In their must-win era.
Standing at 3-5 as the calendar turns to November, the Cincinnati Bengals need a win now more than ever.
Here is what they need to do to get it vs. the Las Vegas Raiders.
Clean it Up
Blown assignments.
Mental errors.
Missed kicks.
This team has made too many mistakes week in and week out and it keeps the coming back to bite them in the rear. It is November, they have got to play more sound football. Execution is more important than designer defenses and complex offensive schemes. They need to focus on learning a few things inside and out and executing at a high level. They have the talent to win this game. The first step is not losing the game.
Toughen Up
I’ll say it.
This team is soft.
They are soft in the trenches on both sides of the ball, and they are soft when things don’t go their way and they can’t find the resilience to fight back.
They need to stand and take a punch and not be afraid to give a little back.
Spread it out
I find it highly unlikely that Tee Higgins plays in this game, and that means someone else needs to step up. Mike Gesicki had a lot of production against the Eagles, and they need to continue to keep him involved in a receiver-type role. Jermaine Burton finally saw significant snaps, and he needs to see his targets increased. When they get him the ball, he makes plays. They need to figure out how to get him on the page and get the ball in his hands. Someone else will need to step up at receiver, too. Andrei Iosivas was very disappointing a week ago, while Trenton Irwin has not been particularly impressive this season. Is it time to give Charlie Jones a little more action?
Maxx-imum Effort
It appears that the Bengals will be without Orlando Brown on the left side, but the matchup to watch may just be on the other side. Rookie Amarius Mims will face a big challenge against Maxx Crosby. He needs to step up and show that he has what it takes to win against the best and keep Joe Burrow clean in the pocket.
Brock Out
Their running backs are meh. Their quarterback is Minshew. Brock Bowers is basically this offense. They need to scheme to take him out of the game in big moments and end drives. The Bengals don’t have any players who are a great, physical, one-on-one matchup for Bowers, which isn’t surprising because who does? That means there will have to be multiple people, including linebackers, safeties, and corners. Not just that. It will be a defensive lineman striking him at the line of scrimmage and not allowing him to release freely into his route.
