Unfortunately, sports are unforgiven, and the truth is the Cincinnati team got matched up with the worst possible team.
To be honest, both the 49ers and Rams were worst-case scenarios, but at least with the 49ers, you can somewhat mitigate Jimmy Garropolo and an offense that is only slightly above average at best.
What makes this matchup so bad for the Bengals? They can't block to save their lives.
On paper it may look like the two teams are very evenly matched. Both offenses averaged an identical 27.1 points a game, and both defenses were within .2 of each other, Rams at 21.9 allowed a game, and Bengals at 22.1. But the key here isn't those raw numbers. The key is the matchups. And the vital information here is that the Bengals allow the third-most sacks per game, while the Rams averaged the third-most sacks a game.
And while that is essentially the only Achilles heel on this Bengals team, when they play teams that don't do well in getting to the Quarterback, they are virtually unstoppable. There's a reason they went to Arrowhead and beat the Chiefs twice in three weeks when no one gave them a chance . . . The Chiefs finished the season 29th in the league in sacks. No pressure on Burrow, then that offense can pick you apart.
