Bengals vs. Rams: 5 Keys for Bengals To Keep Playoff Hopes Alive

The Cincinnati Bengals find themselves in a precarious position after a heartbreaking last-second loss to the Houston Texans last Sunday. The Bengals lost their grip on the sixth playoff seed in the AFC to the New York Jets.

On the flip side, the St. Louis Rams are a two-win team that's coming off a beat down at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football. With that being said, the Rams are a serious threat because they have nothing to lose.

Here are five keys to a Bengals victory and renewing playoff hope in Cincinnati:

Offensive Line Must Pass Block Effectively

The Bengals' line must recover quickly from the loss of guard Bobbie Williams, who was placed on season-ending injured reserve after breaking his ankle Sunday. Mike McGlynn will come off the bench to take William’s spot, and look for Anthony Collins to start at right tackle if Andre Smith still can’t go.

The line has its hands full because Rams’ defensive end Chris Long is an elite pass-rusher who is finally living up to the hype of being selected second overall in the 2008 NFL draft.

Long has 12 sacks on the season, including nine in his past seven games. Long combines with Robert Quinn (who was selected 14th overall this past year) to form a formidable pass rush.

If the Bengals cannot keep quarterback Andy Dalton protected, it will be a long day for the offense.

Cedric Benson Must Get 30 or More Carries

Cedric Benson is having another solid season for the Bengals with 883 yards on 222 carries (four average) and five touchdowns. If the Bengals want to win in St. Louis, the focal point of the offense needs to be Benson.

St. Louis touts the worst run defense in the league, surrendering 156.8 rushing yards per game. Middle linebacker James Laurinaitis is a force against the run with 114 tackles on the season, but he can’t do it alone.

Benson is a workhorse back who can easily hit over 100 yards given the opportunity. Running Benson 30 or more times will wear down a mediocre defense and expose them to the big play, which brings us to the next point…

Dalton Must Use Play-Action To Exploit Rams' Secondary

The Bengals were picked apart by a third-string rookie quarterback for 300 yards last week because of the play-action. This week, the Bengals must use this strategy against the opponent, minus the third-string part.

The Rams’ secondary has its top three corners on injured reserve. In total, Al Harris, Ron Bartell, Bradley Fletcher, Brian Jackson and Marquis Johnson all find themselves on injured reserve.

The Rams don't have the most talented secondary, to say the least.

To take advantage of this, Andy Dalton must find big targets such as tight end Jermaine Gresham and wide receiver A.J. Green coming out of a play-fake for big gains.

Scoring quickly in this manner will allow the Bengals to jump to an early lead and protect the lead with the running game.

Pass Rush Must Consistently Hit Sam Bradford

Last week, the Bengals recorded five sacks in a loss to the Texans. This week, the Bengals go against a mediocre pass-blocking offensive line. Bradford has been sacked the second most of any quarterback this season.

Bradford is also playing with a hurt ankle.  Monday, against the Seahawks, Bradford looked uncomfortable whenever having to put weight on his back foot. He looked even more uncomfortable under pressure because the injury limited his mobility.

The Bengals must take advantage of this weakness. The defensive unit is ranked sixth in the league with 36 total sacks on the season. If the Bengals pass rush performs the way it did against Houston, look for Bradford to have a bad day.

If defensive end Carlos Dunlap returns from injury, look for Bradford’s day to go from bad to worse.

Defense Must Focus on Steven Jackson

Steven Jackson is the focal point of the Rams offense, and rightfully so. With Bradford and the offensive line becoming almost irrelevant, it's Jackson’s job to carry the team. Jackson is having a solid season all things considered, with 895 yards on 202 attempts(4.4 average) and five touchdowns.

The Bengals give up 100 rushing yards per game, ranked seventh in the NFL. The unit simply has to key on the run and continue to do what it has done all year against opposing running backs.

If the defense can keep Jackson in check, it will force the Rams to attempt to defeat the Bengals through the air.

Must-Win Game, Part Two

It’s cliché, but the Bengals are again facing a must-win game in order to keep their postseason hopes alive. A loss in St. Louis will all but eliminate the Bengals. A win means they live to fight another day against the Arizona Cardinals.

The Bengals are 0-2 all time in St. Louis. It’s hard for any team to travel out west and play, but even more so for the Bengals in recent memory. To win, the team must find a way to overcome the loss of leaders Leon Hall and Bobbie Williams.

It’s show-and-tell time for the young Bengals. Beating a two-win team in St. Louis will go a long way to proving that the Bengals belong in the postseason.