Four Bengals power brokers in Sunday's matchup with the Chargers
The reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs got the NFL season rolling with a big win on Thursday night. Football is the ultimate team sport, but each week there are a few players that tilt the balance of power more than others. The Bengals matchup with the Chargers won't be any different. Cincinnati looks to beat Los Angeles for the fifth time in their last six meetings.
Here are the four 'power brokers' that could change the game for the Bengals on Sunday.
Joe Burrow
In a season of unknowns, the rookie quarterback has a chance to take the league by storm. He's arguably the most important player on the team. Burrow leads this list because he is a complete wild card going into Sunday's game.
No one knows how well he's absorbed the offense or how he'll perform against a live rush. That can only be answered when his feet hit the fire on the opening snap.
On the flip side, Chargers quarterback Tyrod Taylor brings a track record of steady, conservative play with a clear floor and ceiling. One snap at a time is the mantra on Sunday. Neither of these teams should light up the scoreboard, so the turnover battle is more important than usual. The floor can be tough to watch for rookie quarterbacks, but Burrow always seems to exceed expectations.
Stat to file away: Since the 2000 season, starting quarterbacks taken with the No. 1 pick are 1-6 in the season opener. Only two of them finishing with a 78 or higher quarterback rating.
Jonah Williams
Death, taxes, and winning in the trenches. It's one of the most referred to components on pregame shows for a reason. Jonah Williams is going to play a big role in that equation against Los Angeles. Williams missed all of last season with a shoulder injury. Sunday will be his first in-game action since the 2019 National Championship.
The Alabama-product will see Joey Bosa early and often on Sunday. Bosa stayed healthy for all 16 games in 2019 and posted a career-best 89.6 PFF grade. He finished with career-highs in hurries (50), quarterback hits (37), and knockdowns (17).
Williams has his hands full and the Bengals need him to slow down Bosa on Sunday.
Stat to file away: According to Elias Sports Bureau, only one rookie quarterback has made his NFL debut in his left tackle's first game since 2015. Jameis Winston and Donovan Smith made their debut on the same day for the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay gave up four sacks and lost 42-14 to Tennessee.
D.J. Reader
The Bengals top free agent signing has a bigger role to fill than many expected. The premiere duo of Reader and Geno Atkins will have to wait at least a week.
Atkins isn't playing on Sunday due to a shoulder injury. His 96 consecutive games streak is going to end. He hasn't missed a contest since 2013.
Reader expected to lead this defensive line in snaps but without Atkins, those snaps get a little tougher. He'll face more double teams at the point of attack. The stout run defender has improved his play in both phases every season since he entered the league. Now he gets a juicy matchup to start his Bengals tenure. The Chargers sport one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL and now it's banged up. Starting center Mike Pouncey is out for Sunday's game due to a hip injury and star free agent signing Bryan Bulaga (hamstring) is questionable.
Stat to file away: Left tackles Sam Tevi and Levi Scott combined to allow 88 pressures for the Chargers last season. That was the second-most of any tackle duo in the NFL. Tevi is back at left tackle again this year. Reader has the versatility to line up at 1-tech, 3-tech, and nose tackle. Look for him to make an impact on Sunday.
Germaine Pratt
Last season was a trial by fire rookie campaign for Germaine Pratt and the third-degree burns were rampant. He was eased into one of the worst linebacking corps in the league last year, playing only 40 percent of the defensive snaps. The rookie finished 2019 with a 51 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, but notched his three highest-graded games as a starter in the last month of the season.
Pratt, 24, is still young and converted from safety to linebacker at NC State. The heat is coming for him on Sunday with Austin Ekeler coming out of the backfield. The freshly paid running back is one of the best pass-catchers at his position. Pratt should see a lot of him in coverage.
Stat to file away: One of two qualifying off-ball linebackers with a run-stop percentage above 11 percent in 2019. On the flip side, Pratt missed 11.8 percent of his tackles ranking 30th out of 49 qualified linebackers.
For more on the Bengals, including the latest NFL news, go here!
