Week 1 certainly provided some fireworks as well as some good feels for Cincinnati Bengals fans. The overtime victory over the Minnesota Vikings was unexpected, if not extremely satisfying.
After the training camp angst of whether Ja’Marr Chase could actually catch an unstriped ball, all he did was go off for a 50+ yard touchdown and over 100 yards in his debut. The game plan was conservative, but Joe Burrow still looked good, and Joe Mixon ran with anger and purpose.
Perhaps most welcome however was the level of physicality the defensive line played with as they harassed Kirk Cousins all afternoon. A very good sign if they are to keep the vibes good and secure a win over the Chicago Bears Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field.
Sunday, the Bengals once again get to face old friend Andy Dalton. Dalton is still expected to start for Matt Nagy’s Bears despite less than stellar results Sunday night vs the Rams, and the presence of first-round pick Justin Fields waiting in the wings.
What can be expected from a fantasy standpoint? Lots would be my expectation. Both teams are capable (or at least should be) of putting points up, and both defenses definitely have their flaws. Let’s dive into this week’s starts and sits, shall we?