09-24-2016, 06:09 PM
My confidence level going into tomorrow's game is 3. Usually I'm more of a "glass half full" kind of person but it seems without a run game, without Vontaze Burfict, and without Tyler Eifert we're average at best. It's not like we have a great coach who can fit anyone into a scheme and blow away a team 27-0 on national television with only three days rest and an untested rookie quarterback.
Anyway, the defending Super Bowl champions are here in the Queen City and if last year's matchup is any indication, it's going to be a very close game. Merely dusting off the 2014 playbook against the Peyton Manning Broncos won't do: Cincinnati made a huge mistake by not re-signing Reggie Nelson so it's going to take lots of defensive line pressure for the Bengals to stop Trevor Siemian and Demaryius Thomas from going deep all day long. CJ Anderson and Devontae Booker are two powerful running backs and Denver's offensive line run and pass blocks equally well. Paul Guenther will have to make sure the linebackers seal the edges so CJ and Devontae are forced inside where Geno Atkins and Margus Hunt can make plays in the gaps. Denver's tight end Virgil Green is possibly injured so Ohio State's Jeff Heuerman may get the start. He's really good so Paul Guenther needs to put his fastest linebacker on Green with two safeties over the top: One to contain Green and the other to provide cover on Thomas. I fear Demaryius Thomas might be faster than any of the Bengals' cornerbacks.
As for the Bengals' offense, um, uh, ah, just don't turn the ball over and avoid pre-snap penalties. I do not expect Paul Alexander to have the offensive line issues fixed this week but if Andy Dalton can make it through this game upright with his helmet on I'll consider it a minor victory. It's not going to be pretty on this side of the ball and it's going to be up to the Cincinnati defense to win this game.
As for predicting who wins, well, I can't -- but I'll predict the winning score will be by three points or less.
Anyway, the defending Super Bowl champions are here in the Queen City and if last year's matchup is any indication, it's going to be a very close game. Merely dusting off the 2014 playbook against the Peyton Manning Broncos won't do: Cincinnati made a huge mistake by not re-signing Reggie Nelson so it's going to take lots of defensive line pressure for the Bengals to stop Trevor Siemian and Demaryius Thomas from going deep all day long. CJ Anderson and Devontae Booker are two powerful running backs and Denver's offensive line run and pass blocks equally well. Paul Guenther will have to make sure the linebackers seal the edges so CJ and Devontae are forced inside where Geno Atkins and Margus Hunt can make plays in the gaps. Denver's tight end Virgil Green is possibly injured so Ohio State's Jeff Heuerman may get the start. He's really good so Paul Guenther needs to put his fastest linebacker on Green with two safeties over the top: One to contain Green and the other to provide cover on Thomas. I fear Demaryius Thomas might be faster than any of the Bengals' cornerbacks.
As for the Bengals' offense, um, uh, ah, just don't turn the ball over and avoid pre-snap penalties. I do not expect Paul Alexander to have the offensive line issues fixed this week but if Andy Dalton can make it through this game upright with his helmet on I'll consider it a minor victory. It's not going to be pretty on this side of the ball and it's going to be up to the Cincinnati defense to win this game.
As for predicting who wins, well, I can't -- but I'll predict the winning score will be by three points or less.
![[Image: 4CV0TeR.png]](https://i.imgur.com/4CV0TeR.png)
