Previewing the Week 10 contest between the Cincinnati Bengals and the New Orleans Saints, looking at the players to watch, keys to the game and more.
The first half of the Cincinnati Bengals‘ 2018 season was quite torrid. On a positive note, the offense has been explosive and they sit in the catbird seat for a playoff spot if they can just match the 5-3 record they accumulated in their first eight contests. On the negative end, injuries have absolutely been crushing them, and their defense has underwhelmed to an unnerving degree.
They better hope the bye week gave them enough rest and time to prepare, because the second half of 2018 starts out as rough as possible for them. They’ll be at home, but they’re facing the New Orleans Saints — a team standing strong a 7-1 and coming off a huge win over the previously undefeated Los Angeles Rams.
Here are some keys to the game in Week 10.
What Will Cincinnati Do Without A.J. Green?
The Bengals got to 5-3 behind an exciting and explosive offense. Even with a 35-point blowout to Kansas City on the books, they are top 10 in points per game, and have 37 plays of 20+ yards. On the strength of their offense, they have been an entertaining watch all year, ranking sixth in The Ringer’s Midseason NFL Watchability Rankings (including being one of only five teams to have a positive score in all six of their metrics).
So much of that is attributable to the presence of Green. In his eight games so far, he’s got 45 catches, 687 yards, and six touchdowns, and was on pace for one of the better years in his stellar career. He has long been the best player for this franchise since he was drafted, and likely has a ton of years left holding that distinction when he’s able to be on the field.
That’s not often problem (Green has only missed 10 out of a possible 120 games in his career), but this week it will be. Green is expected to miss at least two weeks with a toe injury, and it will really hinder any hope of winning this game for Cincinnati. Including playoffs, the Bengals are 4-7-1 when Green misses the game, and the productive skill position depth is worrisome.
They have Joe Mixon in the backfield and Tyler Boyd has stepped up to be a strong No. 2 receiver, but that’s really been it in terms of consistent production lately. The tight end spot has been decimated by injuries (Tyler Eifert, Tyler Kroft, Mason Schreck and Cethan Carter have all missed significant time with injury, and three of them are IR).
Giovani Bernard has been out long-term as well with his own injuries, though he may return. Possibly worst of all, none of the wide receivers beyond Green and Boyd have done much of anything: the other receivers have combined for just 19 receptions, 135 yards, and two touchdowns.
At least one player (and preferably more) from that moribund group must step up, or Cincinnati’s offense won’t have any chance to keep up with New Orleans on their worst day.
Will New Orleans’ Offensive Line Dominate?
Coming into this year, Cincinnati seemed to have at least one strength on defense: the defensive line. They were deep with a great combination of youth, experience and talent all across the line. Just based on the names alone, this should’ve been challenging to be one of the better lines in the entire league.
Though it has shown through a few times, more often than not the Bengals have not actually seen their talented line dominate in the way they should be able to. Their 21 sacks as a team are tied for 19th in the league. They’ve also lost multiple key members of the rotation to injury (Ryan Glasgow and Carl Lawson), so it is unlikely they’ll suddenly become their best selves without two high-level contributors in tow for the stretch run.
Their matchup this week would seem to be the worst possible task for them to face. New Orleans has allowed a league-low nine sacks on their quarterback, and would seem to have no true weak links across their entire offensive line — a true feat in this day and age of roster building. In most weeks, that alone would be plenty enough to just assume they would win their matchups.
It may not be that simple this week, however. Midway through the week, the entire lineup was either out or limited in practice. Every single one. At least four of them should be lined up for this game (if not all of them), but there is no doubt that the group as a whole won’t be at 100 percent health-wise.
This should open up a window for Cincinnati’s defensive line. Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap must be the head of a multi-faceted pass rushing menace — especially Atkins, who should have not only the easier job by facing the weakest member of the blocking group (left guard Andrus Peat), but pushing in the pocket and busting through (the most effective way to get pressure on Brees).
If Atkins and company can muck things up along the line of scrimmage, this game all of a sudden becomes much closer — and even without Green, Cincinnati might be able to steal it.