Today’s game
Denver Broncos (2-0) at Cincinnati Bengals (1-1)
1 p.m.
TV: Ch. 7, 12
Radio: 1530-AM, 102.7-FM, 104.7-FM
It wasn’t that long ago when the Cincinnati Bengals went to Denver on a Monday night in December and carved up a vaunted Broncos defense with touchdown drives of 80 and 90 yards to start the game, only to have the hosts rally for a 20-17 victory in overtime on their run to a Super Bowl championship.
But even though the Bengals have only played four games since then, much has changed, especially at quarterback.
Neither Cincinnati starter Andy Dalton nor Denver’s Trevor Siemian played in that Week 16 game last — it was AJ McCarron vs. Brock Osweiler — so Sunday’s game at Paul Brown Stadium could have a completely different look and feel.
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Here are six things to watch when in the Bengals home opener against the defending champions:
Starting the run, stopping the run
There has been a lot of talk this week about the Bengals' struggles in the running game, and for good reason. If the Bengals can't average more than 3.0 yards per carry, something they've failed to do in the first two games, they are going to have a hard team beating the defending Super Bowl champions.
But equally as important will be stopping the Denver running game, which ranks fourth in the league at 141 yards per game. That number is even more impressive given the fact the Broncos have an inexperienced quarterback in Trevor Siemian.
“They just have a good system, a good line, a good backs, understanding how the running tracks,” Bengals defensive coordinator Paul Guenther said. “It’s Gary Kubiak’s offense. It’s a good zone running game.
“He’s got a system he runs that’s very effective,” Guenther added. “We played him in Baltimore, we played (the Broncos) last year. All those games were real close, and I expect nothing different this weekend.”
It was a C.J. Anderson 39-yard touchdown run that vaulted the Broncos to the win last year.
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Ogbuehi vs. Miller
Denver linebacker Von Miller and Bengals right tackle Cedric Ogbuehi met at Texas A&M when the former was a senior and the latter a freshman.
“I love him to death, and I feel like he’s kind of the little brother,” Miller said. “I taught him everything I know pass-rush wise. I coached him up.”
Miller obviously has learned a lot more since leaving A&M and becoming a four-time Pro Bowler and the reigning Super Bowl MVP, so Ogbuehi figures to have his hands full while making his third career start.
It will be interesting to see how much help the Bengals give Ogbuehi, either with a tight end, a chipping running back or possibly a sixth offensive lineman.
Miller has nine sacks in his last four games, so he has to be the focal point of the Bengals offensive gameplan.
“Every week there are great players, but he’s probably the best player right now,” Ogbuehi said. “So it’s a little different because he’s the best player. It’s exciting for me. It’s a great test to see where I’m at and I’m excited for it.”
Red alert
Both the Cincinnati and Denver offenses have struggled in the red zone through the first two weeks of the season, ranking 30th and 26th, respectively, in touchdown percentage inside the 20.
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It would be a big lift for the Bengals if Tyler Eifert, who caught 11 of his 13 touchdown passes a year ago in the red zone, is active and plays limited snaps as part of a red-zone package. But the Pro Bowl tight end is listed as doubtful after returning to practice this week on a limited basis, which means he likely will be one of the seven players on the inactive list.
Unlike the Broncos, who saw a red-zone possession end with a Trevor Siemian interception last week, the Bengals have produced points on all six of their trips inside the 20. But five field goals and one touchdown is not the kind of ratio that is going to win many games, especially against the defending Super Bowl champions.
Ditching disappointment
Cornerback Darqueze Dennard will have another big challenge with Denver wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders likely to spend a lot of time across from him in the slot one week after Dennard gave up a pair of deep balls to Sammie Coates covering 44 and 53 yards, both of which led to Pittsburgh touchdowns.
“I didn’t play up to the level that I’m capable of and I made my teammate’s carry more weight,” Dennard said. “If I don’t let them get those deep balls, it’s a different game.”
Dennard, who was playing his first game since suffering a season-ending shoulder injury last November, refused to use rust as an excuse, but defensive coordinator Paul Guenther did give him the benefit of the doubt and said the performance didn’t shake his confidence in the 2014 first-round pick.
“I’ve got all the faith in the world in him,” Guenther said. “I mean it was his first real game. He’s just starting to get his sea legs under him a little bit. He was just a little bit slow out of his pedal in the beginning. He understands it. It’s part of being a professional. You’re going to make some mistakes, you learn from it and you move on and get better for it.”
Special teams spark
Mike Nugent is 6 of 7 on field goal attempts, including a game-winning 47-yarder in the opener and a perfectly executed scramble drill at the end of the first half in that game, but other than that there haven’t been any splash plays on special teams.
The Bengals are averaging just 8 yards on seven punt returns through the first two games and 16.7 yards on three kick returns. And they are allowing 33.0 yards on kick returns, which ranks last in the league.
“We have to make some things happen,” Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said. “We didn’t affect the game positively in special teams (Sunday in Pittsburgh), and in a close football game like that, we have to take that opportunity.”
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Latimer homecoming
Dayton native Cody Latimer will play his first game in southwest Ohio as a pro. The 2014 second-round pick out of Indiana hasn’t seen much action at wide receiver, but he’s a special teams captain for the Broncos and owns three of the team’s five tackles on punt returns this season.
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