W2L4: How Bengals Overcome Demons And Send 49ers Packing

49ers (6-6) at Bengals (7-5) at Paul Brown Stadium, 4:25 p.m. ET, TV: WKRC Ch. 12 (CBS) Radio: WEBN-FM (102.7 FM), 700WLW, ESPN1530

CINCINNATI – History is a funny thing, especially when looking for perspective.

The Bengals have a short-term history that is not great with their opponent this week and a long-term history that is soul-crushing.

In Zac Taylor’s second game as head coach of the Bengals in 2019, and his first home game at Paul Brown Stadium, Jimmy Garoppolo came to town and handed off the ball 38 times and stood in the pocket as Matt Breida and Raheem Mostert ran roughshod over an overwhelmed Bengals defense for 259 yards in a 41-17 win.

The longer-term history? Well, we don’t have to get into the details too much as any Bengal fan knows. Three of the most heart-breaking losses in Bengals history occurred at the hands of Bill Walsh’s 49er dynasty.

The Bengals lost Super Bowl XVI when the 49ers executed the most famous goal line stand in game’s history to that point, holding out Charles Alexander (Dan Bunz) and Pete Johnson en route to a 26-21 win. The Bengals turned the ball over four times that freezing day in Pontiac, Michigan, all in the first half as the Bengals fell behind 20-0.

That’s something that’s plagued this year’s bunch. The Bengals are minus-2 in the turnover battle. Last week, they committed four more, despite forcing three in a frantic comeback. And it’s not just that they committed the four, three of them came in pivotal situations. Ja’Marr Chase’s fumble-pick cost him an easy breakaway touchdown. Joe Mixon’s fumble-6 came without a defender laying a hand on him. And the final Burrow interception came on a forced red area pass into coverage in the end zone, choking out the last gasp of a comeback.

“The turnovers are definitely an issue because that’s how you lose games,” Tyler Boyd said. “It doesn’t seem as bad when you’ve got a defense making up for those turnovers. We went minus-1 at the end of the day in the turnover battle, which you still have to be over to win games because any given Sunday you can lose.

“At the end of the day, everything plays a part because if you don’t execute certain plays and you can’t convert on third downs, you’re still losing. It’s kind of turnover-ish, but not really. All guys have got to be collective. We all have to play our part. We all have to go out there and make plays when our number is called.”

In Super Bowl XXIII, Joe Montana took his eyes off John Candy long enough to find John Taylor in the end zone between two Bengals and came away with a 20-16 win.

In the second game of 1987, who can forget the Bengals failing to run out the clock and leaving :02 left for Joe Montana to find Jerry Rice in the end zone over Eric Thomas for the 27-26 win at Riverfront.

History has not been kind to the Bengals in this rivalry, dominated by San Francisco, 12-4, including the two Super Bowl wins.

The Bengals desperately need to flip the script Sunday.

Here’s what to look for:

When the Bengals have the ball:

Joe Burrow: Will the pinky hold up? He threw in practice on Thursday and threw sharply in red area drills Friday, completing passes to Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins over the middle. The bigger issue actually could come on hand-offs, making sure he’s delivering the ball properly to Joe Mixon, Samaje Perine and possibly Trayveon Williams.

Ball security: The Bengals at minus-2 in the turnover battle this season need to take care of the ball against a 49ers defense that is forcing an NFL-high 18 fumbles this season.

Offensive line: Should be back to normal with Trey Hopkins and Riley Reiff practicing this week, and not a moment too soon. Last week was… not good. Burrow was sacked a season-high six times, including the Uchenna Owosu strip-sack on the first series that dislocated the most-talked about digit in town. Trey Hill and Isaiah Prince did their best but were roughed up in their starting debuts. The offensive line needs to be better coming down the stretch. They certainly showed glimpses against Raiders in the second half and against the Steelers. But fell backwards against the Chargers.

Another Bosa: Nick Bosa comes to town with a career-high 12.0 sacks in tow this season, for 102.0 sack yards, most in the NFL this season.

When the 49ers have the ball:

George Kittle: Vonn Bell takes great pride in tackling, as the Bengals safety confirmed this week. Well, that will be put to the ultimate test against a tight end coming off a performance against Seattle in which he caught nine passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns. As much as running backs are a feature in the Kyle Shanahan offense, Kittle is the lynchpin of the West Coast-outside zone offense that Shanahan runs.

Jimmy Garoppolo: The 49ers quarterback was highly efficient in his 2019 appearance at PBS, completing 17-of-25 passes for 296 yards and three touchdowns, thanks in large part to the San Francisco’s ability to run the ball at will against Cincinnati’s front. The Bengals didn’t have Trey Hendrickson or Mike Hilton that day. Those two could have big days getting to Garoppolo if the 49ers are forced to pass more.

First down: San Francisco is averaging 6.31 yds. per play on first down this season, ranking tops in the NFC and second in the NFL (LV – 6.38).

Deebo Samuel: For a team that has had some issues containing explosives of late, the Bengals better keep their eyes on the 49ers’ top receiver. He’s third in the NFL in average yards per reception (17.96) and seventh in the league among receivers with 9.46 yards after catch.

When the Bengals kick:

Evan McPherson missed just his second extra point last week after the disaster of deciding what to do for a two-point conversion. Still, McPherson has converted 35-of-37 and that’s good for a tie for third in the NFL. He’s 18-for-21 on field goals, with a 48-yard made field goal last week.

When the Bengals punt:

Kevin Huber remains middle of the pack in net yards average on his punts at 41.2 yards, ranking 17th in the NFL, and punts inside the 20, with 17, tied for 15th in the league.

When the 49ers kick:

In Robbie Gould, the 49ers have one of the most proven kickers in the last two decades. He’s 26-of-27 on extra points and 11-of-13 on field goals. Gould ranks seventh in NFL history in FG pct. (69.4%) on FGAs of 50-or-more yds. (min. 20 FGM). He is also one of 11 kickers in NFL history with at least 400 FGM. His 88.0% made field goal percentage is the highest in 49ers history (min. 100 atts.).

When the 49ers punt:

Mitch Wishnowsky has one of the more powerful legs in the NFL. He ranks fifth in net average with a 43.1 average.

Bottom Line:

The Bengals have handled power run games very well this season with notable exception against Cleveland on Nov. 7, when Nick Chubb broke a 70-yard touchdown run as part of a 137-yard day on 14 carries. Elijiah Mitchell is not Nick Chubb and should not threaten the Bengals the way Chubb did. The biggest concern is covering George Kittle, who is right there with Travis Kelce and Rob Gronkowski as the best tight ends in the game. Get out in front and don’t play from behind. The Bengals are a far-advanced group and superior roster from the team that lost, 41-17, in Zac Taylor’s second game as head coach. This contest should be much different. The Bengals win a game they have to have going into their four-game homestretch that will determine their playoff fate.

Bengals 28, 49ers 24