As the Baltimore Ravens head into their first regular season matchup, we sit down with Stripe Hype, FanSided’s Cincinnati Bengals site, for some questions.
If you’re like me, you are ecstatic that NFL football is back. After months of sitting through free agency, the NFL Draft, training camp and the preseason, Week one finally kicks off tonight. But for the Baltimore Ravens, they don’t play until Sunday. Their first game is a division matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.
While we are a site that focuses primarily on the Ravens, what better way to preview our opponent than to get information from the enemy themselves? Our fellow FanSided Blog, Stripe Hype, covers everything you need to know about the Cincinnati Bengals. Site Co-Expert Emile Pierce was gracious enough to take his time to answer some questions about the Bengals.
If you have not already, check out their website and Twitter accounts! They put out some great content all year long! It’s always good to stay updated on a division rival.
Site: StripeHype.com
Twitter: @StripeHype
1. The Bengals are coming off a 6-9-1 season. What can they do this season to turn things around and get back into the playoffs?
Please don’t remind any diehard Bengals fan of the horrors of last year, ugh! Simple. This season has to be one of commitment. Each player has to look inside and figure out what they’re not doing to right the ship. It’s easy to sit back and blame the next player. But, this will be about total teamwork. The Bengals have gone from one of the oldest teams (26.3) in the NFL to one of the youngest (25.48). Vets and the younger seasoned players will have to direct the rookies. To some extent, the youngsters have never been in the midst of the fire. They’re coming in hungry and ready to win. That attitude has to carry over to the entire squad.
2. Marvin Lewis has been at the helm since 2003, but is he on the hot seat entering this season?
Funny. Bengals fans know he’s on the hot seat EVERY season (insert Lewis chuckle). Simply put, this is the year Marvin will be coaching for his football life. Most fans will argue that he isn’t worried about the outcome. that’s simply not true. Lewis has gone against the M.O. that he usually works under. Fans could possibly see something that will cause another solar eclipse. There may actually be rookies playing and starting during the season. This version of the Bengals has a beastly looking defense that is comprised of (you guessed it) younger players. That’s a no-no in Marv’s book. Yet, he’s willing to go young to get the W’s.
3. The Bengals lost two starting offensive lineman in Kevin Zeitler and Andrew Whitworth this offseason. How do you think the unit will hold up this season?
The offensive line will be fine. Football purists know that the preseason schemes and regular season preparation are different. But, the O-line was solid. The line was on the low end of the sack spectrum for the four games. Only one other team gave up fewer QB takedowns. Look for offensive lineman Trey Hopkins to shine. Cedric Ogbuehi has been the question mark. So far, he’s looking better than expected.
4. The Ravens come in with another solid defense this season. Who is the X-Factor on the Bengals offense that the Ravens should be looking out for?
Man, that Ravens defense looks scary. They’ll do some damage in the AFC North. Normally, the go-to answer would be A.J. Green. He’s been a thorn in Baltimore’s side. But, there are a few other youngsters to watch. In particular, Cody Core. If he’s ready for the opener, he could pose problems. He’s improved over the offseason. His speed has…increased, to say the least. Josh Malone could factor in as well.
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5. After drafting Joe Mixon, the Bengals now have a crowded backfield. Who should Ravens fans expect to see handling most of the carries?
Lewis hasn’t totally lost his mind. Jeremy Hill should get the start if he’s ready to go (ankle). Other than that Giovani Bernard will get the call. Mixon has been exciting, during the preseason. But, he put the ball on the ground during an important drive. That brought back memories of the Wild Card meltdown. Look for Hill to start and Mixon and Gio to be the change-of-pace options. However, Mixon could get a few extra snaps if the running game looks stagnant.