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Bengals Week 4 Preview – Cincinnati at Atlanta

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Cincinnati Bengals (2-1) at Atlanta Falcons (1-2)

Man, what a tough week 3 for Bengals fans. In a game that looked so ugly on paper, the Bengals managed to stay within one score for essentially the whole game. This was a very winnable game for Cincinnati but they could not seem to get it going in the second half. Yes we know there was drama with John Ross, and the A.J. Green injury, and a non existent run defense. But despite all of this, the Bengals hung in there with the Panthers and kept it close. But that is behind now in the past, the Bengals still sit atop the AFC North and seem to have avoided a serious injury to Green.

Now onto week 4, and I want to start by saying, weddings during football season should be illegal. I will be in attendance at my cousins wedding this weekend. Congrats to her and I feel honored to be in the wedding, however it is three and a half hours away and I will have to be up at the crack of dawn to drive home to watch the game on top of making sure all my fantasy football lineups are set. Tired of my complaining yet, let’s talk Bengals now. The Bengals will travel to Atlanta to take on the Falcons, who are somehow more banged up than the Bengals are at this point in the year. Having lost their best starting linebacker and both starting safeties, the Bengals may be able to take advantage on offense.

Matchups to watch for…

Dre Kirkpatrick vs. Julio Jones – Dre and Julio go way back, as they were teammates in college at Alabama. Dre will definitely have his work cut out for him on Sunday. He has faced a lot of criticism for his play this year and has been targeted a ton this season so far. He has actually done a fairly good job at corner and on Sunday he faces his toughest task of the year with Julio Jones. Playing for pride and facing off against his old teammate, Dre should have plenty of motivation this week. In order for the Bengals to win, Kirkpatrick must find a way to slow down Julio.

Giovani Bernard vs. a banged up Falcons Defense – Over the past two weeks, the Falcons have given up over 329 yards from scrimmage to running backs, 226 in which have been receiving yards. With the loss of Deion Jones and Keanu Neal the Falcons have been destroyed by running backs in the passing game. This is very good news for Gio, who has had plenty of success catching the ball. After a good performance versus Carolina he will be key in this matchup. The Bengals have to establish a run game to keep the Falcons offense off the field. Gio should have a huge day in week 4.

John Ross vs. Himself – John Ross has been all the talk this week for the Bengals. After questionable play in week 3, Bengals fans are calling for him to be benched which is silly. Although that is another subject which you can read about in one of my previous articles. Ross will face his biggest test of the year in showing whether or not he can bounce back and prove everyone wrong. Ross must show improved hands and work ethic. He appears to still have the trust of his coaches and teammates, but can he prove it to fans this week? It’s a big week for #15.

This game will be decided by the Bengals defense. Dalton and company shouldn’t have any huge issues moving the ball and scoring, especially with A.J. Green looking like a lock to play Sunday. The Bengals defense will be the ones who have to slow down this Falcons offense and get off the field on third down, which they haven’t been able to do this year. If the defense can hold the Falcons to around 21-24 points, I think the offense should be able to put up more than this to leave Atlanta with a win.

My Prediction: All year I have been predicting the Bengals to split the Carolina and Atlanta game going 1-1 between the two. I bet on Cincy last week and was burned and am skeptical to pick them this week. While I think they have the ability to win this week, it is always tough to win on the road. Especially somewhere loud like Atlanta. I will not be surprised if they win this week but I am picking them to lose a close game. I hope they prove me wrong but the high powered Falcons passing game is looking red hot right now and I think Atlanta kicks a last second field goal to win this one.

My Prediction: Bengals 27 Falcons 30

My Bengals Predictions on the year: 2-1

Be sure to follow me on twitter @Pierson242FF, Who Dey!

Game: Cincinnati Bengals (2-1) at Atlanta Falcons (1-2)

Date/Time: September 30, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. EST

Location: Mercedes Benz Stadium

Uniforms: White Jersey with Black Pants

Last Matchup: 9/14/14 – Bengals 24, Falcons 10

Odds: Bengals, +5

Could 2018 Be Tyler Boyd’s Year?

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Never send just a man to do a Boyd’s job.

Sounds like a cool slogan for a t-shirt, right?

Well, it’s more than that. With Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd coming into his own as a viable target for Andy Dalton, that slogan could become the newest way to express how Bill Lazor’s offense will wreak havoc on opponents in 2018.

