The Cincinnati Bengals will head to Lambeau Field this week to take on the Green Bay Packers. Who will have to step their game up in order to give the Bengals any hope of pulling off the upset?
TJ Slaton
Slaton spent
his first four seasons playing for the Packers. He will be returning to face the team that drafted him this week.
Slaton has been a solid addition to the team as a run defender. He is never going to give much as a pass rusher. This week, he will be tasked with trying to slow down Josh Jacobs. Jacobs is averaging 66 yards per game rushing this year.
Samaje Perine
Perine ended up getting almost 50% of the snap share against Detroit. That is a much closer split with Chase Brown than it has been all season. Recently, Perine has looked like the better running back. He runs with aggression. He has also been much more decisive with the ball in his hands. If he continues to make plays, he is likely to continue seeing his opportunities to carry the ball increase.
Additionally, the Bengals have a clear trust in what he can provide as a blocker. With the performance of some of the offensive linemen, it becomes almost a necessity to increase their playing time. Helping out with the likes of Micah Parsons and Rashan Gary may be the most critical role he provides this week.
The Packers have the second best rushing defense based on yards allowed this season. If that leads to Cincinnati having to pass the ball more, Perine will likely be in there to pass protect quite a bit.
Amarius Mims
Mims has looked like the better tackle of the two currently starting for the Cincinnati Bengals. I wouldn’t even say it has been particularly close this season. He will have to be up to the challenge again this week. Rashan Gary is among the league leaders in sacks. He typically lines up against the opposing right tackle. Mims will need to keep him in check if this offense has any hope of getting on track Sunday.
Orlando Brown Jr.
On the opposite side, Orlando Brown Jr. will face off against Micah Parsons for a majority of his snaps. His inability to handle speed rushers has been a noticeable issue this year. Things could get really ugly, really quickly, in Green Bay on Sunday for the Bengals’ left tackle.
Who are some other players you feel like will have to play big roles for the Cincinnati Bengals this week?
