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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

Cincinnati Bengals Post-Draft, Preseason Picks 2018

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Now that the 2018 NFL Draft is in the rear view mirror and off-season moves have been made, the Cincinnati Bengals could make some noise in the AFC North this fall.

They picked up a handful of players who have more than a handful of promise. They will have OC Bill Lazor running the show on offense and he will go into the year having a full offseason to prepare and install his offense this time. He’s a guy who, let’s face it, would win every “Bitchin-est Name” contest if those things existed.

Those things, combined with a couple of very winnable early-season games and the fact that we play in the same division as the Cleveland Browns, means the playoffs could be within reach this year.

Here’s a game-by-game pick of how I think the Cincinnati Bengals’ 2018 season will go.

Cincinnati Bengals Game-by-Game Picks

Week 1 @ Indianapolis Colts
Andrew Luck has been out of action since being placed on injured reserve last November. The Colts’ 4-12 record shows how important he is to the team. A rusty shoulder combined with a long layoff leads one to think Cincy will start the season 1-0. Put me down as that one. 1-0

Week 2 vs Baltimore Ravens
Of all the picks, this is the one that has me running in slow-mo through a wheat field with my arms open. Cincinnati beat the Ravens 31-27 to end 2017. An early season win here means a one-game lead against a division contender. It also means momentum. That could be the difference between the playoffs or not. 2-0

Week 3 @ Carolina Panthers
The Carolina offense was very un-Cam Newton like in 2017. They were 28th in the league in passing offense. Fortunately, their rushing D only gave up 88 yards a game, and the team rode that stat to a 5th-seed playoff berth. Given the Cincinnati Bengals’s shaky ground game the last few years, we think the Panthers take this one. 2-1

Week 4 @ Atlanta Falcons
The last time there was an air attack this scary, Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds was in theaters. It starts with the 150 Million Dollar Man Matt Ryan and continues with Pro Bowler Julio Jones, 67-catch Mohamed Sanu and first-rounder Calvin Ridley. Sad to say, it looks like the Bengals won’t be able to keep up. 2-2.

Week 5 vs Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins either won small or lost big last year. Five of their fix wins were by one possession or less. Six of their 10 losses were by 14 points or more. They have a new weapon this year in Penn State tight end Mike Gesicki, but a non-quarterback expected to generate an extra two TDs per game is a tall order. Miami won’t be able to generate enough points to keep up with Dalton and Co. 3-2

Week 6 vs Pittsburgh Steelers
There, we said the name … blood boiling yet? If it weren’t for Le’veon Bell’s two-hand touch TD last year, the Bengals could have snapped their losing streak against the Steelers, which now stands at six. As much as we hate to say it, the Bengals will continue to play catch-up in this rivalry. We won’t pick ’em until they beat Pittsburgh. 3-3

Week 7 @ Kansas City Chiefs
KC took the AFC West last year, and lost to the Tennessee Titans in the wild-card by one point. They’ve had the whole off-season to stew on what might have been. That, plus home-field advantage, is enough to convince me. 3-4

Week 8 vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers should’ve been called the Butt-aneers, what with their tail-end finishing in total defense in 2017. They allowed 378 yards per game and collected a paltry 22 sacks. The Bengals may not roll in this one, but they won’t lose. 4-4

Week 9 vs New Orleans Saints
Besides Pittsburgh, this is arguably our toughest opponent. QB Drew Brees is still churning out Pro-Bowl caliber stats. The defense, while middle of the road, doesn’t need to be special with the offense generating 391 yards a game. Will Cincinnati win? (shake magic 8 ball) Don’t count on it. 4-5

Week 10 @ Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens will have had time to gel by this point. I’m not feeling a second win for some reason. Don’t ask, just a hunch. 4-6

Week 11 vs Cleveland Browns
5-6

Week 12 vs Denver Broncos
Denver averaged just over two sacks a game in 2017, so they hope to shore up their pass rush with, among other players, first-round draft pick DE Bradley Chubb. He’ll have had some time to get his feet underneath him by Week 12, but he will need more than that. The Cincy O-line will hold up against the blitz, and the team will win. 6-6