Getting to that point though hasn’t been a sure thing at times.

Tyler Boyd: Origins

The Bengals had reasonably high hopes for Tyler Boyd, drafting him in the second round out of Pitt in 2016. He brought a 6’2” frame and 4.58 speed to the team. Cincinnati penciled him in third on the depth chart behind Brandon LaFell and some guy named Green.

Boyd wasted no time jumping into the fray in 2016. He played in all 16 games and snagged 54 passes for 603 yards and 1 TD. Those are solid totals for a second rounder, especially when you consider that his role was mainly to complement Green and LaFell.

But last year, those numbers dipped more than the chorus of Freak Nasty‘s single Da Dip. (You know; I put my hand upon your hip …). Boyd suffered a knee sprain and only played in 10 games. He was targeted only 32 times, and caught 22 of them for 225 yards and a couple of TDs. To boot, he was in Marvin Lewis’ doghouse for reasons that even the cast of True Detective would have trouble figuring out.

Now, it’s year 3.

Through the first 3 games of 2018, Boyd has 15 catches for 249 yards and 2 touchdowns. That’s a healthy 16.6 yards per catch and a yardage total that already surpasses last year. Those numbers should keep growing nicely as Boyd gains experience and assumes a larger role in the offense with LaFell now in Oakland. Boyd is a good safety net/checkdown for Dalton and will team with Green to give the Cincinnati Bengals a powerful 1-2 punch. It’ll be enough to give secondaries that same dejected feeling you get when you’re jonesing for some Chick-fil-A … and then realize it’s Sunday.

Here’s to Tyler, whom we hope will continue to look like a man among boys.

It is too early to give up on John Ross

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The hate has already gone too far.

Enough with the John Ross hate, it’s gone too far with Bengals fans. Fans tweeting for his benching, to replace him with Josh Malone or Auden Tate, whatever it is, it needs to stop. It is far too early to give up on the 9th overall pick from 2017.

Ross played just 17 snaps last season as a rookie, partly due to injuries but also for losing the coaches trust. His rookie season was basically non-existent. 2018 is basically Ross’s rookie season as a Bengal. It all started out great, as Ross got a lot of camp hype and impressed coaches on a daily basis.

His great camp, along with Tyler Boyd’s development, was so strong they decided to cut veteran Brandon LaFell in favor of younger players. It was a very unusual move for the Bengals who tend to heavily favor vets but it shows just how confident they were in both Ross and Boyd. His good camp continued, getting compliments from coaches and teammates on his good play and about how good he looked coming off such a bad rookie year. Everything looked like it was coming together for a big 2018. His preseason was up and down but we witnessed how great of an athlete he can be.

Yes he also struggled with some drops but being basically a rookie one should expect there to be some bumps in the road. We even see veteran guys like Julio Jones, Antonio Brown, and even A.J. Green struggle from time to time.

Ross was quiet in week one versus the Colts, catching one ball for a touchdown. Yet it demonstrated how useful he can be for the Bengals. Adding him as a weapon to pair with an already loaded offense could be the missing piece the Bengals have needed. After a quiet week 2, his preseason hype had died down. It appeared maybe a week 3 breakout was on the horizon against a banged up Carolina secondary.

This is where we catch up to date on the John Ross situation. There was good and bad in this game for Ross. First, the good. Ross saw a career high 7 targets from Andy Dalton against Carolina. After seeing just 6 combined in the first two games it was nice to see Andy start looking his way more. We saw Andy look his way on a third down near the red zone that Ross caught setting up a touchdown. It was not an easy catch but Ross was able to secure it for the first down.

Now the bad. We saw multiple times in this game where Ross and Dalton could not connect. The first was in second quarter when Dalton took a deep shot to Ross near the end zone.

The ball appears to be just a bit in front of Ross, of course other camera angles show it was catchable, an incompletion nonetheless on what could’ve been a HUGE gain. The takeaway from this is that it was not Ross’s fault anymore than Daltons. They just could not connect.  The next play is on both Dalton and Ross again. Dalton forces a ball towards Ross near the sideline, not exactly a great throw. However, Ross also doesn’t go for the ball as hard as he probably could have resulting in an easy pick for the defense.

