CINCINNATI (WKRC) – After reviewing the tape from Sunday’s 17-16 win at the Cleveland Browns, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor discussed his takeaways from it on Monday, both good and bad:

Offensive Woes

The Bengals had the worst yardage output in Taylor’s seven seasons as coach with 141 yards.

“It’s extremely simple, we got to convert a third and two, we got to convert a third and four, we got to convert a third and one to be able to a get into a rhythm where we’ve got that first down and now we got more normal down plays to keep them off guard,” said Taylor. “When you’re just three and out, because you’re not converting third downs, they’re just teeing off, and they’ve got all the momentum, and we just needed to convert on one to give ourselves some rhythm momentum. (We) aren’t able to do that. That happens sometimes. We don’t want it to happen, but those are easy, easy things for us to be better at moving forward offensively.”

What stood out about the defense

The unit forced two turnovers and kept the Browns from scoring on each of their last six possessions in the game, one that came in the waning seconds.

“Just the way that they finished the game on those last five (full) possessions, you just look at, one thing we we’ve talked about, is the get back on tracks,” said Taylor. “There were some times base early in the game we got them into a second and 10, second and 11, where we want them, and they were able to convert them. When you look at every situation we were in that way, second and eight, 9,10, 11, 12, we won the next down. I think our guys just did a great job finishing the game, closing it out, getting the two turnovers, getting the turnover on downs, on the 4th-and-5, just, just a lot of really good stuff to close out the game from our defense.”

The impact of free agent defensive tackle signee TJ Slaton

The massive 6-foot-5, 345-pound Slaton, who was signed in the offseason as a free agent, was credited with only three tackles and one quarterback hit, but his impact led to Cleveland rushing for only 49 yards on 24 carries.

“I thought TJ really played well on every snap he was in there,” said Taylor. “He was physical in the run game, physical at the point of attack, made some hay in the pass game as well and got some pressures back there. So overall, I thought he had great energy throughout the game.”

The debut performances of rookies Shemar Stewart, Demetrius Knight and Dylan Fairchild

Knight started at linebacker and Fairchild started at left guard, while Stewart played in a rotational role at defensive end. Fairchild played every offensive snap, while Knight played on 76 percent of defensive snaps and finished with a team-high eight solo tackles, and Stewart played 49 percent of defensive snaps.

“There was a lot of really good plays from D. Knight,” said Taylor. “I thought he played poised. It doesn’t mean there’s things we can’t correct in there.”

While Stewart didn’t record a single stat, according to ProFootballFocus.com, he had a pass rush win rate of 26.1 percent and got a pass rush grade of 78.2 (out of 100) on 25 pass rush snaps. For comparison sake, Browns standout defensive end Myles Garrett, who had two sacks and three quarterback hits, had a pass rush win rate of 28 percent and a pass rush grade of 78.9.

“You know, there’s good things to continue to build on (for both Stewart and Fairchild),” said Taylor. “There are things that we will correct as the season goes on. I told the team after the game, the Week 1 team is not going to be our Week 2 team or our Week 16 team. We’re going to have to continue to improve as we go, but we have the right people that correct their mistakes, and so I know we get a better version of everybody as we move forward.”

Lucas Patrick’s injury and Dalton Risner’s performance replacing him

Patrick started at right guard, but left after playing only 16 snaps due to a right calf injury and he was replaced by veteran Dalton Risner, who was just signed on Aug. 28.

Taylor said Patrick will be out “a couple weeks,” and credited Risner for his performance in a major pinch.

“That was his second time in full pads,” Taylor said of Risner. “Thursday’s practice, Sunday’s game. That’s difficult. The above-the-neck stuff, he’s got. The experience, he’s got. He’s done a good job staying in shape so he’s ready to go. I thought he did a great job getting through the game and was durable and conditioning was fine. You can’t simulate the body blows and hits on your body and I’m sure the soreness he experiences right now, which is probably something our guys feel Day 2 of training camp with the pads on. He’s doing everything he can to get his body back.”