Bengals Need Redskins Game To Be Turning Point
By Emile Pierce
London is calling the Bengals. But, the fun and games of the U.K. are far from what they need. Battling the Washington Redskins has to be a turning point.
After starting the season with subpar results, the Bengals are ready to turn the season around. Taking a trip across the pond and engaging in battle with the Redskins may be what the doctor ordered. For the first time all year, Cincinnati looks to be healthy. With the roster close to full strength, the AFC North could get interesting. This needs to be the turnaround.
The Redskins pose an interesting problem for Marvin’s Men. Head coach Jay Gruden still knows aspects of the Bengals offense. With that in mind, offensive coordinator Ken Zampese will have to get creative. The season is at the halfway point. The Bengals can’t afford to take any teams lightly, from this point on. A loss could set things rolling in the wrong direction.
Both the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers have hit rough times. The Ravens are in the midst of a losing streak and the Steelers are without the services of Ben Roethlisberger. There’s no better time for the Bengals to make a move. With the bye week at hand, it’s time to get a solid plan in place for reclaiming the North crown.
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One encouraging sign for Bengals fans is the return of Tyler Eifert. When he returned to action against the Browns, he took about 24 percent of the offensive snaps. The plan is to get the speedy tight end involved in the offense against Washington.
Getting Over The Hump
Both the Redskins and Bengals need this game. The AFC North and NFC East are wide open and waiting for someone to claim leadership.
The Dallas Cowboys look like the favorites in the NFC East but Gruden’s Gang is not far behind. Cincinnati needs to make a push in the top-heavy AFC North. The recent injury to Big Ben makes the rest of the year a toss-up.
Cincinnati had one of the toughest schedules to start the season. But, they’ve survived and the remainder of the games is in their favor. Now, it’s all about focus and knowing that there can be no letdowns.
Gruden understands the importance of the game. Seeing those he worked with will be great. But, the bottom line is getting over the hump.
“I mean, I can’t wait,” Gruden gushed, via Redskins.com. “Really, it sounds funny, it’s such a big game for us, really. I really don’t care where we play them. I just can’t wait to play the game. We’ve got to get this taste out of our mouth and get ready to strap it up and play against a team that’s been in the playoffs five years in a row that I know extremely well. It’s going to be fun to play against them, no matter where it is, when it is. We look forward to the challenge.”
The Bengals need to be ready…and this definitely needs to be a turning point.