Wild Card Weekend Outlook
For the first time in a long time, Bengals fans were scoreboard watching trying to figure out their playoff opponent. All day it seemed that a game between the two Rookie of the Year candidates was inevitable. But a crazy finish to the Sunday Night game between the Chargers and Raiders took that away from us. Now the Bengals have a rematch against the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday. The two teams faced each other Week 12 in a 32-13 Bengals win in Las Vegas. The previous matchup saw Joe Mixon run for 123 yards and 2 TD. While the Bengals Defense forced two turnovers which led to a 19 point victory. Now 7 weeks later the two teams will be facing off in Cincinnati. This week we will be looking to break down the key matchups to watch.
The Raiders have been a sneaky roster that is highlighted by some select players. The first one that sticks out is Maxx Crosby who was selected for his first Pro Bowl this season. His 5 sacks this season are very misleading as PPF has him as the 2nd highest rated DE in football. If the Raiders get a sack, Crosby is most likely involved. He will be lined up against Isaiah Prince which will be a very challenging matchup for him. Zac Taylor and the offensive play calling will have to utilize Drew Sample, and Joe Mixon to help chip block to protect Burrows right side. When Burrow has time to throw the sky's the limit. But if Burrow has no time things tend to deteriorate. Crosby is the major matchup to look out for on the Raiders defense. On the offensive side of the ball two players really stick out. The first is Darren Waller, a top 3 tight end in the league. Waller in the previous matchup had 7 catches for 116 yards taking up over 50% of the offense. Tide ends have been the kryptonite for the Bengals defense. Logan Wilson and Jessie Bates will split time guarding Waller and it's a major matchup to watch. When the Raiders have a 3rd and long, expect the ball to go to Waller. The third and the most sneaky guy maybe in football is Hunter Renfrow. Renfrow finished the season with 100+ catches and 1000+ yards this season. A shifty and excellent route runner who seems to always cause problems on short downs and goal line situations. Mike Hilton will be the guy who has to guard Renfrow the most. If the Bengals play man to man for a majority of the game Hilton will have a long day ahead of him. But a suspect the Bengals to play mostly zone and take away the middle of the field. Waller and Renfrow have been the majority of the Raiders offense and the two the Bengals will have to hyper focus on.
On the Bengals side of the ball the major matchups to watch are a little more boring. The game on Saturday is looking to be below 30℉ with snow. Joe Mixon will be vital to this game. In the previous matchup Mixon dominated with 123 yards, and the Bengals finished with 159 yards. The Raiders have a very weak defensive line and their linebackers have struggled all season as well. The Raiders have allowed an average of 110 yards per game. So you can fully expect Zac Taylor to utilize Joe Mixon and build the game plan off of him. The main thing to focus on is how much Taylor mixes up the play calling. Taylor too many times this year focuses on one aspect of the game and doesn't have the best mix of run and pass. Hopefully Mixon’s running ability is utilized to open up the passing attack, to fully unlock the offense. The second matchup to watch is who Brandon Facyson is guarding, most likely Tee Higgins. PFF currently ranks Facyson as the 112th corner in all of football. A monster Higgins game like we have seen in the last 5 games would be huge in helping the Bengals win against the Raiders. The last matchup to watch is on the defensive side of the ball. DJ Reader should have a field day against a very weak matchup against rookie Alex Leatherwood. Reader will be vital in making sure the shaky Raiders rushing attack is limited. If the Bengals defense can make the Raiders one dimensional, you can fully expect the Bengals pass rush to have a great game leading to turnovers.
The Cincinnati Bengals have not won a playoff game since January 6th 1991. In those 31 years the Bengals are 0-7 in the playoffs. The likes of Carson Palmer and Andy Dalton always fell short and could never go out there and win the games. Joe Burrow has the chance to be only the third quarterback in franchise history to win a playoff game. The Bengals have already beaten the Raiders once this season and seem to be playing their best football at the end of the season. Saturday will be a true test to see what this team is made of and could be vital in shaping the franchise for the future. The narrative for most is it's still the Bengals and it's a poor franchise. A win starts to change those talks and makes players want to come too Cincinnati. A win is important for this year and the years to come. My prediction Bengals get the monkey off their back and win 31-17.
