The Bengals are heading into Week 1 with the kind of setup that can turn a star receiver into a problem nobody wants to solve.
Cincinnati opens the season Sunday in Florida against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and all eyes will naturally drift to Ja’Marr Chase. The 2024 Triple Crown winner has the kind of firepower that can tilt a game on its own, and with Joe Burrow healthy again, the Bengals are looking to avoid another one of those slow starts that have followed them around in the Zac Taylor era.
Tampa Bay, meanwhile, enters the opener with a secondary that still looks vulnerable. Last season, the Buccaneers gave up the sixth-most passing yards in the league and finished with the seventh-highest completion percentage allowed.
Todd Bowles tried to patch things up in the offseason by bringing in veterans Alex Anzalone and A’Shawn Robinson, and he also used a first-round pick on pass rusher Rueben Bain Jr. But the cornerback group remains largely the same, and that’s where the trouble starts.
Bowles has already tabbed Zyon McCollum as the No. 1 outside corner, which means Chase is likely to see plenty of him on Sunday. That could be exactly the kind of matchup Cincinnati wants.
McCollum and Jacob Parrish were both serviceable in spots last year, but neither stood out as a true shutdown option. And the numbers suggest the Bucs may have pointed Chase toward the easier path.
McCollum allowed eight explosive receptions last season, one more than Parrish, and he also gave up a higher touchdown rate, a higher catch rate, and fewer pass breakups. Parrish, by comparison, looks like the tougher assignment.
That setup matters because Chase thrives on explosive plays. If McCollum spends most of the day across from him while Tee Higgins draws Parrish, the Bengals could have the more favorable matchup exactly where they want it.
It may be the kind of roster call Tampa Bay ends up revisiting quickly. But if that happens after Week 1, Cincinnati will already have had its chance to take advantage.
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For Cincinnati, that kind of early buy-in matters as much as any play on the field. In his first interview as a captain, Cook talked about his commitment to leading and being a dependable presence on defense, a notable development for a newcomer still learning the ropes in a new locker room. If the Bengals were looking for a player who could bring both experience and authority to a changing unit, Cook appears to be wasting no time making his case. [Read more 🡒]