Memories of that first season now serve as a stark reminder of the cohesion the team has built over the past five years, Taylor said. That will be put to the test Sunday as the Bengals seek to put together their first win streak of the season with a chance to go into a bye at 3-3.
Here are five things to know about today’s game:
1. Chase vs. Witherspoon hype
Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf offered some praise for Ja’Marr Chase this week but his comment that he thinks cornerback Devon Witherspoon will “get the best of him” created some buzz around that likely matchup.
Chase is coming off an AFC Offensive Player of the Week performance in which he caught a team-record 15 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-20 win at Arizona. Witherspoon was the NFC Defensive Player of the Week following Seattle’s last game, a 24-3 win against the Giants in which he had two sacks and returned an interception 97 yards for a touchdown.
Witherspoon normally plays left cornerback but slid into the slot at times vs. the Giants, so he could match up with the versatile Chase in various roles.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is feeling as close to 100 percent as he’s been since injuring his calf July 27 and tweaking a different part of the calf in Week 2, so that should bode well for Chase getting continued opportunities.
2. Weather could be a factor
Conditions could be windy Sunday, as weather forecasts show predictions for gusts up to 20 miles per hour. That could impact both passing games and special teams, where punter Brad Robbins and kicker Evan McPherson will need to be aware.
The Bengals already face the challenge of a good Seahawks run defense. Seattle allows just 87.5 rushing yards per game (ranked sixth best in the NFL), and Cincinnati is second to last in rushing offense with just 74.6 rushing yards per game. Joe Mixon rushed for a season high of 81 yards last week at Arizona and Burrow said he is “running the ball hard like he always does.”
The Seahawks defense is led by linebacker Bobby Wagner, who has two sacks, 50 tackles, three tackles for loss and two quarterback hits. Taylor called him “instinctive, incredibly smart” and someone who anticipates calls and has a “great understanding of runs, tendencies and tells.”
Seattle has run for 108.5 yards per game (17th) and Cincinnati’s run defense has struggled while surrendering 154.0 rushing yards per game (31st).
3. Geno Smith’s resurgence
The 2013 second-round draft pick lost his starting job with the New York Jets in 2015 and played just 15 games as a backup for the Jets and Seahawks between then and 2022, when he won the starting job in Seattle over Drew Lock.
Smith ended up being the AP Comeback Player of the Year last season and made the Pro Bowl, and now he’s leading the Seahawks through a 3-1 start.
Cincinnati’s defense made strides last week at Arizona, where three takeaways played a big role, and the Seahawks offense can’t be overlooked just because of Smith’s inconsistencies in the now distant past.
“I just see a really talented veteran,” Taylor said. “A guy that plays with a lot of poise. Does a great job leading his team. Does a good job creating. Puts the ball where it needs to be put. Understands the defenses he’s attacking. I don’t even remember who he played with in New York: Who the coach was, what the scheme was, you never know. For young players that come into the league, you just never know what the situation is. Maybe this is always what it was, but he’s really impressive and I’ve thought that just watching him over the last couple years. Really thought that even more so this week just watching the tape.”
4. Looking at trends
The Bengals face a Seattle team that has done well when coming to the Eastern Time Zone and will be coming off a bye feeling fresh. Historically, Cincinnati has not done so well against teams in that situation, as pointed out by ProFootballNetwork.com.
Under Taylor, the Bengals have played just one opponent the week after that team’s bye – the Giants beat the Bengals 19-17 the week after their bye in 2020 – but before Taylor’s arrival in 2019, teams coming off their bye week had won four in a row against the Bengals and 16 of the last 19.
Seattle is 15-1 in their last 16 games playing at 1 p.m. in the Eastern Time Zone, according to stats on Pro Football Reference – dating back to an overtime loss in Cincinnati in 2015. However, under Pete Carroll, the Seahawks are 7-6 the week after their bye and they have lost the post-bye game in each of the last three seasons.
5. Injuries of note
Tee Higgins is trending toward being available Sunday, though he is listed as questionable on the injury report because of his fractured rib. He said Thursday he was “getting ready to go” and was a full participant in practice Friday. However, Chidobe Awuzie (back) was still limited all week and remains questionable, and defensive tackle Josh Tupou popped up as a non-participant in practice Friday because of a toe injury that has him questionable. Linebacker Devin Harper (hamstring) practiced in full Friday and also is still listed as questionable, and fellow linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither remains out with a knee injury.
The bye week seems to have helped Seattle, which entered the week with a long list of players on the injury report, which eventually whittled down to backup cornerbacks Coby Bryant (toe) and Artie Burns (hamstring) being out, guard Phil Haynes (calf) and Lock (ankle) being questionable and guard Damien Lewis (ankle) doubtful.
Seattle gets starting left tackle Charles Cross back in the lineup following a three-game absence due to a sprained toe, and cornerback Jamal Adams went from being limited Wednesday coming back from a concussion to not even being on the injury report Thursday, so he is good to go as well.
SUNDAY’S GAME
Seahawks at Bengals, 1 p.m., CBS, 700, 1530, 102.7, 104.7
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