Bengals (2-6-1) at Washington (2-7)
Sunday, 1 ET, FedExField, Landover, Md.
TV: CBS
Danny Sheridan’s line: Washington by 1 1⁄
2
Bengals’ keys to victory: Find a way to slow down Washington’s defensive line and give QB Joe Burrow time in the pocket. Burrow has been one of the most-pressured quarterbacks in the NFL, taking 32 sacks. If Burrow can get some time, he might be able to find WRs Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd and TE Drew Sample. It will be a big task for Cincinnati’s offensive line to achieve against a stacked front four headlined by DE Chase Young, but G Quinton Spain has been solid.
Washington’s keys to victory: Washington needs to get pressure on Burrow and force him into mistakes, allowing players like CB Kendall Fuller to play clean up. Washington is among the NFL sacks leaders and has an ability to take advantage of subpar offensive lines. It’s also important for Washington not to fall behind in the first half against a poor team. Jack Del Rio’s defense has been stout in the second half of games, but it routinely digs itself into holes in the first two quarters.
Matchup to watch: Bengals’ Burrow vs. Washington’s Young. They are the top two picks in the 2020 draft, college teammates briefly at Ohio State lining up against each other for the first of likely many times in the NFL. Young arguably has the upper hand, while Burrow has been forced to deal with a struggling offensive line all season.
Who wins? Washington needs to win every game to stay in contention for the NFC East title, while the Bengals are out of contention. Still, Burrow will find a way to keep this one close. Washington 24-21