Keep it rolling.
In the immortal words of Vince Vaughn’s Wedding Crashers character Jeremy Gray,” He’s Back!”
The Cincinnati Bengals came out of the bye week swinging, with a big win over the 49ers on the road. The defense looked great, but the biggest takeaway was that Joe Burrow looked like his old self again.
So, what do the Bengals need to do to keep it rolling against the Bills this week?
Big Plays
I don’t care who the tight end is. Burrow has plenty of weapons inside and out. With guys like Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, Andrei Iosivas, and Trenton Irwin, this offense needs to be able to generate explosive plays in the passing game.
It’s time for Joe Kane to put the women and children to bed and go lookin’ for dinner.
Turnovers
Franz Kafka would be proud of the Bengals’ metamorphosis over the past few years. With additions such as Logan Wilson, Dax Hill, and Cam Taylor-Britt, they have become a turnover-forcing machine.
This is exactly how this team needs to win, by giving Burrow more chances to make something happen.
Red Zone
Converting long drives into scores and playing stingy red-zone defense is a recipe for winning a lot of games. The defense has been excellent in this area. The offense has been a bit hit or miss, but both Zac Taylor and Brian Callahan have stated that a lot of what you do in the Red Zone comes down to your quarterback making plays outside of structure. With Burrow back to doing Burrow things, this area should quickly become a strength again.
Contain Josh Allen
In both the literal and the figurative sense, Allen must be contained.
This offense goes through him. If the Bengals defense can disrupt him with both their coverage and their pressure, it will go a long way toward winning the game. Of course, their pressures must cut off any means of escape, keeping him in the pocket and closing it in on him like the torture device on Loki.
Coaching
You may call me Crazy Joe DaVola, but I just think the Bengals are a much better-coached football team than the Bills. Buffalo has had a top roster for a few years, but they always seem to find a way to mess it up in crunch time.
Zac Taylor has a keen understanding of complementary and situational football that puts him above the majority of NFL coaches. He and his staff are one of the key reasons why the Bengals WILL win this football game.
