Cincinnati Bengals vs. Oakland Raiders: Full Oakland Game Preview
The Oakland Raiders face a Week 1 opponent capable of exposing a glaring weakness that general manager Reggie McKenzie decided not to conceal.
The Raiders played through the preseason and showed signs of improvement on both sides of the ball. However, the mediocre play of the cornerbacks somewhat tainted an improved defense.
Head coach Jack Del Rio and McKenzie hold onto their faith in the secondary in hopes their young group of cornerbacks shift into a higher gear when the games count.
In the big picture, the storylines surrounding this contest add context and anticipation to the matchup.
The Cincinnati Bengals travel to Oakland as a playoff hopeful with explosive weapons on the perimeter as well as the backfield.
Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson returns to Oakland for the first time since McKenzie fired him as the head coach at the end of the 2011 season.
The games finally count. It’s time to throw away the vanilla offensive schemes and sit the backups as teams contend for a trip to Santa Clara, California, to hoist the Lombardi Trophy at Super Bowl 50.
Location: O.co Coliseum; Oakland, California
Date: Sunday, Sept. 13
Time: 1:25 p.m. PT / 4:25 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Preseason Results and Recap
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| AFC West Standings (Preseason) | ||
| Team | Wins | Losses |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 4 | 0 |
| Denver Broncos | 3 | 1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 2 | 2 |
| Oakland Raiders | 1 | 3 |
All four AFC West teams can erase the standings. The Raiders dropped their last three preseason games; however, the development of defensive tackle Denico Autry, wide receiver Seth Roberts and defensive end Mario Edwards should pay dividends going forward.
The scoreboard and the win-loss column rarely serve as an outlook for the regular season. The Raiders should shed the image of a cupcake team on this year's schedule with talent on the roster.
Will Del Rio elevate this franchise from the cellar of the AFC West division?
News and Notes
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Immediate Pressure on Cornerbacks
The showdown between the Bengals' top three receivers and the Raiders trio of cornerbacks jumps out immediately.
It’s a tough initial test for the young, inexperienced group.
On Sirius XM NFL Radio, (h/t RaidersbBeat.com) Del Rio acknowledged the pressure on his cornerbacks. “The big key for us is going to be how our back end does,” he said.
As a household name, wide receiver A.J. Green poses an obvious threat. In 2014, Mohamed Sanu made strides as the No. 2 wide receiver with 56 catches for 790 yards and five touchdowns, all career highs.
Green’s former running mate at wide receiver, Marvin Jones, returns to the field after missing the entire 2014 season with an ankle injury. In 2013, he recorded 51 catches for 712 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Hue Jackson Returns to Oakland
The players deserve the headlines on Sunday as the performers, but it’s hard to ignore the storyline surrounding Jackson’s return to Oakland.
According to ESPN.com’s Coley Harvey, leaving Oakland was a hard pill to swallow for Jackson: “Jackson said it took at least a year for him to get over the firing, which came less than three months after the man who hired him, longtime Raiders owner Al Davis, died.”
The Raiders turned the page on Jackson’s tenure when McKenzie stepped in, and like any other general manager, he hired a new staff.
Oakland went 8-8 in back-to-back seasons, one with Jackson as the offensive coordinator and then as head coach. Still, it didn’t save his job. Dennis Allen would take over for a little more than two seasons, accumulating 11 total wins in 36 games.
On Sunday, Jackson may receive a warm welcome as the last coach to push the Raiders to relevance, but it won’t temper his competitive spirit. He’s pulling the strings behind an explosive Bengals offense, which puts the Raiders cornerbacks on high notice.
Clive Walford on the Mend
According to ESPN.com's Bill Williamson, Del Rio revealed that rookie tight end Clive Walford is practicing well but still isn't quite ready to contribute on a major scale.
Walford dealt with a hamstring and knee injury in the offseason, which hindered his chances of claiming a spot in the starting lineup.
The former Miami standout likely suits up to play in Week 1 with very little action behind Mychal Rivera and Lee Smith.
Latest Injury News
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| Oakland Raiders Injury Report | |||
| Player | Position | Injury | Practice |
| Andre Holmes | WR | Hand | FP |
| Benson Mayowa | DE | Knee | DNP |
| Justin Tuck | DE | Calf | FP |
| Clive Walford | TE | Knee | FP |
*DNP = Did not practice *Limited = Limited participation in practice *FP = Full participation in practice | |||
The Raiders enter the season relatively healthy. Three of the four players listed on the injury report fully practiced on Wednesday.
