NFL
By: Jalen Willingham
The Cincinnati Bengals will face the New Orleans Saints on the road in week 6 of the 2022 NFL season. This will be their 15th meeting with the series tied at 7-7.
When: Sunday, October 16
Time: 1:00pm
Network: CBS
Offense
The Bengals offense provided another lackluster performance on Sunday night. The playcalling was atrocious and I seriously hope that Zac Taylor hands the duties to someone else. The offense shouldn’t look this underwhelming with that much talent on the field. Tee Higgins ankle injury showed that the passing game depends on him much more than many have been led to believe.
The positive is that the running game was much better. Mixon averaged over 5 yards a carry. I think he continues to move in the right direction versus a Saints defense that is currently 24th in run defense. Linebackers Pete Werner and Demario Davis have been a very solid tandem on the field. Werner is definitely a player to watch in the running game.
Despite being charged with 3 sacks on paper, the Bengals offensive line has continued to make improvements. They need to focus on handling blitzes better, however. The interior lineman has made big strides since week 1. The offensive tackles, consisting of Jonah Williams and La’el Collins still have a ways to go. The New Orleans pass rush had a big break in week 5 but overall have been underwhelming. Of the Saints pass rush, Cameron Jordan is still going strong at age 33. La’el Collins versus Jordan on the edge is a key matchup to watch.
There are big holes in the Saints secondary at the moment as well. Marshon Lattimore’s injury will be a big loss for sure. Tyrann Mathieu also hasn’t been the same. I honestly almost forgot he was on the team. That’s how much of an impact he’s had. There will be big opportunities to make plays and throw the ball downfield which is something that Burrow did not do at all versus the Ravens.
With Tee Higgins still dealing with injuries, the passing game may not be up to par. The offense still needs to try to open up to allow Chase the chance to beat defenders on the deep route. The Saints defense will key in on Ja’Marr Chase, and that is where Tyler Boyd or Hayden Hurst can cause damage.
What can’t be ignored about this Saints defense is how good they’ve been on third down, fourth down and in the red zone. The Bengals offense have struggled mightily in red zone situations when it comes to punching the ball into the endzone. This needs to change whether it’s trusting Mixon or using play action. It also wouldn’t hurt if the offense doesn’t run the same play multiple times after it’s stopped.
Defense
The Cincinnati defense once again gave another solid outing in primetime versus Baltimore. Their bend don’t break style has worked out tremendously. The Ravens game did show that they are missing nose tackle D.J. Reader in the run game, however. Although only 1 touchdown was given up, Baltimore bashed them for 155 yards on the ground.
This will be the first time that former Saints players such as Trey Hendrickson, Vonn Bell, and Eli Apple return to New Orleans.
There is a lot of uncertainty around the quarterback situation in New Orleans. Backup quarterback Andy Dalton will get the start once again this Sunday. Since leaving Cincinnati, he is 2-0 against the Bengals. However, the Saints are dealing with big-time injuries with Wide Receivers Michael Thomas, Jarvis Landry, and Deonte Harty all being out. Rookie, wide receiver Chris Olave has been their most targeted and leading pass catcher so far. He is dealing with a concussion, however. Trequan Smith and Juwan Johnson should get more targets in the passing game.
The Saints are another team who will look to run the ball whether it’s through Alvin Kamara or Taysom Hill. With the injuries in the receiving unit, I expect them to try to establish the run early. Hill is currently their leading rusher. Mark Ingram has been utilized quite a bit too. Stopping the run is imperative here. Kamara is effective in the passing game as well. The entire defense needs to limit Kamara in all facets of the game. Linebacker Logan Wilson has been an all-around playmaker and he’ll be pivotal in containing both Hill and Kamara.
The Saints also lead the league in giveaways with 13 while having a turnover differential of -8. Cincinnati needs to take advantage of that on defense in any way possible. Vonn Bell has 3 interceptions so far. Why not get number 4?
The Saints offensive line has done very well in pass sets. With the Bengals usually only sending 4 guys to pressure, Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard need to put their best foot forward and get after it.
Prediction
Bengals win 24-13
