BOLD PREDICTION: Carlos Dunlap will sack Osweiler 3 times on MNF
By Connor Howe
Carlos Dunlap will face struggling right tackle Michael Schofield on Monday night. He could easily set his season-high game total with a solid performance.
Carlos Dunlap has been a sack machine in 2015, tallying 10.5 quarterback takedowns in 14 games. A major Pro Bowl snub, Dunlap has been a force on the Bengals’ defensive line all season long.
The Bengals’ left end has made several game-changing plays this season, including two blocked field goals, two forced fumbles and a 21-yard fumble recovery. Dunlap’s incredible length and quick-twitch reflexes have helped him become one of the NFL’s premiere speed rushers on the outside. And with DPOY candidate Geno Atkins wreaking havoc on the interior, the Bengals have found themselves a potent pass-rushing duo.
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On Monday night, Dunlap will face Broncos right tackle
–not to be mistaken with the main character in
one of the best TV shows of the 21st century
. Schofield, a former third-round pick, was one of the players on the receiving end of
‘s
five-sack decimation in the Broncos’ Week 14 loss to the Oakland Raiders. While Schofield wasn’t matched up with Mack on all five of the plays, he still admitted that it was “
probably one of [his] worst games of all time
.”
Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler has been sacked 3.2 times per game since taking over as Denver’s starter, but he’s been sacked five times in two games this season. Meanwhile, Carlos Dunlap has only managed two sacks in the past six games after tallying seven and a half in his first eight games.
Geno Atkins will be playing through sickle cell trait, which could slow him down, giving Dunlap more opportunities to finish off sacks. In addition, Dunlap is only two sacks away from becoming the Bengals’ all-time official sack leader. The defensive end will have plenty of motivation to become the team leader by the end of the 2015 season.
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Dunlap managed a sack against Denver last season and will look to bring down Osweiler as often as possible in Cincinnati’s most important game of the season. A dominant performance from Dunlap could lead to a Cincinnati victory; after all, the Bengals are 7-1 in games when the defensive end records a sack.