3 Weaknesses Bengals Must Expose to Upset the Bills in 2023 NFL Playoffs

The Cincinnati Bengals face a tough task on Sunday in their attempt to get back to the Super Bowl for the second year in a row.

They will travel to Orchard Park to take on the Buffalo Bills in one of the best matchups of the week and a game that nearly took place in last year's playoffs.

The Bengals wound up meeting the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game last season, but the Bills were 13 seconds away from beating Kansas City before an improbable drive to end the game.

Fast-forward a year and these two teams are still the cream of the crop in the AFC. Both survived tough challenges from divisional opponents in the Wild Card Round. The Bills came through a scare against Miami 34-31, while the Bengals faced the Ravens in a classic AFC North matchup and came out on top, 24-17.

The Bills might be the favorites on Sunday, but they are far from invincible. The Bengals proved in last year's playoffs they are capable of pulling off upsets in big spots on their way to the Super Bowl.

Here are three weaknesses they can exploit to pull off another surprise victory on the road this Sunday.

Bills Are Turnover Prone

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Josh Allen has not always protected the football this season.

The Bills are a bit of an anomaly in the turnover department.

Usually, the best teams in the league are the ones that take care of the football. Nothing can kill a drive and swing the momentum of a game quite like an interception or lost fumble, but the Bills turn the ball over more than just about any team in the NFL.

Josh Allen was tied for the second-most interceptions in the league this year with 14. His ability to create outside of structure and make plays on the run are part of what makes him great, but it's also what gets him in trouble at times.

Ball security has been an issue, too. The Bills were second in fumbles lost this season with 13. Again, the quarterback has accounted for many of those. He's fumbled 13 times on the season and they've only recovered five. Devin Singletary has coughed it up three times as well.

The turnover woes reared their ugly head against the Dolphins at the weekend. Allen fumbled three times and threw two interceptions, while Nyheim Hines added another fumble. In total, Buffalo turned it over three times.

The Bengals' defense has been opportunistic this season. It has averaged 1.5 takeaways per game, good for eighth in the league. It will have to be at it again on Sunday to take advantage of the Bills' reckless style.

Cornerback Depth

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Rookie Kaiir Elam will have to step up against the likes of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

If there's a weakness in the Bills' defense, it's the cornerbacks. That's good news for a Bengals team with an elite trio of wide receivers in Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd.

Tre'Davious White has the reputation of an elite CB, but he hasn't necessarily played like it consistently this season. He's ranked 67th among all corners in PFF grade and has only played in six games this year after coming back from an ACL tear.

Even if the 28-year-old is playing up to his ability, it still leaves the Bills with Taron Johnson, Kaiir Elam and Dane Jackson playing large roles in the secondary.

Johnson gave up 65 catches on 100 targets and a passer rating of 100.1 when targeted this season. Elam is a rookie who has allowed a passer rating of 96.3, and Jackson surrendered three touchdowns this season.

The Bengals have a real advantage when it comes to their three receivers going against the Bills' group of corners. If Joe Burrow can connect with them early and often, they have a path to score points against Buffalo.

Rodger Saffold and Spencer Brown

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Spencer Brown has struggled this season.

If the Bengals are going to force Josh Allen into some errors and generate turnovers, it's imperative they get pressure. It isn't hard to identify the two weak links on the Buffalo Bills' offensive line.

At left guard, Rodger Saffold's PFF grade ranks 72nd out of 77 guards this season. He's only conceded two sacks but regularly gives up pressure and has 10 penalties on the season.

Spencer Brown is an even bigger issue at right tackle. Winning on the perimeter is key and he has been unreliable manning the edge.

Per PFF, the 24-year-old allowed seven pressures against the Miami Dolphins, marking the fourth time in 15 starts that he has allowed six or more pressures.

The Bengals have the personnel to exploit those problems. B.J. Hill has been a solid interior pass-rusher all year and is third on the team in pressures. Logan Wilson has also been strong as a blitzer, so running some games on the inside to create one-on-one matchups with Wilson on Saffold would be a creative way to make Allen uneasy in the pocket.

On the outside, Sam Hubbard will be the man primarily responsible for taking advantage of the matchup with Brown, and he has a knack for showing up in playoff games.

The 27-year-old had three sacks during last year's Super Bowl run and, of course, the 98-yard fumble recovery score last week against Baltimore.