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Bengals Week 10 Preview – New Orleans vs Cincinnati

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New Orleans Saints (7-1) at Cincinnati Bengals (5-3)

It wasn’t pretty but the Bengals got it done against Tampa Bay. The Bengals were gifted multiple turnovers from Jameis Winston before we almost saw Ryan Fitzpatrick come back and steal the game away. This weeks test will be even harder as the Bengals will likely be without start wide receiver A.J. Green. This Bengals team continues to be hit hard with injuries in the worst way and they will once again need to overcome adversity this weekend in The Jungle.

This week, coming off the bye, the Bengals get arguably their toughest matchup of the year. The New Orleans Saints gained even more momentum last weekend as they took down the undefeated Rams in the Superdome. The Saints boast an explosive offense, their weakness is their defense, which the Bengals will have to exploit if they are to have any shot at taking down this Saints team.

Matchups to watch for…

Tyler Boyd vs. WR1 Coverage – As I mentioned earlier, we likely will not see A.J. Green this week due to an injury he suffered against the Bucs. This means all eyes will be on Tyler Boyd to show what he can do as the team’s number one passing option. The Saints slot corner has struggled this year which is good for Boyd. The problem could be if Boyd lines up outside against the Saints top corner, Marshon Lattimore. Hopefully we see Tyler Boyd stay lined up inside this weekend.

The Bengals Secondary vs. Drew Brees – Drew Brees shows no signs of slowing down as he is now 39 years old. Brees just torched the Rams for 340 yards and four touchdowns, and will now look to do the same against the Bengals secondary. The Bengals back end will have their hands full with Michael Thomas this weekend who is coming off of a 200+ yard performance. As if guarding Thomas wouldn’t be hard enough, the Saints also have one of the league’s best pass catching backs in Alvin Kamara, and recently signed Dez Bryant (though recent reports are he sustained an injury in practice already).

The Bengals Linebackers vs. Alvin Kamara – Alvin Kamara is one of the league’s top backs and is deadly in open space. We have seen the Bengals linebackers struggle all year to stop the run and miss tackles in the open field. The Bengals have to show improvement or Kamara will run for numbers similar to what Kareem Hunt and Christian McCaffrey have done against the Bengals.

My Prediction: The Bengals entered their bye at 5-3, which is good, however they still have a lot of work to do. With a bad defense and missing key offensive pieces, the Bengals could be in for a long day. On the plus side we should see Billy Price, Gio Bernard, and John Ross back in the lineup. The Bengals are also wearing their orange jerseys on Sunday, in which they are undefeated in. It is also supposed to be cold, where we have seen Drew Brees struggle. Despite all of this I still think the Saints will escape with the win.

My Prediction: Bengals 27 Saints 38

My Bengals Predictions on the year: 5-3

Be sure to follow me on twitter @Pierson242FF, and come find me at the game as I will be in attendance this Sunday. Be sure to tweet me anything Bengals related, questions or comments!

Game: New Orleans Saints (7-1) at Cincinnati Bengals (5-3)

Date/Time: November 11, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. EST

Location: Paul Brown Stadium

Uniforms: Orange Jersey with Black Pants

Last Matchup: 11/16/14 – Bengals 27 Buccaneers 10

Odds: Bengals, +5.5

Cincinnati Bengals Midseason Check-In: Awards and Outlook

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Welp, we’re halfway through the 2018 season – and for Cincy fans, things ain’t looking too bad.

The team stands at 5-3, including a win against AFC North foe Baltimore. That’s the best start since going 8-0 in 2015 (which feels like a helluva lot longer than three years ago). They are 3-0 against the teams with whom they are in wild-card contention (Ravens, Dolphins and Colts). Five remaining games are against teams with losing records.

If the receiving corps can hold together until A.J. Green gets back from a foot injury, and the offensive line continues to gel, and Vontaze Burfict quits playing like he’s trying out for the Cleveland Browns, a postseason trip could very well be in the cards.

By the way … some of those players we just mentioned? They deserve mid-season mentions for their accomplishments. Or lack thereof.

Cincinnati Bengals Mid-season Awards

MVP – Andy Dalton: Halfway through the year, Dalton has thrown for 2,102 yards and 17 touchdowns. The latter of those is tied for eighth in the NFL with Tom Brady and Ryan Fitzpatrick. We’re not saying we’d take him over Tom Brady at this point … wait, yes we are.

Surprise player – Trey Hopkins. Offensive guard Trey Hopkins had to show hustle to move up from the practice squad in late 2016. He had to show it even more to earn 12 starts in 2017. Through the first half of this year, he has shown us – and all Cincinnati Bengals fans – that he’s the real deal. Didn’t see that coming.

