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Special teams: Advantage, Cincinnati Bengals
It is hard to really give an advantage to one team in special teams as that is something that needs recent numbers to truly evaluate but if forced to choose, I would go with the Bengals.
The Chargers have more potential in the return game than the Bengals with fourth-round pick Joe Reed but he has not played a single NFL snap in his career so we are going to have to call that a wash for now.
Ty Long and Kevin Huber are comparable punters with similar legs while also putting it within the 20-yard line at almost the same rate.
It really comes down to the kicker and while Michael Badgley has been solid for the Chargers, Randy Bullock has been one of the most consistent kickers in the league over the last half-decade. Bullock ranks eighth in the NFL over the last three years in field-goal percentage (86.5) with at least 70 overall attempts.
Quarterbacks: Advantage, Cincinnati Bengals
I know I am going to get ridiculed for this but I do think that first overall pick Joe Burrow is a more talented quarterback than Tyrod Taylor. There is a reason why Burrow went first overall and admittedly, I have always been a big fan of his.
I think you could make the case for Taylor being better in Week 1 because he is a veteran but he has not started a game in two years, so that is a moot point. To be fair, Taylor ranked 27th in Bolt Beat’s starting quarterback rankings while Burrow ranked 20th, so I am not alone.
Running backs: Advantage, LA Chargers
Joe Mixon is a really solid running back but he is currently questionable for the game and even at his best, I am not sure if he is that much better than Austin Ekeler, if he is better at all. Mixon is the better ball-carrier, sure, but Ekeler is more dynamic.
I also like the running backs behind Ekeler more than I like Giovany Bernard and co. in Cincy.
Wide receivers: Advantage, Cincinnati Bengals (if Mike Williams doesn’t play)
If Mike Williams does not play then the Bengals have the overall better receiving corps. Keenan Allen is the best receiver on the field, but the quartet of A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd, John Ross and Tee Higgins is more talented than Allen, Jalen Guyton, Joe Reed and K.J. Hill. If Williams plays then it is advantage, Chargers.
Tight ends: Advantage, LA Chargers
The Bengals have one of the worst tight end rooms in the league while the Chargers have a top-eight pass-catching tight end, a solid blocking tight end behind him and some fun potential with Donald Parham.
Offensive line: Advantage, LA Chargers
Savor this, Charger fans. This might be the only team in the NFL that the LA Chargers have an offensive line advantage over. Personally, I am still not very high on this O-line, but it can be league average if everything goes right for the team. At the end of the day, though, it is still not as bad as the Bengals’, thankfully.
Overall offensive advantage: LA Chargers
The Cincinnati Bengals are only better in two areas because of an injury to the receiving corps and the fact that they had the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, who could still struggle in his first professional football game.
Defensive line: Advantage, LA Chargers
The Bengals do have two players in Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap who are going to make Tyrod Taylor’s day very rough on Sunday. However, the LA Chargers have one of the best pass-rushing duos in the league with Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram while also upgrading the interior defensive line tremendously with Linval Joseph.
Both units are really strong and will have big days against two bad offensive lines. The Chargers are just better.
Linebackers: Advantage, LA Chargers
The LA Chargers have a linebacker room that at worst (barring injuries) will be slightly below league average while at best being one of the best dozen or so linebacker rooms in the league. Meanwhile, the Bengals have one of the worst linebacker rooms in the league.
They have added pieces to make it better but it still does not even come close to the Chargers.
Cornerbacks: Advantage, LA Chargers
This isn’t even close. The Chargers have cornerbacks that are headlined by Casey Hayward and Chris Harris while the Bengals’ best cornerback is Darius Phillips, who is good but is not enough to overcome the lack of depth behind him.
Safeties: Advantage, Cincinnati Bengals
I am only marginally giving this one to the Bengals because I am worried about the depth at the position and we have not yet seen Rayshawn Jenkins and Nasir Adderley play alongside each other. If they play to their potential then they will be the better safeties in this game.
However, I am pretty high on Jessie Bates and think he is really going to break out and establish himself as one of the best young safeties in the league and Vonn Bell is a solid veteran who is not great but is consistent.
This mostly has to do with me being high on Bates and avoiding buying in on the safeties without Derwin James and without seeing it first. I easily could be proven wrong in this game.
