CINCINNATI — Now the excitement is really palpable. We’re just over 24 hours from kickoff, and that means we finally get to see Joe Burrow make his highly-anticipated Bengals and NFL debut.
Waiting for Burrow and the Bengals are the Los Angeles Chargers, a team, like the Bengals, that is coming off a down season that led to an offseason of change. This matchup could go either way, as it was the hardest game for me to make a pick on this week. With that, here is this week’s game preview with matchups to watch, keys to the game for the Bengals, players to watch and, ultimately, my game pick.
Matchups to Watch
- Bengals Tackles against the Chargers Defensive Ends – The game very well could be decided in the trenches, particularly on the exterior. This will be a matchup of inexperience and inconsistency versus experience and rich credentials; the former with the Bengals and left tackle Jonah Williams making his NFL debut plus the always inconsistent right tackle in Bobby Hart. They both look to keep defensive ends Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram of the Chargers at bay. Both Bosa and Ingram have inked contract extensions, as they both well-deserved them. But if Williams and Hart are able to keep them away from Joe Burrow and open running lanes for Joe Mixon, the Bengals will be able to unleash their new-look personnel on offense.
2. Austin Ekeler against the Bengals linebackers – This was a matchup my co-host, Justin Cashman, mentioned on our Bengals preview show last night, and I totally agree with him. The third-year undrafted running back of the Chargers, Ekeler has shown throughout his first two seasons just how dangerous of a playmaker he is. Last year he caught 92 passes for over 900 yards and eight touchdowns. Those are wide receiver numbers!
Given the Bengals linebackers’ struggles against dynamic running backs the past two seasons, this will sure be a challenge for the new-look unit as they face one of the most dynamic running backs in the NFL. Rookie linebacker Logan Wilson can cover a lot of ground and fellow rookie Akeem Davis-Gaither has a nose for the football. Add in veteran free agent signing Josh Bynes, who went up against Lamar Jackson every day in practice last season with the Ravens, and Germaine Pratt who seems poised for huge second season, and the Bengals makeover at linebacker will hopefully be able to keep up with the tempo of Ekeler and the Chargers offense.
3. Bengals receivers against the Chargers secondary – I mention this because I think this is a matchup I think the Bengals can exploit. A.J. Green returning is so critical because it forces opposing defenses to have to gameplan for him, which is on top of preparing for Tyler Boyd who is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. It’s a pick your poison, and that will be the case so long as A.J. Green stays healthy. Los Angeles has a strong secondary, but there are weak links to target. The absence of all-pro safety Derwin James is significant, but the Bengals will still have to contend with Chris Harris Jr. and Casey Hayward Jr. at cornerback. But where I think the Bengals can exploit the Chargers secondary is by targeting the weak links in safeties Rayshawn Jenkins and Nasir Adderley. Forcing the inexperienced safeties to make plays could allow the Bengals to have success on offense and force Hayward and Harris to really step up.
Keys to the Game
- Make it third and manageable – With the aforementioned Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram, another way to keep them at bay is to not allow them to pressure Joe Burrow on third down. How do the Bengals do that? By not putting themsleves in third-and-long situations. How to make it third-and-manageable?…
2. Run the football – Joe Mixon is the key to the Bengals offense. Last year when the Bengals offense struggled mightily in the first half of the season, a large contribution to those struggles was Mixon’s inability to eat up yards running the football. He was much better in the second half, and hopefully what he did over those final eight games will translate into the beginning of this season.
3. Doing what you do best – It sounds so cliche, but it’s so true especially this year. With no offseason program and no preseason games, this will be the first live action for the Bengals against a team other than themselves. I expect them to come out and run offensive plays and line up on defense similar to how they did in Training Camp. And from the reports I have read, I’m very excited to see what they look like Sunday on both sides of the ball.
Players to Watch
Offense – Joe Mixon. Hands down. He wasn’t given a contract extension for nothing. His performance on the field through his first three seasons has warranted it. He gives the Bengals offense a valuable dimension, and him running the football opens up the passing game which has a rejuvenated receiving corps.
Defense – Josh Bynes. The 10-year veteran is the leader of a linebacker group in need of a revival. As mentioned above, I’m very interested in seeing how he will fare against the Chargers dynamic running back in Austin Ekeler. The Bengals linebacker group has a lot of new faces, and it’s on Bynes to be the leader of the group on and off the field.
Game pick: Earlier this week, I was leaning slightly over to Los Angeles. I felt like there was just too much uncertainty on both sides of the ball for the Bengals going up against all the playmakers the Chargers have on both sides of the ball. But now with Chargers center Mike Pouncey out, two other offensive linemen questionable plus Derwin James’s absence on defense, I think that will allow us to see how different the Bengals will look on offense and see a more competent defense. All of that, I THINK, will pave the way for a season-opening win.
Bengals 28 Chargers 20
Let me be Frank and Cut to the Chase 