The 5-2 Cincinnati Bengals will be playing the 9:30 a.m. ET game this week in Madrid, Spain. Their opponent will be the 3-5 Atlanta Falcons.
While Atlanta doesn’t have the greatest record in the league, they have been a tough out almost every week, with a big victory just 2 weeks ago against the San Francisco 49ers.
What are 3 keys to the Cincinnati Bengals leaving Spain with a victory this week? Let’s dive into it.
Slow down Bijan Robinson
You are never going to completely shut down Bijan Robinson. He is the best running back
in football. He isn’t just elite at running the ball, but he is dynamic at catching passes out of the backfield. He is about to eclipse 1,000 all-purpose yards on the season already, but hasn’t run for over 80 rushing yards in the last 3 weeks of the season. I do not want to be the team that he goes off against after a few subpar performances by his standards.
It will be a total team effort if they are going to keep him in check this week. They cannot have missed tackles like they have been known for over the past few seasons. Robinson will make you pay if you let him slip out of your initial grasp. If the Bengals want to win this game, they have to find a way to not allow Robinson to go nuclear.
Establish the run
While the Bengals are never going to be a run-centric team, this is a week they have to find some balance. Atlanta lost to Tampa Bay last week, 16-0, in a rainy game that the Buccaneers did not complete a single pass in. They were able to instead rush for over 300 yards against the Falcons’ defense.
Another reason you need to establish the run is how good Atlanta has been generating pressure this season. They are 2nd overall in the league in pressures with 179 on the season. They have done that without James Pearce Jr., who is returning from an 8-game suspension this week. This is not a game you want to be throwing the ball almost 50 times. Establish some balance with getting carries and short passes to Chase Brown and Samaje Perine this week.
If you don’t, you will see Atlanta get the victory.
Pressure Michael Penix early and often
Michael Penix is completing 61% of his passes this season. He has just 9 passing touchdowns to 5 interceptions. If the Bengals can get pressure on Penix this week, you can force him into some turnovers. Boye Mafe is 6th in the league for defensive ends with 35 pressures this season.
The Bengals also have a dangerous interior pass rush with Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen on the interior. Both of those guys are in the top 12 for defensive tackles in pressures, with 24 for Dexter and 23 for Allen.
Myles Murphy is coming off his second game in the last 3 played where he recorded 5 pressures on the day. Without Cashius Howell this week, they will need a guy like Murphy to continue generating pressure opposite Boye Mafe.
