BoltBeat: Bengals-Chargers Pre-Game Roster Comparison

[BoBengal]

https://boltbeat.com/2020/09/11/la-chargers-roster-compare-cincinnati-bengals/?utm_source=google-newsstand&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=google-newsstand

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

[Devils Advocate]

I don’t know what the rest of the article says but right off the top they got it wrong with the return game.

[PDub80]

(09-13-2020, 10:10 AM)Devils Advocate Wrote: I don’t know what the rest of the article says but right off the top they got it wrong with the return game.

I don't want to blast the guy, but I agree that he doesn't have a very good understanding of the Bengals.

I thought I heard a stat from Dan Hoard on his pod cast that, after Keenan Allen, the Chargers WRs that will be playing (Williams is out) have a combined 2... TWO NFL catches among them. The gap between the Bengals & Chargers WRs is massive.

And while Eckler is a great weapon, Joe Mixon is the better running back. Eckler benefitted greatly from having Melvin Gordon back there. As the #1 option, we'll see how he fares. Mixon has the ability to catch balls out of the WR position, he just hasn't been used that way. I think that changes this year.

I actually like the Bengals D line over the Chargers as a whole unit. The run D was addressed with Reader & the 2019 Bengals actually had 1 more sack than SD along w 2 safeties... and that's with playing Lamar Jackson twice last year.

LB, CB, & TE go to SD, unless Sample is the real deal, then it would be a push.

Oline is a push at best for SD. Their line is a mess and probably in worse shape than the Bengals for the game.

And the thought that the S position is close is nuts, too. No way. No how. The Bengals 3rd S, Shawn Williams, would start for SD even WITH Derwin James available.

We'll see. I think Burrow has the weight of the world on him for this game. I think it's a wildly unfair advantage of no preseason games in favor of SD, who has a veteran QB. If Burrow can actually shine with a great game under these circumstances & expectations, that would be perhaps the most impressive Bengals performance in 30 years.

I'm sure they'll play it safe, but coming out and just letting loose might end up surprising SD and workkng out. Looking forward to seeing this all come together.

[*rfaulk34*]

That was one of the dumbest, most homeristic things i've ever read and i wish i could get those 3 minutes back. 

[*pally*]

Let's start and end with the fact that Joe Mixon has never been questionable for this game

[KillerGoose]

I would have to disagree with several of these. It is a good write-up expressing your views, however. I want to point out that Geno Atkins is not playing today, so you may want to make an edit there.

I would begin by saying that Mixon is firmly a better RB than Ekeler. Mixon is a dynamic back as well, but ZT doesn’t utilize him to his full potential because there are better weapons to throw to than Mixon. He is dangerous running or receiving and while Ekeler is likely a better receiver, it isn’t by much. Mixon has done it all and has the ability to get 50+ catches in a season if they wanted to utilize him this way.

Mike Williams or not, the Bengals have better receivers. I am fine giving Allen the advantage over Green only because Green hasn’t played in nearly two years, so we don’t know what we are getting from him. If Green is completely healthy, AJ is better than Keenan and it isn’t a competition. Tyler Boyd is also, at this point, a better receiver than Mike Williams. Receiver is actually a point of strength for Cincinnati, along with defensive line and formerly secondary.

With Geno out, I would agree the advantage goes to the Chargers but it is close. San Diego has fantastic edge rushers where Cincinnati has talent all over the line. Hubbard, Lawson, Dunlap, Reader and Daniels are all still in the rotation today and they should be able to make some noise.

Not a combatting point here, but Darius Phillips isn’t the best CB on the roster; it would be William Jackson.

I would say the offensive line is a push at the moment. Overall, I would give Cincinnati the edge on offense, San Diego the edge on defense. This points to it being an interesting game, hopefully. Cincinnati’s biggest question mark is coaching and play calling. We are all interested in seeing this today.

[GreenCornBengal]

(09-13-2020, 11:20 AM)pally Wrote: Let's start and end with the fact that Joe Mixon has never been questionable for this game

Ya I thought that was an interesting development this guy came up with to claim Ekeler as better lol

[fredtoast]

I'd definitely take Burrow to be my QB this year over Taylor, but Burrow has not even had a live scrimmage against another NFL team that is 100% trying to beat him up.

Even with his lack of experience Joe might out play Taylor, but I am not going to panic if he doesn't. He'll figure it out pretty quickly.

[Bengalitis]

The real question for this game will be, will the Bengals D NOT give up a huge play to a TE??????

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

I stopped reading after he said Ekeler is better and more dynamic of a RB than Mixon WTF?!!!

Read this shit Mixon READ IT!!!