The Cincinnati Bengals sit at 2-3 on the year and have not looked like the team that won the AFC Championship last year, yet. After dropping three games on last-second plays, the Bengals are looking to flip the script.
Getting to 3-3 with an upcoming home game against the Falcons in Week 7 would be ideal. But traveling to New Orleans and defeating the Saints in the Superdome is no easy feat.
So, here’s what the Bengals must do to beat the Saints:
Score points early on offense
When the Bengals take a lead in the first half, they typically win. The coaching staff and players have acknowledged when this team starts fast and comes out ready to play, they are a hard unit to beat.
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Week 1 against the Steelers, Bengals trailed 17-6 at halftime, loss
Week 2 against the Cowboys, Bengals trailed 17-3 at halftime, loss
Week 3 against the Jets, Bengals lead 20-9 at halftime, win
Week 4 against the Dolphins, Bengals lead 14-12 at halftime, win
Week 5 against the Ravens, Bengals and Ravens tied 10-10 at halftime, loss
Far too often this season the Bengals have come out sluggish on offense and it’s hurt them in all areas. Cincinnati’s offensive line has played well in the last two games and that’s a positive. If Joe Burrow gets in rhythm early and the Bengals’ wide receivers dictate terms, this offense should be able to put up points against the Saints.
New Orleans is giving up 25.6 points per game while the Bengals are averaging 21.6 points per game.
If Tee Higgins is unable to go against the Saints, look for the Bengals to get Tyler Boyd more involved given Ja’Marr Chase is likely to see a double team for the majority of the game.
Bring pressure on Saints’ backup quarterback Andy Dalton
The prime of Andy Dalton’s career is gone. The Bengals’ defense should be able to win up front and force Dalton to make uncomfortable throws.
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Through five games, we haven’t seen a game where the Bengals’ pass rush completely overwhelms their opposing quarterback and there’s a few reasons for that. Cincinnati has recorded 10 sacks this year. Look for defensive end Trey Hendrickson to have a big game in his return to New Orleans facing his former team that let him hit walk in free agency.
Control the tempo of the game
As mentioned above, the Superdome is a challenging place to play because of the crowd noise. The Bengals will likely be using a silent count on offense for the entire game.
Good thing for Cincinnati is that Burrow has a ton of experience after last year’s Super Bowl running operating the offense using a silent count.
If the Bengals can get up on the Saints early and take the crowd out of the game, it could play in their favor.
Both teams (2-3) need a win. With Burrow and Chase returning to Louisiana for the first time since they won the national championship in January of 2020, it’s likely this is a game circled on many LSU and Saints fans calendars.
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