Again, the mistake is on both of them. The last play is the one that set fans over the edge. Late in the fourth quarter down by a touchdown, the Bengals need a spark to get the drive moving and tie the game. We see Dalton wind up and let the ball fly deep. He is looking for Ross on the play, and as many of you know the ball is picked off.

At first glance, it appears Ross gives up on his route and may have even been running the wrong way. But, if you watch Joe Goodberry’s breakdown of the play, you see it’s possible that Dalton threw the ball to the wrong spot. This doesn’t excuse Ross for giving up on his route, but it still is not all on John Ross. Most of the mistakes he made in this game were not completely his fault. And for those fans wanting Josh Malone in over Ross, Malone also was main the reason for an interception in this game.

The point is, John Ross is still young, basically a rookie trying to adapt to the NFL under a spotlight with gigantic expectations. Some guys like A.J. Green come into the league and are instantly studs, but for some it takes time. Take Tyler Boyd for example, who last year was made inactive at times and looked to have regressed a bit in his 2nd season and now is one of Dalton’s top targets and is playing like a stud. Ross needs time to develop and build that connection with Dalton. Week 4 will be a huge test to see how Ross can handle the criticism he has gotten and bounce back. There is no reason to give up on someone as talented as Ross. He is facing tougher criticism than someone like Boyd did but he is not yet a bust. We also shouldn’t be giving up just yet. Let him prove us wrong by working harder at practice, finishing his routes, and showing us more of what we saw in college at the NFL level.

It is simply too early to give up on John Ross after just 129 pro snaps.

Be sure to follow me on twitter @Pierson242FF and share your Ross thoughts with me. Who Dey!

Winners and Losers from Week 3

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Winner: Tyler Boyd

Boyd continues his massive year 3 breakout for the Bengals. On Sunday we saw him go for 6 catches, 132 yards and a touchdown. That now gives him 249 yards on the season. It is clear he is becoming one of Andy Dalton’s most trusted targets, especially on third downs. Boyd stepped up big in the absence of Green. With Green’s status uncertain for week 4, Boyd should continue to contribute to the offense in a big way.

Loser: The Linebacker’s Run Defense

Going into this game, Christian McCaffrey’s career high for rushing yards in a game was 66. Sunday he rushed for 184 yards on the Bengals defense. He nearly tripled his career high against what looked like a lost Bengals run defense, particularly the linebackers. We saw the defensive line make some nice stops behind the line of scrimmage but once McCaffrey got past the first level he was picking up huge yardage on each run. This was the first week all season Burfict’s absence has really been felt. If the Bengals want a shot at beating Atlanta they will have to slow down the run.

Winner: Tyler Eifert

I am sure everyone saw #85 on Sunday. Apart from the mullet he looked like the same guy who player for the Bengals in 2015. Eifert was finally able to make an impact on Sunday and looked healthy doing so. Tyler saw 8 targets and turned them into 6 catches for 74 yards. He adds another element to the passing game that we haven’t had the last two years in which he has battled injuries. Now healthy, expect Eifert to be even more involved versus Atlanta.

Loser: Dre Kirkpatrick

Another game, another dropped interception for Dre. The Panthers picked on Kirkpatrick early, targeting him on the first play of the game and doing so until the end. We saw him give up some big plays, and of course drop an interception. Dre is going to be targeted all year, playing opposite of William Jackson will do that to you. Dre has to step up his game next week versus a very good air attack in Atlanta.

Winner: Carlos Dunlap

In weeks 1 and 2, our defense stepped up causing big turnovers to help seal the deal on games. In week 3 Dunlap almost did just that. Late in the game, down by one touchdown, Carlos was able to strip sack Cam Newton causing a fumble. It looked like the momentum shift needed to get the Bengals back in the game. Unfortunately the Bengals could not fall on it. Dunlap also deflected a few of Cam’s throws, one ball was almost tipped into the hands of the defense for a pick. It is interesting to imagine what could’ve happened had we recovered the fumble.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter @Pierson242FF, Who Dey!

Bengals Week 3 Preview – Cincinnati at Carolina

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Cincinnati Bengals (2-0) at Carolina Panthers (1-1)

After watching the Bengals first two games of the year in person, I’ll get the chance to relax a little and watch week three from my house. As many of you know who read my preview last week, I was in attendance at the game against Baltimore this past Thursday. I have to say, being at the game this year versus games last year is quite different as there is a different energy and atmosphere at the stadium. Fans are more optimistic, more into the game, and a whole lot louder! It was an awesome time last Thursday and I am looking forward to my next game against Miami. Until then, I will enjoy watching the next two games on TV.

