The play was an incompletion in the end zone on a pass to Trey McBride. Or maybe what should've been a touchdown on a pass to Trey McBride.

The Jacoby Brissett pass was in McBride's hands a moment before McBride was drilled by a Falcons defender, separating him from the ball. Because of the hit, the tight end was asked if he gave himself a little grace for not being able to hang on.

"No grace at all," McBride quickly responded. "I've got to make the play. I was gonna get drilled whether I caught it or I dropped it."

McBride was held to four catches last week, his lowest total of the season, for a mere 27 yards. And with that, "it's been eating at me all week."

"I was frustrated," McBride said. "I was mad at myself more than anything. It was nothing they did or what Jacoby did, nothing like that. I was mad at myself for a few plays I left out there, that end zone play in particular. I feel like I've caught much harder balls than that. Then they come back to me on the next play and I get broken up … that's another play I've made a million times."

Redemption in Cincinnati? McBride couldn't have a better scenario. The Bengals' bad defense has been historically bad against tight ends, allowing 106 receptions for 1,375 yards and 15 touchdowns to the opposing position.

On a personal level, it's hard not to be willing to give McBride grace for one pedestrian game. He has 109 catches for 1,098 yards and 10 touchdowns. With two games left, he needs three catches to break his own franchise record for tight ends, seven catches to break DeAndre Hopkins' record for single-season receptions, eight catches to break Zach Ertz's NFL record for single-season receptions by a tight end, and 108 yards to break Jackie Smith's franchise record for single-season receiving yards by a tight end.

"He came up to me after the game and goes, 'Man, this will never happen again,'" Brissett said. "I'm like, 'Well, I hope not either, but it probably will.'

"They did a good job of trying to find ways to mitigate what he can do, but like you said, he's just such a good player. … I always say, his will to win is going to supersede a lot of the things that defenses try to do against him."

McBride wasn't giving grace, nor was he making predictions. Not publicly. But the look in his eye also told a story after one game he'd rather not repeat.

"It's good," McBride said. "It's something that I needed. It'll make me better."

-- Josh Sweat wasn't happy this week. He made that clear over and over in his six minutes or so talking about his absence in the Pro Bowl. He had a reasonable argument. If it's the Cardinals' record, well, Brian Burns of the Giants made it. If it's sacks, well, Jared Verse of the Rams only has 6.5. Sweat, of course, has 11.0 sacks, four forced fumbles, and 12 tackles for loss.

He's not wrong when he talked about this being an individual honor. The history of the Pro Bowl is littered with players who had a strong argument to get in but didn't. The "Games" themselves don't mean much to players, but actually being named absolutely does.

"I don't know what else I could've done," Sweat said.

-- The Cardinals now have 22 players on IR/NFI, highest total in the league. That doesn't include L.J. Collier, Hayden Conner and Christian Jones, who were all on IR but eventually were put back on the roster, and it doesn't include Justin Jones, whom the Cardinals released off of IR recently. It also doesn't include the first time Garrett Williams was out in IR, before coming back and now going back with a torn Achilles.

-- Fun fact: In the offseason, teams can only have a 90-man roster (plus their one international exemption.) Did you know that number stands for the regular season too? Now, with the salary cap and the 53-man roster, a team is usually nowhere near that number. But with all the IR players, the Cardinals are having to deal with being up against that 90-man limit these last couple of weeks.

-- With Walter Nolen III done for the season, the window is open for Darius Robinson, especially to build on what was probably the best game of his career last week: seven tackles and his first fumble recovery. Defensive line coach Winston DeLattiboudere III said Robinson was someone he has been proud of this season. "Week by week, he's gotten better," he said. "You watch the game really slow down for him."

-- DeLattiboudere also was asked about reports that he would be taking a position on the Michigan State staff. He declined to confirm the reports, saying he was only concentrating on the Bengals game.

-- Wide receiver Michael Wilson needs 182 yards to get to 1,000 yards this season, a milestone that would be impressive given his start and lack of targets. You'd think there would be some opportunities against the leaky Bengals (and Wilson had an 11-142-2 line against the Rams the first time, and that's the road trip to end the season.)

-- The Cardinals need to get into the end zone more – in the last four games, they have scored only 73 points – but playing the Bengals could help. Cincinnati is allowing 30.5 points per game and 402.8 yards.

"Just getting down there and not scoring touchdowns in this league versus good teams, that's the …" Brissett said, before clarifying quickly, "you have to score touchdowns."

-- The last word goes to Jonathan Gannon, and his goals for the last two weeks of the season.

"Have a good day today. That's my goal today. That's the part about staying positive. Control what you can control and make sure you maximize the day. Like I said, that's what I'm excited about right now. Getting on the grass with them."

See you Sunday.