Cincinnati Bengals players and coaches obviously won’t say it, but it’s panic time going into Week 4 against the Carolina Panthers.
At 0-3, the team is a historical longshot of near-impossible odds to make the playoffs.
And the outlook would be dire even if they had won a game or two to start the year. Last week, Lou Anarumo’s defense coughed up 38 points to a rookie passer and didn’t force a single punt. Defensive interior starters BJ Hill and Sheldon Rankins won’t play again on Sunday, either.
There’s also the matter of that Andy Dalton revenge game.
Dalton has gotten the best of his former teaM with a 2-1 record across multiple meetings with different teams. He just replaced former No. 1 pick Bryce Young and threw a trio of scores in a win, too.
The silver lining, at least, is quite large. Joe Burrow looked back to form in Week 3, which meant a big outburst from Ja’Marr Chase. Tee Higgins returned, too.
It should be a day filled with offensive outbursts, especially on the ground, considering the Panthers cough up 150-plus rushing yards on average so far and 31.7 points per game, the worst mark in the NFL.
For better or worse, too, Anarumo is a coordinator who seems to thrive against veteran passers and trip over his own feet against rookies or guys with limited experience. There is droves of film on Dalton, so even down some key guys, there is hope that the defense can get at least a few stops.
An 0-4 mark ends the season. Ideally, this would have been a nice time to rise to say, 2-2 or 3-1. But getting that first win is key and Burrow’s offense should be able to drag the rest of the franchise kicking and screaming to it in Carolina.
Prediction: Bengals 28, Panthers 17
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