cincinnati Bengals — J. Chase (J. Burrow pass) (Q3 28:47)
• Arizona Cardinals — E. Demercado (Q3 22:39)
• Cincinnati Bengals — J. Chase (J. Burrow pass) (Q4 7:54)

Field goals

• Cincinnati Bengals — E. McPherson (Q1 46:50)
• Cincinnati Bengals — E. McPherson (Q4 6:36)
• Cincinnati Bengals — E. McPherson (Q4 6:33)

How it unfolded, quarter by quarter

A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.

The opening quarter: Cincinnati Bengals won the period 10–0. Cincinnati Bengals found the end zone from the ARI 2 (Q1 52:15) — (7:15) (Shotgun) 9-J.Burrow pass short left to 1-J.Chase for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Cincinnati Bengals added 1 points from the ARI 15 (Q1 52:09) — 2-E.McPherson extra point is GOOD, Center-48-C.Adomitis, Holder-10-B.Robbins.; Cincinnati Bengals connected on a field goal from the ARI 22 (Q1 46:50) — (1:50) 2-E.McPherson 40 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-C.Adomitis, Holder-10-B.Robbins..

The second quarter: Arizona Cardinals won the period 14–13. Arizona Cardinals found the end zone from the CIN 25 (Q2 42:30) — (12:30) (Shotgun) 9-J.Dobbs pass deep right to 2-M.Brown for 25 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Arizona Cardinals added 1 points from the CIN 15 (Q2 42:25) — 5-M.Prater extra point is GOOD, Center-46-A.Brewer, Holder-12-B.Gillikin.; Arizona Cardinals found the end zone from the CIN 4 (Q2 38:31) — (8:31) (Shotgun) 9-J.Dobbs pass short left to 86-Z.Ertz for 4 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Arizona Cardinals added 1 points from the CIN 15 (Q2 38:28) — 5-M.Prater extra point is GOOD, Center-46-A.Brewer, Holder-12-B.Gillikin.; Cincinnati Bengals found the end zone from the CIN 99 (Q2 31:30); Cincinnati Bengals found the end zone from the ARI 15 (Q2 31:23) — 2-E.McPherson extra point is GOOD, Center-48-C.Adomitis, Holder-10-B.Robbins..

The third quarter: Cincinnati Bengals won the period 7–6. Cincinnati Bengals found the end zone from the ARI 63 (Q3 28:47) — (13:47) (Shotgun) 9-J.Burrow pass deep right to 1-J.Chase for 63 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Cincinnati Bengals added 1 points from the ARI 15 (Q3 28:39) — 2-E.McPherson extra point is GOOD, Center-48-C.Adomitis, Holder-10-B.Robbins.; Arizona Cardinals found the end zone from the CIN 11 (Q3 22:39) — (7:39) 31-E.Demercado left end for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN..

The fourth quarter: Cincinnati Bengals won the period 13–0. Cincinnati Bengals found the end zone from the ARI 3 (Q4 7:54) — (7:54) (Shotgun) 9-J.Burrow pass short right to 1-J.Chase for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Cincinnati Bengals added 1 points from the ARI 15 (Q4 7:48) — 2-E.McPherson extra point is GOOD, Center-48-C.Adomitis, Holder-10-B.Robbins.; Cincinnati Bengals connected on a field goal from the ARI 22 (Q4 6:36) — (6:36) 2-E.McPherson 40 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-C.Adomitis, Holder-10-B.Robbins.; Cincinnati Bengals connected on a field goal from the CIN 35 (Q4 6:33) — 2-E.McPherson kicks 65 yards from CIN 35 to end zone, Touchback..

Turning points

Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.

• Arizona Cardinals (Q2 31:30) — (1:30) (Shotgun) 9-J.Dobbs pass short right intended for 0-Z.Pascal INTERCEPTED by 29-C.Taylor-Britt at ARI 11. 29-C.Taylor-Britt for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN. [WPA -21.5% · EPA -6.84]
• Cincinnati Bengals (Q3 28:47) — (13:47) (Shotgun) 9-J.Burrow pass deep right to 1-J.Chase for 63 yards, TOUCHDOWN. [WPA +15.8% · EPA +5.27]
• Arizona Cardinals (Q3 18:46) — (3:46) (Shotgun) Direct snap to 4-R.Moore. 4-R.Moore left end pushed ob at CIN 25 for 41 yards (55-L.Wilson). [WPA +15.0% · EPA +2.60]
• Arizona Cardinals (Q2 40:36) — (10:36) 6-J.Conner up the middle to CIN 14 for 35 yards (20-D.Turner, 57-G.Pratt). [WPA +12.5% · EPA +2.68]
• Cincinnati Bengals (Q2 31:37) — (1:37) (Shotgun) 28-J.Mixon up the middle to ARI 1 for no gain (22-K.Wallace, 52-V.Dimukeje). [WPA -11.1% · EPA -3.89]

Impact plays

Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.

