It looks like now-or-never time for the Cincinnati Bengals as they begin the season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the town.
These Bengals went all-in this offseason, leaving a historic consolation zone by spending huge, doing fashionable issues with contracts and making blockbuster trades. All within the title of successful round Joe Burrow, after all.
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The duty at hand begins with Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers, an eight-win membership from a yr in the past hoping that it is on an increase of its personal.
There are small issues for the Bengals. The defensive rebuild beneath Al Golden must work. It obtained a severe infusion with the likes of Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen and others, however now’s the time to begin proving the unit can really pull its personal weight.
Issues exist on the offense, too. Burrow and the weapons are elite, however the shaky-looking under-center stuff from preseason motion cannot be an indication of issues to come back: They should show his traditionally shaky stuff from these formations will not bleed into this season.
Well being, at the least, is not a significant concern. Shemar Stewart was the one title on the ultimate harm report and even he averted what seemed to be a season-ending harm close to the beginning of camp.
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As for the Bucs, Mayfield stays a risk and he has some nice weapons on offense too with wideouts Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin within the wake of the Mike Evans period ending.
The Bengals do not actually blink at elite opposing wideouts as of late, although, not after DJ Turner’s breakout final yr and his spending all summer season trailing Ja’Marr Chase all around the discipline. The protection ought to be unpredictable sufficient at house to maintain Mayfield unsettled.
Perhaps the Bengals do not appear to be they totally shake the slow-starter status right here, however there is a purpose most consultants decide the Bengals to win this one.
Prediction: Bengals 28, Buccaneers 20
This text initially appeared on Bengals Wire: Ultimate rating predictions for Buccaneers vs. Bengals in Week 1