To briefly recap last week’s game, we saw the duo of Andy Dalton and A.J. Green look unstoppable. We continue to get big turnovers on defense. But that’s not what I want to recap, it’s the injuries. As many of you know, in this weeks game against Carolina, the Bengals will be without center Billy Price and running back Joe Mixon. Price is an important piece to the offensive line, however Trey Hopkins did not play bad in his place. The biggest injury for me is Joe Mixon’s. We have seen the offense lean on him early this year, and after two weeks he was second in the league in rushing. According to Mixon, he is feeling awesome after his surgery and it sounds like we could see him back in week 5 or 6.

Now onto week 3, where the Bengals travel to Carolina to play the Panthers. The Bengals sit atop the AFC North, undefeated. The Panthers are playing for their hometown that was just hit with a devastating storm. If the Bengals can pull out the win they will be sitting in the driver seat in the AFC North.

Matchups to watch for…

The Bengals Linebackers vs. Cam Newton and Christian McCaffrey – The Bengals secondary should have no issue containing the Panthers wide outs, which puts all the pressure on the front seven to contain McCaffrey and Newton. Cam can be frustrated, which at times can affect his play. If the Bengals front can get to him early and knock him around it could be enough to throw off the offense. McCaffrey is one of the best pass catching backs in the league. Covering running backs with linebackers hasn’t always been the Bengals strong point. This offense runs through these two guys. This will be the toughest test of the year so far, the Bengals must stop Cam and/or McCaffrey to disrupt the offense. Stop one of them and it should stop the entire offense.

Trey Hopkins vs. Kawann Short – As I mentioned before, Hopkins will get the start at center in place of the injured Billy Price. Last week Hopkins filled in for Price, giving up zero sacks and only a handful of pressures against a very talented Ravens front. This week he had the whole week to prepare for one of the league’s top defensive tackles, Kawann Short. If the Panthers are smart they will have Short lined up over Hopkins all game long as it should be one of their best mismatches up front. If Hopkins can contain Short in this game, Bengals fans will be able to sleep a little bit easier with Price on the sideline for the next 2-4 weeks.

Exterior Bengals Pass Rushers vs. Back up Offensive Lineman – With both starting tackles, Matt Kalil and Daryl Williams, out for this game and starting guard Trai Turner in the concussion protocol, the Panthers could be down three starting lineman. This should be a huge advantage for the Bengals talented defensive line. The Bengals d-line dominated during the preseason but haven’t had a “dominate” regular season performance yet. The Bengals should be able to get loads of pressure on Newton, disrupting his passing game. Newton can scramble, but as long as the Bengals linebackers contain him, he should see pressure in his face throughout the game.

Other things to watch for…

Last week the Bengals again did a very good job of overcoming injuries and still pulling out a win. They will again have to show us this week that they can continue to win with “the next man up”. They are also underdogs going into this game for the third straight week. This will be a tough game on the road with a few notable injuries. This is the game that will show us just who these Bengals are.

My Prediction: Bill Lazor has had 10 days to plan for an offense featuring Giovani Bernard. I have no doubt that Lazor will have a very good game plan for Sunday. I don’t see the offense missing much of a beat. It will all come down to the defense, if Cincys D can contain Cam Newton and frustrate him early I think the Bengals can win this game. The Bengals are dealing with injuries yes, but so are the Panthers. In addition to their lineman, Cam’s favorite target and pro bowl tight end, Greg Olsen, is also out for this game. The Panthers injuries should create more of an impact than the Bengals, and I think this is the difference in the game. I think it will be a close and tightly contested matchup but think a Randy Bullock field goal late in the game is the difference.

My Prediction: Bengals 24 Panthers 21

My Bengals Predictions on the year: 2-0

Be sure to follow me on twitter @Pierson242FF, Who Dey!

Game: Cincinnati Bengals (2-0) at Carolina Panthers (1-1)

Date/Time: September 23, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. EST

Location: Bank of America Stadium

Uniforms: Black Jersey

Last Matchup: 10/12/14 – Bengals 37, Panthers 37

Odds: Bengals, +3