Week 13 @ Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers possess the most lethal air attack since Alfred Hitchc …… oh, wait. You already heard that one. So you already know our prediction here. 6-7

Week 14 vs Oakland Raiders
The Oakland/Las Vegas Raid-uhs haven’t been that special since 2002, with only one playoff appearance since then. Jon Gruden’s return will pay dividends long-term, but in the meantime, the Bengals take this one. 7-7

Week 15 @ Cleveland Browns
8-7

Week 16 @ Pittsburgh Steelers
See my previous point about the team from up northeast.

Final record: 8-8. If we can get the wins against divisional opponents, then I say we got a shot at the postseason.

Preseason Game 1 Recap: Cincinnati Bengals vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Not a bad start for the Cincinnati Bengals. In fact, a good one. A very good one.

Cincy opened the 2017 preseason with a 23-12 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Friday night. It was a welcome sight to see the Bengals back on the field, and while the team never truly pulled away from the visiting Bucs, they didn’t disappoint either.

Quarterback Andy Dalton and the offense were Merlot-smooth on the first drive until the last play. Dalton completed four of five passes for 38 yards and AJ Green had two receptions for 21 yards. Granted, the drive ended when Dalton threw an interception to Vernon Hargreaves III at the 1-yard line, but it was Cincinnati’s only turnover of the game.

Vontaze Burfict is in his contract year, and he’s already playing like it. He notched two tackles and looked super quick. The defense as a whole allowed 330 yards and one first-half touchdown. But there was no glaring weakness and no big injuries. All in all, it’s reason to get excited about the things to come in 2017.

Cincinnati Bengals’ Player of the Game

This one may surprise you – the kickers. Randy Bullock (field goals of 54 and 49 yards) and fifth-round draft pick Jake Elliott (45) showed plenty of leg strength and accuracy. Even better, there were no misses. If last night’s refs were waving their arms side to side on those field goals – which happened waaaaay too much last year – then the game gets a lot tighter and the players play that way. Which is not what you want when you’re down by a score at the two-minute warning.

What This Means Going Forward

Don’t get us wrong … there were some causes for concern last night. Andy Dalton threw an interception at the 1-yard line on the opening drive. The offense didn’t score a TD until the third quarter, when the first stringers were already on the sidelines talking about which clubs they would hit after the game. The D gave up several third-down conversions.

But we’re happy. Like, cue-the-Pharrell-Williams-song-and-get-some-Minions-dancing happy.

The offense moved well on its first possession before Dalton’s pick. Rookie running back Joe Mixon ran six times for 31 yards and caught an 11-yard pass, showing that he’ll give the backfield a boost. The offensive line gave Dalton enough time to find his receivers. Backup quarterback Jeff Driskel went 8-9 for 97 yards with a touchdown pass and scrambled for an 18-yard score. Josh Malone, the third-round pick out of Tennessee, also nabbed a nifty catch in the back of the end zone in the fourth quarter.

The Cincinnati Bengals also did not look short for defensive ends. Carl Lawson and Jordan Willis each had two QB pressures. Willis also collected his first sack. Free agent signee Chris Smith (from the Jaguars) was disruptive in the second half. Adam Jones, who is suspended for the season opener because of his January 3rd arrest, broke up two red-zone passes that forced Tampa to settle for a field goal in the 1st quarter.

Next up – Saturday, August 19th vs the Kansas City Chiefs. We can hardly wait.

DE Jamaal Anderson to IR; Bengals Sign a Vet

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The Bengals placed DE Jamaal Anderson on season ending injured reserve today, Anderson tore the quad tendon just above his knee near the end of the game on Sunday. Veteran DE Wallace Gilberry was signed today to replace Anderson, Gilberry was signed in 2008 as a college free agent out of Alabama and spent 4 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs where he accumulated 14 sacks from 2009-2011. Gilberry signed with Tampa in the off season and was released this past Friday. Read more.