The Cincinnati Bengals' season starts in less than a week, and it feels like a long time coming. We've had the usual preseason optimism with Joe Burrow healthy again, but as he's said himself, this year feels different. On Sunday, Cincy will start the season with a trip to Florida to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
As ever, a lot of the onus will be on Ja'Marr Chase, as the 2024 Triple Crown winner will hope to help the Bengals avoid their traditionally slow starts in the Zac Taylor era.
On paper, the Bucs certainly aren't an easy game, but when you delve into the numbers from last season, there's no reason why Chase couldn't put up monster numbers in Week 1.
Tampa Bay has made a big roster mistake heading into week one
Last year, the Bucs defense was certainly bendable. They allowed the sixth-most passing yards of all teams, and the 7th-highest completion percentage; Certainly something Todd Bowles would've wanted to improve upon.
They made some solid additions in free agency, signing veterans Alex Anzalone and A'Shawn Robinson. Bowles also selected pass rusher Rueben Bain Jr in the first round of the NFL Draft, looking to secure the D-line for the next few seasons. However, their secondary, and especially the cornerback room, looks relatively unchanged from last season.
Bowles' top two corners are Zyon McCollum and Jacob Parrish, who, last season, showed flashes of good signs, but certainly weren't remarkable. However, looking at their stats from last year, Bowles has made a mistake. He's named McCollum as the No. 1 outside corner, so the 27-year-old will likely see a lot of Chase on Sunday, but that might allow the Bengals star to put up some big numbers.
Why Chase could torch the Bucs defense on Sunday
Aside from the fact that he is the best receiver in the NFL and a future Hall of Famer, Chase finds himself with a favourable matchup in week one. Comparing McCollum and Parrish's stats last year, it would seem that Parrish would be more of a test for Chase.
Considering Ja'Marr's strength in explosive plays, it's a worry for the Bucs that McCollum gave up eight explosive receptions last season compared to Parrish's seven; he also allowed a higher touchdown rate, a higher catch rate, and produced fewer pass breakups. (Statrankings.com)
So, it seems that Chase will come up against the weaker outside corner for the majority of the week one matchup, meaning that he could put up monster numbers, especially if Tee Higgins finds it harder to get open, as he will likely face up against Parrish.
It could be a roster mistake that Bowles addresses sooner rather than later, but by that point, the Bengals would have already come and gone. A favourable matchup for Chase, with a healthy Burrow, against a defensive line that didn't perform as well as expected last year- say goodbye to that week one win, Tampa Bay.
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