• Arizona Cardinals (Q2 31:30) — (1:30) (Shotgun) 9-J.Dobbs pass short right intended for 0-Z.Pascal INTERCEPTED by 29-C.Taylor-Britt at ARI 11. 29-C.Taylor-Britt for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN. [WPA -21.5% · EPA -6.84]
• Arizona Cardinals (Q4 7:48) — (7:48) (Shotgun) 9-J.Dobbs sacked at ARI 18 for -7 yards (91-T.Hendrickson). FUMBLES (91-T.Hendrickson) [91-T.Hendrickson], RECOVERED by CIN-94-S.Hubbard at ARI 28. [WPA -4.2% · EPA -5.60]
• Cincinnati Bengals (Q3 28:47) — (13:47) (Shotgun) 9-J.Burrow pass deep right to 1-J.Chase for 63 yards, TOUCHDOWN. [WPA +15.8% · EPA +5.27]
• Arizona Cardinals (Q3 16:49) — (1:49) (Shotgun) 9-J.Dobbs right end to CIN 17 for -1 yards (57-G.Pratt). [WPA -10.8% · EPA -4.36]

Quarterback report card

J.Burrow led all passers in efficiency for Cincinnati Bengals, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.

• J.Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals) · 53 dropbacks · 67.9% completion · +9.7% CPOE · +0.19 EPA/play · +10.12 total EPA
• J.Dobbs (Arizona Cardinals) · 35 dropbacks · 42.9% completion · -14.6% CPOE · -0.45 EPA/play · -15.65 total EPA

Team stats comparison

Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.

By the numbers

Despite the final score, Cincinnati Bengals generated the better offensive EPA per play (-0.01 vs -0.28), suggesting they moved the ball more efficiently.

• Arizona Cardinals: 13 drives, -20.14 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
• Cincinnati Bengals: 13 drives, -0.70 total EPA, 5 scoring drives

Key takeaways

What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.

• Cincinnati Bengals leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
• J. Chase (Cincinnati Bengals) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
• J. Burrow (CIN) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.
• J. Dobbs (ARI) finished below expected efficiency — volume may have masked accuracy issues.

Every scoring play

Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.

1. Cincinnati Bengals TD (+6) — Q1 52:15 · ARI 2 · Score 6-0
   (7:15) (Shotgun) 9-J.Burrow pass short left to 1-J.Chase for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
2. Cincinnati Bengals XP (+1) — Q1 52:09 · ARI 15 · Score 7-0
   2-E.McPherson extra point is GOOD, Center-48-C.Adomitis, Holder-10-B.Robbins.
3. Cincinnati Bengals FG (+3) — Q1 46:50 · ARI 22 · Score 10-0
   (1:50) 2-E.McPherson 40 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-C.Adomitis, Holder-10-B.Robbins.
4. Arizona Cardinals TD (+6) — Q2 42:30 · CIN 25 · Score 10-6
   (12:30) (Shotgun) 9-J.Dobbs pass deep right to 2-M.Brown for 25 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
5. Arizona Cardinals XP (+1) — Q2 42:25 · CIN 15 · Score 10-7
   5-M.Prater extra point is GOOD, Center-46-A.Brewer, Holder-12-B.Gillikin.
6. Arizona Cardinals TD (+6) — Q2 38:31 · CIN 4 · Score 10-13
   (8:31) (Shotgun) 9-J.Dobbs pass short left to 86-Z.Ertz for 4 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
7. Arizona Cardinals XP (+1) — Q2 38:28 · CIN 15 · Score 10-14
   5-M.Prater extra point is GOOD, Center-46-A.Brewer, Holder-12-B.Gillikin.
8. Cincinnati Bengals TD (+6) — Q2 31:30 · CIN 99 · Score 16-14
   (1:30) (Shotgun) 9-J.Dobbs pass short right intended for 0-Z.Pascal INTERCEPTED by 29-C.Taylor-Britt at ARI 11. 29-C.Taylor-Britt for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
9. Cincinnati Bengals TD (+7) — Q2 31:23 · ARI 15 · Score 17-14
   2-E.McPherson extra point is GOOD, Center-48-C.Adomitis, Holder-10-B.Robbins.
10. Cincinnati Bengals TD (+6) — Q3 28:47 · ARI 63 · Score 23-14
    (13:47) (Shotgun) 9-J.Burrow pass deep right to 1-J.Chase for 63 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
11. Cincinnati Bengals XP (+1) — Q3 28:39 · ARI 15 · Score 24-14
    2-E.McPherson extra point is GOOD, Center-48-C.Adomitis, Holder-10-B.Robbins.
12. Arizona Cardinals TD (+6) — Q3 22:39 · CIN 11 · Score 24-20
    (7:39) 31-E.Demercado left end for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
13. Cincinnati Bengals TD (+6) — Q4 7:54 · ARI 3 · Score 30-20
    (7:54) (Shotgun) 9-J.Burrow pass short right to 1-J.Chase for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
14. Cincinnati Bengals XP (+1) — Q4 7:48 · ARI 15 · Score 31-20
    2-E.McPherson extra point is GOOD, Center-48-C.Adomitis, Holder-10-B.Robbins.
15. Cincinnati Bengals FG (+3) — Q4 6:36 · ARI 22 · Score 34-20
    (6:36) 2-E.McPherson 40 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-C.Adomitis, Holder-10-B.Robbins.
16. Cincinnati Bengals FG (+3) — Q4 6:33 · CIN 35 · Score 34-20
    2-E.McPherson kicks 65 yards from CIN 35 to end zone, Touchback.