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NFL Week 11 is here, and it is time to look ahead at the primetime matchups. The Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Chargers game was flexed into the Sunday Night Football slot. The Bengals are desperate for a win, sitting with a record of 4-6, while the Chargers look to continue their three-game win streak.
Throughout this article, we will break down what happened in Week 10 for these two teams and preview this Bengals @ Chargers Sunday Night Football matchup, including our DFS pick for the game.
The Bengals are coming off a devastating 35-34 loss to their Divisional rival Baltimore Ravens on Thursday Night Football. The Bengals had a chance to take the lead and win the game with a two-point conversion, but they fell short, moving to 4-6 on the season. Falling to 4-6 at this point in the year does not bode well for their playoff chances, and it doesn’t get easier taking on the Chargers on the road.
Let me tell you, the Bengals did not lose this game because of their quarterback play. Joe Burrow went 34-56 for 428 yards and four touchdowns. He hooked up with his guy, WR Ja’Marr Chase, for three touchdowns. Chase had a monster performance, catching 11 of his 17 targets for 264 yards. The running game slowed against the Ravens, as Chase Brown got 13 carries for 42 yards. Brown did add in nine catches for 52 yards through the air.
The offense was not the problem in that Thursday Night Football matchup. It was the defense that struggled, allowing almost 400 yards of offense. That has been the story of the Bengals season. The Bengals have allowed the 8th most yards through the air and 11th most rushing yards in the NFL. If the Bengals want to make an extended run into the playoffs, they have to get the defensive side of the ball figured out.
The Chargers took care of business in Week 10 against a bad Tennessee Titans football team 27-17. The final score makes things look closer than it was, as Calvin Ridley caught a touchdown pass from Will Levis late in the fourth quarter.
The Chargers played their brand of football in this one. Justin Herbert only dropped back to pass 18 times, completing 14 of them for 164 yards and a touchdown through the air. He also carried the ball nine times for 32 yards and found the end zone.
The Chargers teams as a whole ran the ball down the Titans’ throat. Gus Edwards is now healthy and he came back to lead the backfield in yards with 55 on 10 carries. J.K. Dobbins still saw 15 carries for 50 yards. That is exactly how Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers want to play. They want to control the clock by running the football while not making any mistakes and playing good defense. That is exactly what the Chargers have done during this three-game win streak.
This matchup is a clash featuring two teams who are opposites, which is what makes this game so intriguing. The Bengals can not afford to lose this one and fall to 4-7. They are going to throw everything at the Chargers and see if they can handle it.
With how good this defense is playing for the Chargers and how great this offense has played for the Bengals, something has to give in this one. I tend to lean on the side that the Chargers defense is going to break. The connection between Ja’Marr Chase and Joe Burrow will be too much for the Chargers.
With that said, I expect Joe Burrow to keep cooking. He has thrown for at least two touchdowns in three of his past five games, including nine in his last two. Our Bengals @ Chargers pick is on Joe Burrow to throw for 2+ touchdowns against LA’s defense.
Dylan has had a love for sports since he was a kid. Four years ago, he decided to dive into the sports content-creating industry specializing in Fantasy Football, NFL and NBA. He has since had his work published on sites that include Fantasy Alarm, Fansided, and Fantasy Six Pack.