Cincinnati Bengals: 3 keys to victory vs Raiders in Week 11
The Cincinnati Bengals have a critical AFC matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders Sunday with a lot on the line. Both teams currently sit at 5-4. However, here are three ways the Bengals can succeed and put themselves in a position to escape Vegas with a win.
Cincinnati Bengals Keys to Victory
3. Create pressure and win the battle in the trenches
Through the first seven games of the year, the Cincinnati Bengals were very stout in the interior and were extremely good at stopping the run and creating pressure on the quarterback. Although, through the last two weeks, they have struggled at creating tension and winning the game in the trenches.
They are being pushed back, getting beat on the ground, and allowing too much time for the quarterback in the pocket. The Bengals need to get back to applying pressure and making it uncomfortable against Raiders signal-caller Derek Carr.
Forcing the Raiders to play behind the chains will put the Bengals in a much better position to come out with a win on the road in a very critical game. It starts with the interior with Larry Ogunjobi and D.J. Reader clogging holes, winning the battle between the tackles.
Then the edges need to be secured by Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard. If Josh Jacobs and Kenyan Drake have trouble getting to the outside, it will make it harder for the Raiders to get a consistent run game going.
After the Bengals stop the run on a consistent basis that’s when the pressure will be applied due to the Raiders being forced to be a one-dimensional offense. However, if the Raiders have their way on offense, especially with the ground game, they are capable of scoring a lot of points and being a very dynamic offense. The Bengals defense and Lou Anarumo cannot let it get to that point.
Carr, like Joe Burrow, is one of the best quarterbacks passing against the blitz but that doesn’t mean Cincinnati should sit back and stay in coverage. When the Bengals don’t apply pressure they tend to struggle defensively.