The Cincinnati Bengals start the season with what feels like a trap game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
There, the Bengals host a team that was on the cusp of the playoffs last year and appears to be on an upswing.
At the same time, the Bengals have to prove some of the usual storylines (like slow starts) wrong while attempting to get off on the right foot.
Speaking of some storylines, here are a few quick-hitting ones to watch.
Bucs vs. Bengals key storylines
The defense
Generic? Maybe, but here it is: It’s time for Al Golden to prove himself. The front office got historically aggressive while attempting to rebuild to suit his vision. He got Dexter Lawrence, Boye Mafe and Jonathan Allen. They drafted Cashius Howell. Now it all needs to come together. Not only does it need to stop Baker
Mayfield and the Buccaneers, it needs to keep showing meaningful developmental steps for young players like edge rusher Myles Murphy and linebackers Demetrius Knight and Barrett Carter, too.
Under-center work
The Bengals’ brief under-center work this preseason wasn’t exactly encouraging. Joe Burrow needs to get it right, though, especially given how the Bucs tend to struggle with it. It’s a big win that the Bengals return the same starting five offensive linemen for the first time in the Burrow era. So does the fact everyone seems healthy. But going one-dimensional without under-center work could limit them and lead to one of those…
…slow starts
We’ve heard a few times about Zac Taylor changing up the offseason plan in an effort to combat this. The work in the preseason and even joint practice for the starters was pretty notable, too. But now it needs to play out on the field when it matters. The offensive line is back and the injury report is largely clean. If there were a time to rip off a few good-looking wins to start the year and insure themselves against a few hiccups later in the season for the Bengals, it would appear to be now.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: 3 storylines that will decide Bengals’ Week 1 tilt vs. Bucs
