All Bengals Staff Makes Picks for Saturday's Playoff Matchup Against Raiders

Will Cincinnati exorcise their playoff demons?

Author:
James Rapien
Updated:
Jan 14, 2022 8:42 AM EST
Original:
Jan 14, 2022

CINCINNATI — It's playoff time in the Queen City as the Bengals host the Raiders at Paul Brown Stadium on Saturday. Will they end their postseason drought?

Cincinnati hasn't won a playoff game since Jan. 6, 1991. Their 0-7 in the postseason since, but they have a chance to welcome in a new era of Bengals football with a win on Saturday.

The All Bengals team made our predictions for the matchup. Check them out below!

Elise Jesse, All Bengals Insider

Season Record: 8-9

The Bengals are packing an insane amount of firepower for Saturday night’s Wild Card war at Paul Brown Stadium with Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, Joe Mixon and C.J. Uzomah. The Bengals haven't been this healthy going into the playoffs in a long time. In fact, Cincinnati’s last playoff appearance in 2015 featured a team without their starting quarterback. Andy Dalton was sidelined and AJ McCarron had to step up and lead the team. Unfortunately, Cincinnati imploded down the stretch and the playoff drought continued.

The excitement and pressure mounting for this game is getting more intense by the day, and the Bengals cannot afford to devastate the fan base in the playoffs again and that's why they must protect Burrow in the passing game.

Cincinnati allowed sacks on nine percent of pass plays during the regular season (2^nd most in the league), putting them near the top of a category that no team wants to excel in. Saturday they’ll face a Raiders defense that ranked sixth in pressure percentage at 32.8%.

Las Vegas managed to limit Burrow to 148 passing yards and one touchdown in week eleven. Luckily for Cincinnati, Mixon saved the day with two touchdowns.

I believe Burrow will have a better game on Saturday. He’s the guy who is going to lead the Bengals to their first playoff win in 31 years.

Prediction: Bengals 27, Raiders 21

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Russ Heltman, All Bengals Contributor

Season Record: 6-11

Week 19 is here.

That's all this is, another test on the path to playing in Week 23 and lifting the Lombardi Trophy. Curses don't apply to this team, and they certainly don't apply to the most talented quarterback to ever don the Orange and Black.

Burrow has had success when seeing an opponent for the second time, and it's one of a few reasons why Saturday should be a blowout statement from Cincinnati. The Raiders' only advantage in this game lies with their defensive front. Even if Maxx Crosby and company sack Burrow five times, it won't be enough.

The Raiders have no business being here. They are not a playoff-caliber team. Las Vegas is 24th in point differential and needed three walk-off field goals down the stretch to make the dance. Sunday afforded them more huge pass interference calls, one of which immediately led to a touchdown against the Chargers.

Through Dec. 10, Vegas led the NFL with 20.4 EPA generated by pass interference calls. The penalty luck ends in The Jungle against a Bengals team that's committed the seventh-fewest PI calls this season.

Prediction: Bengals 27, Raiders 16

Nicole Zembrodt, All Bengals Contributor

Season Record: 7-10

In year two of what is considered to be a rebuild, the Bengals are playing on Wild Card Weekend as AFC North Champions. They not only get the home field advantage and are favored in this game, but the projected winter weather benefits Cincinnati as well.

The Bengals handled the Raiders with relative ease in Week 11 after halftime adjustments propelled them to a 32-13 victory. Mixon pounded the rock for 123 yards and two scores.

Cincinnati should get Mixon going again, but that doesn't mean they won't lean on Burrow. He threw for just 129 yards in the first matchup, but he's arguably been the best quarterback in the NFL in recent weeks. Stopping Crosby and Yannick Ngakoue on the edges will be the difference in this game. They have a combined 152 pressures and 18 sacks this season.

Derek Carr had 30 or more passing attempts in all but three games. That narrative will likely be the same as the Raiders try to attack the Bengals secondary. Darren Waller had one of his best games of the season against Cincinnati with seven catches for 116 yards. Hunter Renfrow is Carr's favorite target, but he had just four catches for 30 yards in Week 11.

Paul Brown Stadium and the City of Cincinnati are going to be electric Saturday night as the Bengals break the 31-year playoff win drought and move onto the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

Prediction: Bengals 31, Raiders 23

Blake Jewell, All Bengals Contributor

Season Record: 11-6

The Bengals already won in Las Vegas this season, and with the Raiders traveling to Cincinnati on a short week and dealing with the cold conditions, I expect the same result. We can talk about the playoff drought and how the Bengals struggle in the playoffs, but this is a different team. They don't care about the past and I expect them to handle business this week.

Prediction: Bengals 31, Raiders 17

Mike Santagata, All Bengals Film Analyst

Season Record: 9-8

The Bengals will host their first playoff game since 2015 on Saturday. They face off against a foe that they have already beaten in the Las Vegas Raiders. If they can pull off the win, they will achieve something that hasn't been done since 1991.

The Raiders offense will go through Waller and Renfrow. The Bengals did a pretty good job slowing them down in the last matchup. If they can limit the Raiders offense, I think they will win the game.

On defense, the Raiders are led by star pass rusher Maxx Crosby. Crosby is one of the most talented pass rushers in the league. They also have a good number two edge with Ngakoue. If the Bengals can keep Burrow upright, they should have success in the passing game.

Ultimately, I think we see an end result similar to their last matchup.

Prediction: Bengals 31, Raiders 24

Lindsay Patterson, All Bengals Reporter

Season Record: 5-4

Will this be the year? This is what we asked in 2005, 2009 and 2011-15.

It's easy to go back and look at those games and say the Bengals should've won in 2005, 2013 and in 2015, even with a back-up quarterback like AJ McCarron.

Instead, the playoff drought has lasted 31 years. This team feels different and Joe Burrow is a big reason why.

During the offseason the talk was the Bengals could possibly be in the postseason conversation maybe in 2022, but definitely in 2023. This club had other plans. We could look back and say they should've had 12 or 13 wins, which is wild to think about.

I do think the Raiders are a good match-up. The biggest concern is the Bengals offensive line vs. the Raider defensive line. If Burrow can get the ball out, they can expose Las Vegas' secondary. Chase might get doubled, but the Bengals have another No. 1 wide receiver in Higgins. Chase can also beat the defense in a lot of different ways see Kansas City. Uzomah could have a sneaky-productive game. He's having his best season in Cincinnati and could be a low-key weapon in this one.

If the Bengals can limit the turnovers and Burrow plays like he has over the past month, then Cincinnati is going to break the playoff curse and advance in the postseason.

Prediction: Bengals 28, Raiders 20

James Rapien, All Bengals Publisher

Season Record: 8-9

If the Bengals can keep Burrow upright and protect the ball, then they should win this game.

They have more talent and the better quarterback. It may not always be pretty, but I expect the Bengals to win the turnover battle and do enough on offense to win their first playoff game since 1991.

Prediction: Bengals 24, Raiders 13

For more on Saturday's contest, watch Lindsay Patterson's exclusive conversation with Peter King below.

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