Rookie MVP – Jessie Bates. Now this is the way to make a first impression. Rookie free safety JB has racked up 60 tackles this year, defended four passes, picked off three others, and scored a touchdown. The last time a Bates was this scary, he was stabbing Janet Leigh in the shower (kids, ask your parents).

Most improved player – Tyler Boyd. Boyd has produced three 100-yard games this year and almost got a fourth against the Ravens in Week Two. His five TDs this year are already more than his first two seasons combined. With 620 receiving yards so far, Boyd is easily on pace to break the 1,000-yard mark in 2018. Now if we can only get John Ross to do that …

Most disappointed in – Vontaze Burfict. Vontaze browned the bed by getting suspended for the first four games of the year for using PEDs. He’s only tallied 17 tackles so far and the Cincinnati Bengals’ defense has fed off that, which puts them on par with the worst Ds in the league. They are 30th in total yards allowed, 25th in rushing yards allowed, and 19th in sacks. Granted, they are tied for sixth with 10 interceptions, so we’ll throw ’em a bone there.

Bengals Week 8 Preview – Tampa Bay vs Cincinnati

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-3) at Cincinnati Bengals (4-3)

It was another embarrassing primetime showing by Andy Dalton and the Bengals that drops them to 4-3 and second in the AFC North behind the Steelers. No one thought the Bengals would win this game, but did we think it would be close? Of course we did. The Steelers loss hurts less than this game because at least the Bengals were competitive in that game. The Sunday night performance perfectly sums up the repeated mockery we continue to get with Marvin Lewis. The season is not lost by any means, but the Bengals have to figure out a way to get back on track.

This week the Bengals play Tampa Bay. It’s another game that is supposed to be a shootout, which after last week, may not be a good thing for the Bengals. The Bengals looked flat on offense and only managed 10 points against one of the worst defenses in the NFL. Sounds similar to this week, where the Bucs have a very explosive offense, and a very bad defense. Bill Lazor must figure a way to get points on the board.

Matchups to watch for…

Dre Kirkpatrick vs. Mike Evans – News broke earlier this week that the corners for the Bengals will at least start the game shadowing. William Jackson gets Desean Jackson, which doesn’t scare me too much. However, Dre is shadowing Mike Evans. Dre has struggled at times this year but is still not having as bad of a season as many are making it out to be. All fans will be glued to this matchup to see how Dre handles going up against one of the best wideouts in the league.

The Bengals Defensive Line vs. The Bucs Offensive Line – I listed the Bengals defensive line as a key matchup last week and will continue to do so until they step it up and show us what they showed in the preseason. Last week they failed to get pressure on Mahomes and he picked apart the defense. Jameis Winston, with time, can do the same thing. However, we have seen Winston struggle under pressure and make bad throws. If the line can step it up and get pressure on Jameis, it could lead to key turnovers in this game.

Andy Dalton vs. The Bucs Secondary – The Bucs secondary is bad, maybe worse than the Chiefs. This could be a get right game for Andy Dalton and Bill Lazor. The offense has struggled in the last three weeks. This game could turn into a shootout quickly and Andy Dalton must perform and show fans why many have stuck with him this long. If he cannot perform against this team, it may start to raise some questions.

My Prediction: Two straight loses, this game is a must win for the Bengals season. They cannot afford to go into the bye at 4-4. On paper, the Bengals are the better team and if we see the Bengals from Weeks 1-4, Cincy will win this game and move to 5-3. However, if we see the Bengals from Weeks 5-7, I think it goes down to the wire and Cincy may even lose. I’m giving the Bengals the upper hand and trusting them. I think at home they get back on track and go into a much needed bye at 5-3.

My Prediction: Bengals 35 Buccaneers 31

My Bengals Predictions on the year: 4-3

Be sure to follow me on twitter @Pierson242FF, and be sure to tweet me anything Bengals related, questions or comments!

Game: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-3) at Cincinnati Bengals (4-3)

Date/Time: October 28, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. EST

Location: Paul Brown Stadium

Uniforms: Black Jersey with White Pants

Last Matchup: 11/30/14 – Bengals 14 Buccaneers 13

Odds: Bengals, -3.5

Vontaze Burfict’s Fine Money Could Buy You Many Things

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Vontaze Burfict likes to play football. A lot. Vontaze Burfict seems to get fined. A lot.

His latest run-in, 2 separate hits in the last Pittsburgh Steelers game, cost him $112,000. Considering the opponent, it was almost worth it.