According to CSNBayArea.com reporter Scott Bair, defensive end Benson Mayowa experienced knee soreness after the preseason finale. He missed practice on Wednesday and could miss Sunday’s game.
In Mayowa’s absence, Ray-Ray Armstrong likely takes over at the strong-side linebacker position.
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Key Matchups
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Khalil Mack vs. Andre Smith Jr.
The Raiders finally get to witness defensive end Khalil Mack wreak havoc on an offensive lineman for an entire game.
Mack flashed as a prominent pass-rusher during the preseason. He will line up against right tackle Andre Smith Jr., who missed seven games in 2014.
Smith struggled in the trenches when healthy. He committed seven penalties and allowed four sacks in nine games last season.
The seventh-year tackle only took 36 snaps in the preseason, and he’s tasked with containing a potential sack leader right out of the gate. The Bengals will likely shift a tight end over to slow Mack if he dominates their veteran tackle.
The added attention to Mack should also create opportunities to pressure gaps between the guards with a strong duo in Justin Ellis and Dan Williams at defensive tackle.
Keith McGill vs. Marvin Jones
There’s no doubt Green’s presence makes Jones a bigger threat, especially down the field. Typically, Green commands safety help over the top, which allows other receivers to take advantage of single coverage.
Jones posed as a viable deep threat before an ankle injury derailed his 2014 season. According to Pro Football Focus, he caught all eight catchable passes from quarterback Andy Dalton and converted four of them into touchdowns.
Cornerback Keith McGill allowed a 63-yard touchdown pass in the preseason finale that could make Raider Nation nervous as he lines up against Jones in the slot.
Green isn’t the only deep threat capable of hurting the Raiders secondary. McGill’s clunky movements 20 yards beyond the line of scrimmage could cost the defense a few yards, if Dalton looks in Jones' direction.
McGill must find a way to physically disrupt the receiver’s route and prevent him from streaking five yards past his reach.
Matchup X-Factors
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Raiders X-Factor of the Week: Austin Howard
Right tackle Austin Howard starts his first game at his natural position since the 2013 season with the New York Jets.
He spent the 2014 season at right guard thanks to former offensive line and interim coach Tony Sparano. Del Rio made an early decision to move Howard back to tackle, per San Francisco Chronicle writer Vic Tafur.
However, Menelik Watson showed promise in the offseason and put a firm grip on the starting position. Unfortunately, he ruptured his Achilles in Week 3 against the Arizona Cardinals, which ended his third season before it started.
Howard led all tackles in snaps (116) during the preseason. Del Rio described him as "a pro" capable picking up where Watson left off.
Bengals defensive end Michael Johnson returns to Cincinnati after spending one season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2014.
He recorded 26.5 sacks in a Bengals uniform prior to his departure. He'll provide a slight boost to the pass rush; Howard must neutralize the added pressure on the perimeter.
Howard must protect quarterback Derek Carr’s right side to allow him enough time to find his receivers down the field. The Raiders have the personnel on the outside to spread the Bengals defense, but the plan starts with adequate time in the pocket.
Prediction: Bengals 31, Raiders 20
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Oakland will struggle to contain the plethora of offensive weapons on the Bengals roster.
The Raiders have talented offensive skill players as well, but they’re unproven. Yes, wide receivers Amari Cooper and Seth Roberts, running back Latavius Murray and quarterback Derek Carr create excitement for the upcoming season, but collectively they’re an untried group of talents.
For the Bengals, Green steps on the field as a four-time Pro Bowl receiver, lining up against a group of cornerbacks who are susceptible to the deep ball. Running backs Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard challenge linebackers as receivers out of the backfield. They recorded a combined total of 70 catches for 564 yards in 2014.
Oakland doesn’t have a proven short-distance defender in coverage on the strong side. Mayowa could potentially miss Sunday’s game, and Armstrong struggled in coverage throughout the preseason, per Pro Football Focus. Mack could drop into coverage on a consistent basis, but he’s a major part of the pass rush.
The Bengals put up points, which will pressure the Raiders to keep pace. Carr is learning a new offense and getting familiar with a new set of offensive skill players especially in the red zone. Raiders fans will see glimpses of brilliance but not enough for the win.
Prediction: Bengals 31, Raiders 20
Follow Maurice Moton on Twitter for news, updates and intriguing discussion about the Oakland Raiders.
All statistics are provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com and Pro Football Focus unless otherwise noted. Raiders' injury report provided by Raiders.com. Preseason game statistics provided by NFL.com.
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