Revisiting the Cincinnati Bengals

You couldn't blame the Las Vegas Raiders and their fans of they were still basking in the afterglow of their thrilling overtime over the Los Angeles Chargers that catapulted them to the playoffs.

The team will need to prepare well this week, though, as a rematch on the road with the Cincinnati Bengals will take nothing less.

Beating the Raiders soundly in Vegas earlier this season, 32-13, Cincinnati was then able to win the AFC North for the first time since 2015.

Their seventh-ranked scoring offense drove them there, and quarterback Joe Burrow was riding a hot streak until he was rested in the final week of the season.

Burrow finished 2021 with elite numbers, completing over 70 percent of his passes for 4,611 yards and 34 touchdowns.

Running back Joe Mixon had a career-high 1,205 rushing yards, and rookie receiver Ja'Marr Chase has likely locked up the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, finishing with 81 receptions for 1,455 yards, 13 touchdowns and averaging 18 yards per catch.

Defensively, while the Bengals did end up finishing middle in the pack of the NFL in scoring defense and total yards allowed per game, they can still present problems.

Cincinnati holds a top-five ranked rushing defense, and can get after the passer with defensive ends like Trey Hendrickson, who had a career-high 14 sacks this year.

The Bengals are a team that can present a number of match-up problems versus any opponent, but these aren't the same Raiders they played in November.

Even with having to go on the road, the Silver and Black will surely be salivating at the opportunity to repay Cincinnati from that previous loss.

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