His career list of offenses, which reads like that list from season 2 of The Simpsons where Marge was documenting the ways Itchy and Scratchy were slaughtering each other, includes unsportsmanlike penalties, late hits, spearing, stepping on LeGarrette Blount, and the incident that makes us hope Ryan Taylor was wearing his jock.

Burfict’s total fines since 2013 clocks in at $415,637.

So, if you’ve ever wondered how much you could buy with the total of VB’s bad-boy money, the answer is … a lot.

What You Could Buy With Vontaze Burfict’s Fine Money

For 415,000 smackers, you could afford:

  • All cost-of-living expenses for 9 out-of-state students to attend Arizona State University (Burfict’s alma mater) for a year. Plus some beer money. But you didn’t hear us say that.
  • Burfict’s rookie salary as an undrafted free agent in 2012 ($390,000).
  • This beautiful 3BR, 4BA house on Berwyn Place in Cincinnati, with enough left over for home furnishings.
  • 415 Bengal kittens. Think $1000 for one of those critters is expensive? Mike Tyson spent about $4000 per month to care for his three white Bengal tigers back in the day.
  • 24,755 copies of The Simpsons (season 2) on DVD.

And FYI, these numbers don’t reflect the $4+ million in forfeited pay that Burfict has been docked because of his suspensions. Don’t get us started.

Bengals Week 7 Preview – Cincinnati vs Kansas City

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Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) at Kansas City Chiefs (5-1)

What a tough lose. The Bengals hung with the Steelers all day despite playing very bad at times. They were able to march down the field and score with ease just before halftime, then went on to get only 4 total yards on offense in the third quarter. I still think the Bengals were the better team, and if you put any other logo on the Steelers helmets the Bengals win. But the Bengals just can not beat Pittsburgh. It was crushing to see Brown score with just seconds left, but the fact that it came down to the last play was encouraging that the Bengals hung in and fought down to the wire.

This week we get to sit all day Sunday in anticipation of a prime time game with a red hot Chiefs offense. The Chiefs defense shouldn’t provide much of an obstacle for the Bengals offense. The game will be decided by how much the Bengals can slow down the Chiefs offense. The key will be to keep the Kansas City offense off of the field, which is why I think Joe Mixon will have a big day grinding out the clock. And the more we keep our defense off the field against Patrick Mahomes, the better!

Matchups to watch for…

William Jackson III vs. Tyreek Hill – Earlier this week when asked about Tyreek Hill’s speed, William Jackson replied “I can fly too”. Every Bengals fan watching this game will hope the same thing. Tyreek Hill has made defenses look silly this year with his speed. On the bright side for Bengals fans, William Jackson allowed zero receptions on two targets last week against Pittsburgh. It’s encouraging that teams are afraid to throw his way, and when they do it doesnt end well. Let’s hope this trend continues when William Jackson is lined up on Tyreek.

The Bengals Defensive Line vs. The Chiefs Offensive Line – It is not secret that this “elite” defensive line we saw during the preseason is under performing. One of the reasons we came up short against the Steelers is because Ben Roethlisberger had all day to throw. The Bengals line must play better to take pressure off the secondary and linebackers, especially with how bad our linebacker play has been. This may be a tough task as the Chiefs have allowed just six sacks this year, the least amount by any team in the NFL so far.

Bengals Linebackers vs. Travis Kelce – I mentioned before that the Bengals have one of the worst linebacking corps in the league. Well it is a good thing they don’t have to matchup against one of the best tight ends in the league this year…. Oh wait. The Bengals have been very bad against the tight end position this year and Travis Kelce is arguably the best tight end in the game right now. In almost every team the Bengals have faced this year we have seen the opposing teams tight ends have big games. If the Bengals can not figure out a way to slow down Kelce, fans could be in for a long day on defense.

My Prediction: The Chiefs are a very good football team, which is why they are 5-1. Every year Andy Reid’s offenses start red hot and crash back down to earth when teams start scheming with more knowledge on how to stop them. As a Bengals fan, I am really hoping that starts this weekend. However, I am not betting on that. I still think the Bengals are a very good team, but after a tough loss to Pittsburgh, multiple injuries, in primetime I just can’t. I think the Bengals will make it interesting but not have what it takes to slow down Patrick Mahomes.

My Prediction: Bengals 24 Chiefs 31

My Bengals Predictions on the year: 3-3

Be sure to follow me on twitter @Pierson242FF, and be sure to tweet me with any Bengals related questions or comments!

Game: Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) at Kansas City Chiefs (5-1)

Date/Time: October 21, 2018 at 8:20 p.m. EST

Location: Arrowhead Stadium

Uniforms: White Jersey with White Pants

Last Matchup: 10/04/15 – Bengals 36 Chiefs 21

Odds: Bengals, +6