Raiders Wild Card vs Cincinnati: 3 Bengals to worry about Saturday

CINCINNATI, OHIO - JANUARY 02: Joe Mixon #28 of the Cincinnati Bengals is introduced before the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Paul Brown Stadium on January 02, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JANUARY 02: Joe Mixon #28 of the Cincinnati Bengals is introduced before the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Paul Brown Stadium on January 02, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
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Nov 21, 2021; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon (28) scores a 20-yard touchdown run against the Las Vegas Raiders in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Las Vegas Raiders take on the Cincinnati Bengals in the Wild Card round on Saturday, and here are three Bengals to worry about.

When facing off against a team that posed several problems in your previous meeting, the Raiders clearly must come in with a different game plan in a rematch of their Week 11 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. The 32-13 route in Las Vegas was the last glimpse the Silver and Black got of their future playoff opponent this week in the Bengals.

However, since that matchup, this is a completely different Raiders team, one that has won four straight games heading into the Wild Card round. They are playing incredible defense, can finally run the ball, and Derek Carr has proven to be ready to make his first playoff appearance of his career.

The Bengals, on the other hand, are also blazing hot, including quarterback Joe Burrow, who had a two-game stretch where he nearly threw for 1,000 yards combined. Cincinnati is going to be a tough out on Saturday and is the favorite, but anything can happen in the playoffs.

Several Bengals players gave the Raiders headaches in the first meeting — however, we will zero in on three that will have the biggest role to play in a Raiders win or loss.

Schedule