The Cincinnati Bengals sit on the edge of an 0-10 start to the Zac Taylor era.
A 5-4 Oakland Raiders team is the only thing separating the Bengals from such a dubious fate.
The Bengals are on the road for their second game after the bye week. The first was a 49-13 home loss to Baltimore. And while it’s easy to pin that debacle on the MVP candidacy of Lamar Jackson, Cincinnati has struggled on defense all year. The team coughs up 429.4 yards per game, worst in the NFL. Don’t forget 173.0 rushing yards per game (last) and 28.8 points (fourth-worst).
This is all worth spotlighting because the Raiders — winners of two in a row– have put up 31 and 26 points in those victories. Rookie of the Year contender Josh Jacobs has averaged 4.8 yards per carry with 811 yards and seven scores, tallying 39 first downs. Derek Carr has completed 70.8 percent of his passes with a 14-4 touchdowns-interceptions ratio and a tight end, Darren Waller, leads the team in receiving with 588 yards and three scores.
Given Cincinnati’s inability to stop the run or tight ends, this is problematic. The front office cut Preston Brown while trying to shake up the locker room, but the bulk of the responsibility still falls on rookie Germaine Pratt, who continues to go through weekly growing pains.
It seems the only hope for the Bengals out west rests on the shoulders of the offense experiencing a turnaround. Thanks to some changes in approach to gap play, Joe Mixon got going for 114 yards on a 3.8 average last week. But rookie starter Ryan Finley coughed up 14 points of his own on turnovers.
Normally, the lack of worthwhile film on a new rookie starter under center might help a team like the Bengals pull off a few surprises. But asking Finley to make another leap in a brutal environment without guys like A.J. Green and John Ross is a tough sell.
Unless Mixon has an otherworldly performance, it’s easy to see this one falling into a familiar feeling. Oakland cruises on the ground and opens up a lead early. Finley, shoved into playing from behind, makes a few understandable mistakes as he learns on the fly and the Bengals head back to Cincinnati with an 0-10 record.
Prediction: Raiders 30, Bengals 14
[vertical-gallery id=24592]