Cincinnati Bengals at Oakland Raiders, Week 11: 3 studs and 3 duds

Three Duds

Gabe Jackson

Without question the weakest link of the offensive line on Sunday was right guard Gabe Jackson. That is not necessarily horrible, as the offensive line as a whole has been incredible this season. But in recent weeks, and especially on Sunday, Jackson has been a bit of a weak spot for the big unit up front.

He got beat badly on several occasions against the Bengals that led to sacks or busted plays. Perhaps he is playing injured? Maybe he just is not the dominant player that he was before his injury. Regardless, hopefully Jackson finds his groove as the Raiders continue their push to the playoffs.

Ryan Finley

It has to be obvious now, the Bengals are actively tanking. I know, Andy Dalton is not the answer and maybe the Bengals are trying to see what they have in the rookie signal caller. However, he does not appear like the guy that will get them off the zero win mark.

He showed his wheels on several occasions, fleeing the pocket and picking up nice chunks of yardage. However, he couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn and missed quite a few throws on Sunday.

Granted, he was under a lot of pressure and the Raiders secondary played well, but Finley was clearly outplayed by Carr and the Raiders. In the NFL 13/31 for 115 yards with an interception is not going to cut it.

Tyler Boyd

In A.J. Green‘s absence the Bengals have needed Tyler Boyd to step up and be the number one target in their passing offense. On Sunday, Boyd was invisible, making no impact on the field. He had one reception on three targets for zero yards. Is there really anything else to be said about his performance on Sunday?

If he doesn’t pick his play up soon the Bengals may soon find themselves regretting signing him to a contract extension a few months ago. The Raiders secondary neutralized the Bengals passing attack, but Boyd still should have found a way to make an impact.