The Bengals were impressive in their preseason opener, but this team has its sights on bigger things come January.
A deep and talented group should take advantage of the Buccaneers, who are still a work in progress behind No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston.
ODDS
A typical preseason line for this game has the home team Buccaneers favored by 2-points against a superior Bengals team. The total surfaced at 40.
QUARTERBACK ROTATION
Andy Dalton and the Bengals’ offense were sharp in last week’s win over the Giants, working less than three minutes while scoring on their only drive. Dalton was 3 of 3 for 31 yards, including a 3-yard touchdown pass. Dalton will get a few more snaps and A.J. McCarron plans to make his NFL debut. McCarron suffered an injury early in camp that sidelined him for last week’s game. He missed the entire preseason last year and didn’t make it to the active roster until late in the season because of a shoulder ailment. Josh Johnson performed well last week going 11 of 21 for 175 yards and will likely get some reps also.
Jameis Winston was resilient in his preseason debut against Minnesota, overcoming some early mistakes to lead a long touchdown drive he capped with an 8-yard run. The No. 1 overall pick played the entire first half and finished 9 for 19 for 131 yards. The majority of his completions came in the second quarter with backups on defense for the Vikings. Bucs coach Lovie Smith plans to play his starters at least a quarter, although Winston could go a little longer to work on a few things. Mike Glennon will get some snaps as the backup after hitting on 9 of 18 last week and Seth Lobato will mop up.
COACHES' MOTIVATION
Smith is looking for continued progress in a number of areas for his Buccaneers, including on defense. That’s why the former Rams defensive coordinator and Bears head coach, has decided to take over play-calling duties from DC Leslie Frazier, a move he had been considering since going 2-14 in his first season in Tampa Bay last year. Tampa Bay’s defense was suspect last season finishing 25th overall while allowing an average of 25.6 points per game. Smith has always been heavily involved with the defense and was forced to devote more time to the offensive coaching staff last season when offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford was put on indefinite medical leave. The Bucs hired offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter for the same job, freeing time for Smith to help on the defensive side of the football.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“I have a lot of confidence inside the white lines. That’s the way I’ve always been. I’ll never change. I believe any successful or great quarterback of all-time, no matter what level you’re playing in, whether it’s high school, college, pro, you have to believe you’re the best once you step inside those white lines.” – Bengals reserve quarterback A.J. McCarron
POSITION BATTLE TO WATCH
Beyond starter George Johnson, all the defensive ends playing against the Bengals are truly fighting for roster spots. We’re likely to see some tackles working at end, but more often four players will be rotating in: veterans Lawrence Sidbury and Larry English, as well as undrafted rookies Ryan Delaire and Jamal Young. Two other ends in the mix – Jacquies Smith and T.J. Fatinikun – will likely be held out of action.
INJURIES
The Buccaneers lost starting right tackle Demar Dotson to a knee injury in last week’s preseason opener, leaving more holes on the Bucs offensive line. Defensive tackle Akeem Spence and safety Chris Conte are both unlikely to play.
Cornerback Darqueze Dennard re-aggravated a groin injury last week against the Giants and is likely out to rehab the injury. Also, defensive tackle Pat Sims injured his thigh in practice this week and was held out for a few days.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Tampa Bay’s reserves fared as well as their starters – if not better – in last week’s loss, meaning the Bucs could have more depth. But there is still a long way to go for this club. The Bucs will be challenged to keep Cincy’s talented pass rush of the quarterback, which could easily force Winston and Co. into bad decisions and turnovers. Young defenders are still progressing with the Tampa 2 defense and the Bengals have enough talent on offense to exploit that.
Cincinnati 28, Tampa Bay 17
BookMaker opened the spread for this Monday game at -2 in favor of the Buccaneers. The NFL odds total surfaced at 40. Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker sportsbook! The game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will start at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, August 24, 2015, at Raymond James Stadium. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
