Bengals should know what to expect in Raiders rematch
Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor has acknowledged the franchise's 31year drought without a playoff win, but he says he isn't too concerned about what the franchise's history could mean for the 2021 team.
This year, with an MVP candidate at quarterback and the credibility that comes with the AFC North title, the Bengals should be favored at home in the first round of the postseason.
The Bengals will face the Las Vegas Raiders during the NFL'S Super Wild Card Weekend at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Paul Brown Stadium.
The Bengals beat the Raiders on the road in Week 11 by a final score of 32-13.
Raiders defensive coordinator Gus Bradley has faced the Bengals twice in the last two years, and Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow threw for fewer than 200 yards in both games.
Since Bradley's defense relies on so many defenders in coverage, the Raiders rarely blitz and instead they use a fourman pass rush. This part of the scheme works because the Raiders have one of the best defensive end rotations in the NFL.
It starts with Maxx Crosby, who leads the NFL in quarterback hits and quarterback pressures. When the two teams met in November, Crosby's success early in the game led the Bengals to stick with the run game, and Joe Mixon recorded 123 rushing yards. The Raiders defense is about average against the run, giving up 114.3 rushing yards per game to rank No. 19 in the NFL.