Packers look to get past the upstart Bengals
The Green Bay Packers will play their first Noon (Central Time) game this season on Sunday when they head to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals.
The Packers are 3-1 after their 27-17 home victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Bengals are also 3-1 after a Thursday night 24-21 home win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on a field goal as time expired, their only lead of the game.
For the Bengals, Joe Burrow, a #1 overall pick in 2020, is in his second year in the league. Running back Joe Mixon and receiver Tee Higgins are both questionable for the game. Burrow has been sacked 11 times and intercepted 4 times, so the Packers need to get some pressure on him and throw him off his game. CB Jaire Alexander appears to have dodged a major injury, but it is unlikely that he will play on Sunday. It will be a patchwork secondary, but it all starts up front at the line of scrimmage.
Aaron Rodgers and Randall Cobb still have some great chemistry between them. Their offensive line has held up nicely, especially after dealing with the defensive lines they faced their last two games. The Bengals may not have the star power that the 49ers or Steelers have on their defensive line, but they are getting it done right now. This would be a nice opportunity to see the Packers’ offense really light it up on the scoreboard. We have seen flashes of how good they can be.
The Packers escaped disaster last week when Mason Crosby’s blocked field goal and Steeler touchdown was called back due to an offside penalty. Whether it was the right call is up for debate. They still have work to do on special teams.
The Bengals lead the series 7-6. Rodgers is 1-2 vs the Bengals, the win coming in their previous matchup, a 27-24 overtime victory at Lambeau Field. That overtime field goal was the only time the Packers led in the game. Perhaps the most memorable game in the series happened in 1992, when Brett Favre entered the game in place of an injured Don Majkowski and led them to a 24-23 comeback win. The winning pass was a 35-yard TD pass to Kitrick Taylor, the only receiving touchdown he would ever score in the NFL.
The Bengals were 4-11-1 last season and can match last season’s win total with a victory on Sunday. Time will tell if this team is for real, but they are playing some good football right now and they have some extra rest because they are coming off a Thursday night game on September 30th. Paul Brown Stadium will be very noisy on Sunday.
On Thursday, the Packers signed LB Jaylon Smith, who got released from the Cowboys. Every little bit helps, especially if Za’Darius Smith will miss a significant amount of time.
On paper, this should be a competitive game on Sunday. The Packers should expect to get the Bengals’ best effort for a number of reasons, including the extra time off, earning respect around the league by beating a team like the Packers and a quarterback like Rodgers, and also because they struggled in their previous game against the winless Jaguars. They will need a much better effort to get past Green Bay.
The Packers still haven’t hit their stride, but they have won three straight despite missing some key players to injuries. Let’s keep moving forward this week and beyond. I expect another battle on Sunday. It won’t be easy but the Bengals have their challenges too. They haven’t played against a quarterback like Rodgers or a receiver like Davante Adams. I look for that duo to make some big plays together and for the team to overcome a valiant effort by the Bengals and score a nice road victory. Let’s get it done on Sunday Green Bay! We got this!
Go Pack Go!
@DieHardPackrFan #DHPF #GregGoshaw @gg901
