The Los Angeles Chargers take on the Cincinnati Bengals this Sunday at 10:00 a.m. PT.
Here are a few Bengals players who the Bolts must hone in on to increase their chances of coming out victorious in Week 13.
QB Joe Burrow
The Chargers roughed up Burrow in his professional debut, limiting him to just 193 passing yards and picking him off. Since then, he’s grown into one of the more efficient passers, even after missing most of his rookie campaign with a knee injury. Engineering the No. 6 offense in terms of scoring, Burrow is completing 69.3% of his passes, with 22 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
RB Joe Mixon
It appeared that the Chargers were starting to perform well against the run consistently, but then they came back to life against the Broncos, allowing 147 rushing yards on 33 carries. Now, they’re set to face a back that’s coming off a career performance. Mixon rushed for a career-high 165 yards and two touchdowns on 28 attempts. He has found the end zone 13 times this season.
WR Ja’Marr Chase & Tee Higgins
One of the Chargers’ issues recently has been the cornerback play. Unfortunately, the team won’t catch a break, going against a young, ascending duo. Chase has 50 receptions for 906 yards and nine touchdowns, while Higgins is coming off his best performance of the season, finishing with six catches for 114 yards and one score.
DT D.J. Reader
The strength of the Bengals’ defense is against the run, allowing just 93.7 rushing yards per game. Leading the group in this department is Reader. Reader, Cincinnati’s highest-graded defender by Pro Football Focus (83.4), has 18 run stops. However, he is just as effective at getting after the quarterback, amassing 19 pressures.
EDGE Trey Hendrickson
There are plenty of premier pass rushers in the NFL, but one that seems to fly under the radar is Hendrickson, who is on a tear this season. Hendrickson has 10.5 sacks (fifth), 53 pressures (second), an 18.5% pressure rate (first), five turnovers from pressure (first), and three forced fumbles (third). In addition, he has the most consecutive games with a sack in Bengals history (7).
S Vonn Bell & Jessie Bates
The Bengals have a secondary that features two stud safeties capable of stressing offensive coordinators. The hard-hitting Bell has 21 run stops, two forced fumbles, and a career-high five tackles for loss. Bates, on the other hand, will make quarterbacks pay if they throw deep, possessing the range and play-making ability.