The Cincinnati Bengals hope that Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase can create more magic in the Dome, this time against the New Orleans Saints.
Buy Bengals TicketsIt’s certainly quite possible given how things stand for both teams on the injury front and otherwise.
Both teams, for example, share a matching 2-3 record and have major injury issues to combat. The Bengals have left tackle Jonah Williams dealing with a dislocated kneecap and both tight end Hayden Hurst and wideout Tee Higgins are questionable, with the latter being a game-time decision.
But the Saints have a worse outlook here. While most will focus on Andy Dalton getting the start over Jameis Winston (and Dalton is 2-0 against the Bengals since leaving them), bigger might be the absence of star cornerback Marshon Lattimore.
No Lattimore on the field could mean a big day for Chase, who has mostly been quiet this year, at least compared to Tee Higgins. That’s mostly a product of how defenses have adapted to cover the Bengals and while things haven’t been great so far, it’s at least encouraging that coaches have seemed to figure out that targeting Tyler Boyd more could fix the offensive woes.
Cincinnati’s defense might be the outright key again though, as a few slow starts by it have outright spoiled games. They’re playing a backup quarterback who won’t have top receiver Michael Thomas and veteran Jarvis Landry, with breakout rookie Chris Olave questionable.
As a whole, the Saints allowed 25.6 points per game and nearly 400 yards per, so there’s room for the Joe Mixon-led running game to keep warming up after getting a jump-start late last week. Do that, and a depleted secondary might have no choice but to give Burrow and Co. favorable looks through the air.
This homecoming for names like Burrow and Chase, never mind a revenge game for guys like Eli Apple and Vonn Bell, feels like a get-right game. The Saints have too many key injuries in critical spots to keep pace, though it once again all hinges on proper schematic and play-call decisions by the coaching staff.
Prediction: Bengals 30, Saints 20
