Saturday Night, 12-15-07
8:15
pm:
The “I Could Care Less” Game of the
Week, Pt. 1:
Bengals (5-8) vs. San Francisco 49ers (3-10)
Location: Monster Park, San Francisco, CA
Right now, the heads of the NFL Network are shaking their
heads in disbelief. Fate has dealt them
an ugly hand because of the games that they have aired this season. With the line-up they’ve had this year, the
odds of the network being part of a basic cable package with companies such as Time
Warner and Cablevision are not looking good. With 8 games on their schedule, only 2 of
those games were worth watching; Packers/Cowboys and Bears/Redskins. And with this game being the first of three
games scheduled for Saturday nights for the remainder of the month of December,
the NFL Network needs to pray that the remaining games are more exciting on
T.V. than what they look like on paper.
Both the 49ers and the Bengals were expected to be
playoff contenders this season. Instead,
they’re contenders for the “most disappointing season” award. The Bengals have a great offense, but no
defense. The Bengals offense is ranked 7th
in the NFL while their defense is ranked 26th. The 49ers…have nothing great right now. Their defense is okay, but their offense is
miserable. The 49ers are ranked last in total
offense, and their defense is ranked 22nd in the NFL.
Both teams have to go to the ground in this
game. The Bengals are ranked 5th
in passing in the NFL and the 49ers have the 15th ranked pass
defense. So the 49ers are prepared for
the Bengals air attack. If the Bengals
can incorporate the run game, they slow the 49ers’ defense and look for a big
play through the air. They have to throw
off the 49ers defense. Keep them
thinking run on every play and then BAM!
You hit them with a big passing play.
The 49ers have to go to the ground because they have
a weak O-line and their pass protection is terrible. With Alex Smith out for the year and Trent
Dilfer out of this game with a concussion, 3rd string QB Shaun Hill
will get the start. As a special bonus,
Hill’s back-up for this game is former Florida State and
Carolina Panther QB Chris
Weinke
. Talk about scrapping thebottom of the barrel. The 49ers can’t
take too many chances going to the air this Saturday.
The 49ers have to have RB Frank Gore be the
man for their offense. The Bengals are
ranked 23rd in rushing defense.
So Gore should be able to put it on the Bengals’ D-line. The key word there is “should“. The 49ers O-line has to
open up lanes for Gore to run through and not allow the Bengal’s
D-line push them back.
This is not a sexy match-up at all and the only goo
thing about it is that there’s a game on Saturday Night. Especially for those who can watch the game
at home instead of having to go to a bar or restaurant to see the game. The Bengals’ passing game is too much for the
49ers’ Secondary and with the Bengals’ run game showing some signs of life; it
looks like the Bengals got this one.
My Pick: Bengals