Overall defensive advantage: LA Chargers
Special teams: Advantage, Cincinnati Bengals
It is hard to really give an advantage to one team in special teams as that is something that needs recent numbers to truly evaluate but if forced to choose, I would go with the Bengals.
The Chargers have more potential in the return game than the Bengals with fourth-round pick Joe Reed but he has not played a single NFL snap in his career so we are going to have to call that a wash for now.
Ty Long and Kevin Huber are comparable punters with similar legs while also putting it within the 20-yard line at almost the same rate.
It really comes down to the kicker and while Michael Badgley has been solid for the Chargers, Randy Bullock has been one of the most consistent kickers in the league over the last half-decade. Bullock ranks eighth in the NFL over the last three years in field-goal percentage (86.5) with at least 70 overall attempts.
Quarterbacks: Advantage, Cincinnati Bengals
I know I am going to get ridiculed for this but I do think that first overall pick Joe Burrow is a more talented quarterback than Tyrod Taylor. There is a reason why Burrow went first overall and admittedly, I have always been a big fan of his.
I think you could make the case for Taylor being better in Week 1 because he is a veteran but he has not started a game in two years, so that is a moot point. To be fair, Taylor ranked 27th in Bolt Beat’s starting quarterback rankings while Burrow ranked 20th, so I am not alone.
Running backs: Advantage, LA Chargers
Joe Mixon is a really solid running back but he is currently questionable for the game and even at his best, I am not sure if he is that much better than Austin Ekeler, if he is better at all. Mixon is the better ball-carrier, sure, but Ekeler is more dynamic.
I also like the running backs behind Ekeler more than I like Giovany Bernard and co. in Cincy.
Wide receivers: Advantage, Cincinnati Bengals (if Mike Williams doesn’t play)
If Mike Williams does not play then the Bengals have the overall better receiving corps. Keenan Allen is the best receiver on the field, but the quartet of A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd, John Ross and Tee Higgins is more talented than Allen, Jalen Guyton, Joe Reed and K.J. Hill. If Williams plays then it is advantage, Chargers.
Tight ends: Advantage, LA Chargers
The Bengals have one of the worst tight end rooms in the league while the Chargers have a top-eight pass-catching tight end, a solid blocking tight end behind him and some fun potential with Donald Parham.
Offensive line: Advantage, LA Chargers
Savor this, Charger fans. This might be the only team in the NFL that the LA Chargers have an offensive line advantage over. Personally, I am still not very high on this O-line, but it can be league average if everything goes right for the team. At the end of the day, though, it is still not as bad as the Bengals’, thankfully.
Overall offensive advantage: LA Chargers
The Cincinnati Bengals are only better in two areas because of an injury to the receiving corps and the fact that they had the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, who could still struggle in his first professional football game.
Defensive line: Advantage, LA Chargers
The Bengals do have two players in Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap who are going to make Tyrod Taylor’s day very rough on Sunday. However, the LA Chargers have one of the best pass-rushing duos in the league with Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram while also upgrading the interior defensive line tremendously with Linval Joseph.
Both units are really strong and will have big days against two bad offensive lines. The Chargers are just better.
Linebackers: Advantage, LA Chargers
The LA Chargers have a linebacker room that at worst (barring injuries) will be slightly below league average while at best being one of the best dozen or so linebacker rooms in the league. Meanwhile, the Bengals have one of the worst linebacker rooms in the league.
They have added pieces to make it better but it still does not even come close to the Chargers.
Cornerbacks: Advantage, LA Chargers
This isn’t even close. The Chargers have cornerbacks that are headlined by Casey Hayward and Chris Harris while the Bengals’ best cornerback is Darius Phillips, who is good but is not enough to overcome the lack of depth behind him.
Safeties: Advantage, Cincinnati Bengals
I am only marginally giving this one to the Bengals because I am worried about the depth at the position and we have not yet seen Rayshawn Jenkins and Nasir Adderley play alongside each other. If they play to their potential then they will be the better safeties in this game.
However, I am pretty high on Jessie Bates and think he is really going to break out and establish himself as one of the best young safeties in the league and Vonn Bell is a solid veteran who is not great but is consistent.
This mostly has to do with me being high on Bates and avoiding buying in on the safeties without Derwin James and without seeing it first. I easily could be proven wrong in this game.
Overall defensive advantage: LA Chargers
