Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks feels like a trap for the Cincinnati Bengals.
At 2-3 and a bye week right after, the Bengals simply have to have it in order to keep getting things back on track. Several key players, highlighted by Joe Burrow, need to get a win, not worsen injuries and then recover during the week off.
But the Seahawks are tricky. The quarterback is a veteran with a superb cast of weapons and the defense creates a ton of pressure, hence a 3-1 record coming out of a bye.
Here’s a look at the biggest storylines and causes for concern for the Bengals in the matchup.
Bye week
An early bye week might come back to bite the Seahawks over the long run this year. But right now? They just had a ton of rest before this game and it has helped them get back some big names like offensive tackle Charles Cross and safety Jamal Adams. The Bengals, on the other hand, are dealing with injuries to guys like Tee Higgins and Chidobe Awuzie, never mind Joe Burrow.
Seattle's defense
The Seahawks are very good at generating pressure, culminating in 16 sacks over just four games so far. That could be a big issue as Burrow keeps working back from the injury. Plus, there’s nothing easy for the receivers. Even fifth-overall pick Devon Witherspoon has been one of the league’s breakout rookies, including a 97-yard pick-six in his last game.
Tight ends
The Bengals still struggle against them and Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith is very good at getting them looks. Through four games, Noah Fant averages 16 yards per catch and the 6’7″ Colby Parkinson can be a matchup nightmare too.
Defensive woes
Lou Anarumo’s unit has been oddly bad at tackling so far this season, issues made worse by the constant changes to the lineup compared to last year. Rookie DJ Turner has been forced to play with Chidobe Awuzie hurt. Nick Scott and Dax Hill are the new starting safeties. And Scott has started seeing his snaps go down in favor of rookie Jordan Battle, too. We can talk about how the offense has kept the unit on the field for too long at times too, but either way, tackling, angles and inability to stunt drives can lose games outright against teams like Seattle.
Geno Smith
Don’t overlook last season’s comeback player of the year. Smith is completing 68.3 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and one interception and he’s totally eliminated the turnover issues from last year, with just that one pick and zero fumbles. Averaging 6.9 yards per attempt isn’t wild, but his methodical play while peppering the likes of DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Fant with targets is hard for a defense to manage.
