Cincinnati Bengals vs. Oakland Raiders: What's the Game Plan for Oakland?

Let’s take a look inside the Oakland Raiders film room. What is defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. preaching to his defense? How should offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave attack the Cincinnati Bengals defense?

Much excitement surrounds Khalil Mack's new role as an edge-rusher. Now, he has a talented playmate. News swept across social media about Aldon Smith’s signing, reported by Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole:

"

Former #49ers LB Aldon Smith has signed a 1-yr deal with #Raiders

— Jason Cole (@JasonColeBR) September 11, 2015"

Smith is available to play and impressed the Raiders coaching staff during practice, creating the strong possibility he takes the field against the Bengals, per ESPN’s Ed Werder:

"

Source says Aldon Smith practiced with #Raiders, impressed coaching staff and currently plan having him Week 1 unless #NFL prevents

— Ed Werder (@Edwerderespn) September 11, 2015"

Cincinnati has talent on the defensive side of the ball as well. The Bengals secondary ranks as one of the most talented across the league, with five first-round picks: cornerbacks Adam Jones, Dre Kirkpatrick, Leon Hall, Darqueze Dennard and safety Reggie Nelson.

Initially, this game projected as a potential shootout, but the stronger defense from top to bottom likely wins this Week 1 contest.

Raiders Rushing Attack vs. Bengals Defensive Line

Quarterback Derek Carr continues to acclimate himself with a new set of receivers and a brand new system. A heavy dose of the rushing attack should aid in establishing some rhythm offensively.

Why?

The Bengals run defense doesn’t match the talent of their pass defense.

Week	Opponent	Rushing Yards Allowed	Result
3	Tennessee Titans	143	Win
5	New Englad Patriots	220	Loss
6	Carolina Panthers	147	Tie
7	Indianapolis Colts	171	Loss
8	Baltimore Ravens	107	Win
9	Jacksonville Jaguars	132	Win
10	Cleveland Browns	170	Loss
14	Pittsburgh Steelers	193	Loss
Playoffs	Indianapolis Colts	114	Loss

In 2014, the Bengals allowed 100-plus rushing yards in eight regular-season games and one playoff game. The defense couldn’t seal the interior, which led to big gains right up the middle throughout the season.

Handing the ball off on Sunday doesn’t show Carr has a reluctance to use his new weapons. Instead, the strategy sets up potential play-action throws later in the game and exploits a weakness several teams took advantage of last year.

Key Player: Latavius Murray

When given an opportunity, running back Latavius Murray puts on displays of finesse and speed with a bit of strength to hit the lanes with velocity. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry in the previous season but only finished two games with 20-plus carries.

Murray should receive 20-25 carries against Cincinnati. In 2014, Domata Peko ranked as one of the worst defensive tackles against the run in the league, per Pro Football Focus. Geno Atkins, who lines up next to Peko, ranked 31st among defensive tackles in run support last season.

Key Player: Taiwan Jones

Taiwan Jones, the speedster in the backfield, should get five to 10 carries as a burst of lightning through the middle. Jones has a smaller frame compared to Murray, but he’s capable of breaking off a long run behind solid blocking.

Jones claimed the primary backup position after the preseason. According to NBC Bay Area’s Doug Williams, Musgrave spent time in his creative lab devising plans to utilize Jones’ speed in select situations.

Andre Smith Jr. vs. the Raiders Pass-Rushers

Bengals right tackle Andre Smith Jr. returns to regular-season action after tearing his triceps last year, as reported by ESPN’s Coley Harvey. Smith struggled prior to his injury, allowing four sacks and committing seven penalties in nine games.

Andrew Whitworth protects quarterback Andy Dalton’s blind side. Pro Football Focus graded Whitworth as the best tackle in the league.

The Raiders must single out the weaker link en route to the quarterback, and they have a pair of pass-rushers who could make Smith’s day one to forget.

Key Player: Khalil Mack

Mack starts the season on a mission, and it’s crystal clear: seek out the quarterback and drop him immediately.

He embarrassed a pair of Arizona Cardinals offensive tackles during the preseason with his ability to play on both sides of the defensive line as an edge-rusher. Twitter user Eric Elizondo provided a short sample of Mack’s speed and power:

"

Khalil Mack embarrassed 79. Real bad. https://t.co/Qk1rcOL0Wt

— Eric Elizondo (@EricElizondo8) September 2, 2015"

Mack made that look easy. He’ll face a tougher challenge in beating Whitworth, but a switcheroo with a new teammate could place Mack in a favorable matchup with Smith.

Key Player: Aldon Smith

The Raiders signed a player who nearly averages a sack per game in Smith. He's amassed 44 sacks in 50 games, but only started 30 of those games. Whether Smith starts doesn’t matter. If he’s on the field, the Bengals must add extra security for Dalton.

Why is Smith one of the best pass-rushers in the league? It’s his first step, power and relentless motor.

Credit: NFL.com

Credit: NFL.com

As illustrated above, he breaks off the snap quicker than anyone on either side of the ball. He times the snap count perfectly for a head start against the Washington Redskins offensive line.

The right tackle stood Smith up at the point of attack, but he was able to shed the block and pounce on quarterback Robert Griffin III.

In the following example, Smith reveals he’s not a one-trick pony.

Credit: NFL.com

Credit: NFL.com

Donald Penn found out about Smith before he arrived in Oakland as a tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a couple of years ago.

Penn successfully sealed off the edge, but Smith muscled his way inside while moving in for the sack on quarterback Mike Glennon.

Norton will likely use Smith in rotation. At times, he’ll share the field with Mack. The two edge-rushers could tee off on Bengals right tackle Andre Smith Jr. by overloading his zone or attack from opposite sides.

Prediction

The Raiders' latest free-agent signing narrows the gap between the two teams, but Norton will likely limit Smith's snaps. Dalton won’t spend the entire game on the ground, but the Raiders will score a few takedowns.

The Bengals also have a pair of receiving running backs to neutralize the pass rush. Dalton won’t have to hold onto the ball and wait for his wide receivers' routes to develop. He has the luxury of dumping short passes off to running backs Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard.

There are still question marks about the Raiders cornerbacks in coverage when Dalton has the time to release a pass. Cornerback D.J. Hayden’s play during the preseason doesn’t suggest he’s capable of providing solid man-to-man coverage for an entire game.

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Mohamed Sanu’s breakout season in 2014 indicates a potential tough matchup for Hayden. Sanu accumulated 790 receiving yards and five touchdowns last season as the No. 2 wide receiver.

Finally, Carr’s minor struggles in the red zone during the preseason could factor into the outcome. It’s Week 1, so a brand-new offense may come out sluggish. Wide receiver Amari Cooper isn’t nervous, but it’s his first game and comes against a group of talented first-round picks in the secondary.

The Raiders will take giant steps in their regular-season opener, but they need to walk before they start running.

Prediction Score: Bengals 24, Raiders 16

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All statistics are provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com and Pro Football Focus unless otherwise noted. 

Raiders' unofficial depth chart provided by Raiders.com.