The Chargers are traveling to take on the Bengals this Sunday for the 2020 season opener.
Cincinnati is coming off a year that resulted in finishing with the worst record in the NFL. But after a handful of additions, they’re eager to turn things around.
With that being said, there are a few notable players that Los Angeles will really have to make sure they’re game planned for in order to come out victorious.
Here are four players on the Bengals that the Bolts should hone in on:
RB Joe Mixon
On the offensive side of the ball, all eyes will be on rookie Joe Burrow, who takes over under center. But like any first-year player, Burrow will likely experience some rough patches. That is why he will have a security blanket, with that being Mixon.
Mixon rushed for 1,136 yards and five touchdowns last season, his second straight season with more than 1,000 rushing yards. He is one of four running backs in the NFL with at least 1,400 yards from scrimmage in each of the past two seasons.
Last season, the Chargers allowed 112.8 yards per game, which ranked No. 18 in the league. The team added some players this offseason, which include Linval Joseph, Kenneth Murray and Chris Harris Jr. to aide in the department, but they will be without star safety Derwin James.
Look for Cincinnati to use Mixon to test Los Angeles’ front seven early and often.
DT D.J. Reader
Arguably the Bengals’ best defensive player, Geno Atkins, should be slotted here. But the team could possibly be without Atkins, who is dealing with a shoulder injury, this weekend. However, that means one of Cincinnati’s biggest offseason pickups will see a good amount of playing time.
Reader, the highest-paid nose tackle, is looking to shore up the Bengals’ run defense. He made a statement in training camp, appearing to be nearly unblockable. Reader is down 30 pounds, and will likely be used as a 1-3-technique.
The Chargers will have some help with the new addition of Trai Turner. But the rest of the interior part of the offensive line needs to be on their A-game, especially if Mike Pouncey is unable to play this weekend, if they wish to keep the revamped offense flowing.
QB Joe Burrow
I mentioned earlier in this article that Burrow could experience some rough patches, but even though he is a rookie, he is not to be taken lightly.
The No. 1 overall pick is coming off a historic season with LSU. Burrow completed 76.3 percent of his passes for 5,671 yards and 60 touchdowns in 2019 against stout SEC defenses and also added 368 yards rushing and five scores on the ground.
He will have a few weapons at his disposal, including A.J. Green, who will be playing his first game since December of 2018.
The Chargers defense, which finished No. 6 in the league last year, needs to be stingy. It all starts up front with taking advantage of a largely unchanged offensive line that gave up 48 sacks last season, and the secondary needs to do their job of keeping everything in front of them.
S Von Bell
Like Reader, Bell was another player that the Bengals made this offseason. He is another defender that won’t make life easy on quarterback Tyrod Taylor’s debut as a Charger.
Bell will be lined up at strong safety, where he will be looking to slow the run-heavy approach. Pro Football Focus had his run defense grade at 89.6 last year. Along with that, he will be bringing some pressure, as he has 11 sacks in his career.
Bell’s partner-in-crime, free safety Jessie Bates, will be roaming in the deep parts of the field, looking to disrupt anything when Taylor takes deep shots down the field.
