Sunday Night Football against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 11 really is the last time the Cincinnati Bengals get a shot at a season-saving win this season.
There, the Bengals encounter a rising Jim Harbaugh-led program that is 6-3, winners in four of its last five and climbing up the AFC playoff charts. A loss would cause the Bengals to slip to 4-7 in a conference where six teams enter the weekend with seven or more losses.
Which is to say it isn’t going to be easy. Joe Burrow would be headlining MVP talk if his team was winning, what with his 68.7 completion percentage with 24 touchdowns against just four interceptions. Ja’Marr Chase is on an OPOTY tear with 66 catches for 981 yards and 10 touchdowns. Trey Hendrickson has a DPOTY push of his own with 11 sacks in 10 games.
But that’s about where the good stops.
The Bengals haven’t been able to close out games all year and it feels like seats are getting hot. The defense is a disaster and poor roster building holds back both sides of the ball.
Entering primetime, the offense figures to get Tee Higgins back from injury, but left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. likely won’t go. That’s a brutal injury update against a pass-rush that boasts Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack.
That’s not all the Chargers boast, either. Harbaugh has already coached up the best defense in the NFL. It won’t fully stop Chase and Burrow, but it can clamp down on the run and force problems.
The Chargers offense is a problem too. Justin Herbert has quietly been one of the best in football this season within a more run-based offense. He’s completing 66 percent of his passes with 11 scores and one interception, plus running more effectively than ever.
Those Chargers love to pound the rock in a way Bengals fans will find familiar too — the old Baltimore Ravens combo of J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards remains lethal.
So far this year, the Bengals just haven’t shown the ability to close out games against good teams. This game is on the road against an elite pass-rush, good rushing attack and a quarterback who can trade big drives with Burrow.
Burrow will get them close again, but it’s hard to have faith in the offensive line and defense.
Prediction:Chargers 30, Bengals 28
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