Cincinnati Bengals

Broncos at Bengals: Game preview, odds, prediction

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

Losing to the AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers was tough for the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2. Now they have to rebound at home against the defending Super Bowl champions, the Denver Broncos.

It’s a game sure to test Cincy’s ability to keep quarterback Andy Dalton clean in the pocket. Even without DeMarcus Ware, the Broncos still boast arguably the meanest pass rush in the NFL.

Ware’s out with a broken arm, an injury needing surgery set to sit him for “4-5 weeks.” But the Denver front seven still features Von Miller, the best defensive player in football. And yes, I have heard of J.J. Watt.

Miller is bringing the heat off the edge better than anyone on the league. Youngsters Shane Ray and Shaquil Barrett also offer credible support.

More impressive is how the Denver D-line hasn’t really missed Malik Jackson. He was a dominant interior pass-rusher before bolting for the big free-agency bucks offered by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The addition of Jared Crick, the continued brilliance of Derek Wolfe and the rapid rise of Sylvester Williams have kept the Broncos strong up front.

Their strength could be a problem for a lackluster Cincinnati running game. The Bengals managed just 46 yards on the ground against the Steelers in Week 2.

It’s a number Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard must raise to give Dalton a chance at Paul Brown Stadium this Sunday.

Aside from the pressure brought by Miller and dialed up by coordinator Wade Phillips, a grand master of pressure defense, Dalton will be throwing into an elite secondary.

Aqib Talib is a true shutdown cornerback, even in an era when the term is often overused. Step forward Josh Norman.

Meanwhile, Chris Harris Jr. has his fans, while Bradley Roby is almost criminally underrated as an outstanding third corner. Dalton needs a full complement of weapons to beat this group.

It would help to have tight end Tyler Eifert. He missed the tussle with the Steelers thanks to ankle surgery. Eifert could be out a few more weeks, according to Bob Holtzman of ESPN.

Still, there’s one Tyler Dalton can turn to this week. Rookie Tyler Boyd may have been guilty of a costly fumble late on in Pittsburgh, but the second-round pick in this year’s draft still showed some chops as a playmaker.

He caught six passes for 78 yards against the Steelers. Most of them came on intermediate crosses and quick outs in the hook and curl zones. Boyd is rapidly establishing himself as a worthy short-range foil for the big play capability of A.J. Green.

Bengals offensive coordinator Ken Zampese can use Boyd to expose a Denver defensive scheme that can put a lot of stress on intermediate defenders. Inside linebackers are often expected to act as robbers on crossing patterns. Even with Brandon Marshall still in the middle, this is a match-up Boyd can win.

Speaking of Green, Zampese needs to get him involved early and often. He limped through a tepid performance in Pittsburgh, catching only two passes for 38 yards.

The Broncos aren’t shy about staying in man coverage, so Green should see plenty of one-on-one match-ups. It’s up to him to prove he’s good enough to beat Talib, Harris and Roby.

Odds

Line: Bengals (-3)

Over/Under: 41

Dalton is sure to face pressure, but so will Broncos starter Trevor Siemian. He’s proven very adept throwing on the move this season.

Siemian’s mobility means this looks a lot more like head coach Gary Kubiak’s offense than it did under Peyton Manning. So there are plenty of moving pockets, rollouts, zone-stretch runs and play-action passes.

The Bengals couldn’t always keep Ben Roethlisberger in the pocket last week. But their D-line remains one of the deepest and most talented in the league.

Ends Carlos Dunlap, Michael Johnson and Margus Hunt boast basketball-style height and athletic skills. Meanwhile, Domata Peko and Geno Atkins are still a feared tackle tandem.

Check out these other NFL posts from FanSided:

Top 10 craziest NFL fan bases
Top 15 NFL Draft busts of all-time
Top 15 Heisman winners who flopped in the NFL

Coordinator Paul Guenther doesn’t need to blitz, yet he still pushes the button on occasion. He did just that to force Roethlisberger into a first quarter interception last week.

Guenther sent eight out of a 4-2-5 nickel look. Linebackers Karlos Dansby and Vincent Rey blitzed the middle, while safeties Shawn Williams and Geroge Iloka rushed off the edges.

Williams’ hit forced Roethlisberger’s rushed throw to go astray and straight into the hands of cornerback Adam Jones. Siemian can expect to be tested by more of the same max pressure looks.

The Bengals have some limitations on offense, but their defense is still among the AFC’s most fearsome. Guenther’s unit should be too much for Siemian in what looks like a classic defensive struggle.

Pick: Bengals 17, Broncos 13