Can 49ers handle the ‘new’ Bengals?
Don’t be fooled by another Cincinnati loss on Sunday, these aren’t the same Bengals who’ve wallowed in or near the AFC North cellar the past three seasons.
Energized by young (36 years old) and innovative head coach Zac Taylor, who was on Sean McVay’s Rams staff the past two years, the surprising Bengals nearly upset the Seahawks in Seattle, ultimately falling 2120. They’ve got a new-found passing attack, engineered by first-year offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, the former De La Salle High quarterback and Raiders assistant. Plus, they showed a surprisingly effective defense against Seattle, so it won’t be easy for the 49ers to go 2-0 for the first time in seven years.
Here’s a closer look at San Francisco’s Week 2 game:
Game essentials: 49ers at Cincinnati, Sunday at 10 a.m. on Fox. Odds: Bengals -1.
Former Freedom High of Oakley star running back Joe Mixon’s status for Sunday is unknown after he sprained his ankle during the opener after rushing just six times for 10 yards. Mixon, last year’s leading rusher in the AFC, is listed as questionable and if he’s out or limited it’s easier to dismiss a ground game that accounted for just 34 against Seattle.
Seven-time Pro Bowl receiver A.J. Green, the Bengals’ most dangerous offensive weapon, will miss his second straight game with a sprained ankle. So much for his showdown with Richard
Sherman. The two had contentious battles when Sherman was in Seattle and the brash-talking cornerback once even admitted he was wrong for calling Green overrated.
The Bengals’ offensive line is a work in progress, thanks to the loss of their best lineman, left guard Clint Boling, who retired, and top tackle Jonah Williams, who missed the opener with a shoulder injury. Andy Dalton threw a whopping 51 times against Seattle and was often chased from the pocket as he was sacked five times. Considering how it fared against the Seahawks, Cincinnati may have trouble containing 49ers edge rushers Nick Bosa and Dee Ford.
The 49ers may recognize the Bengals’ offense, and not in a good way. Coach Taylor has transformed Cincinnati’s offensive unit into one that resembles his old team, the Rams. Utilizing many of the same concepts as L.A., the Bengals gave the Seahawks fits for much of the game as Dalton threw for 418 yards and a pair of scores to John Ross.
The much-maligned Dalton quickly acclimated himself to the new offense, using a quick-strike passing attack to turn in a career-high in passing yardage. Dalton’s quick release helped mitigate some of his team’s offensive line issues. He completed 35 of his 51 passes to eight different receivers. Remember, all of this was done without his star receiver Green, who is likely out a couple more games.
No team allowed more yardage or spent more time on the field than the Bengals’ defense a year ago. The Bengals allowed a league-worst 413 yards per
game and also led the NFL in defensive snap the past two years with more than 2,100. That was then. Now there’s new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo — hence the “Lou Crew” — on board. The new defense had four sacks against Russell Wilson and limited the Seahawks to just 233 total yards. And Cincinnati’s defense was on the field for just 49 snaps. Who knows how long the resurgence lasts, but that’s quite a start.
Known primarily for his speed, Ross was unleashed by Taylor and Callahan and erupted for easily the best game of his career on Sunday with seven catches for 158 yards while scoring twice. Arguably the NFL’s fastest man (he once ran a 4.22 40), was a firstround pick out of Washington who was a non-factor the first two seasons. The 49ers would love to see him resort to his old form. But, if Ross comes close to duplicating what he did in the opener, the 49ers could be in some trouble.