Los Angeles Chargers (0-0) at Cincinnati Bengals
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CINCINNATI BENGALS One Paul Brown Stadium Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 (513) 621-3550 administrative offices (513) 621-3570 administrative fax (513) 621-TDTD (8383) ticket office www.bengals.com WEEKLY NEWS RELEASE SEPT. 8, 2020 SEASON OPENER LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (0-0) SUNDAY, SEPT. 13 AT PAUL BROWN STADIUM AT NEXT WEEK: WEEK 2, GAME 2 CINCINNATI BENGALS (0-0) THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL, SEPT. 17 AT CLEVELAND GAME NOTES Kickoff: 4:05 p.m. Eastern. offense this season. HB Joe Mixon, who on Sept. 2 signed a contract extension that keeps him in Cincinnati through 2024, is coming off of back-to-back 1000- Television: The game will air on CBS-TV. In the Bengals’ home region, yard rushing seasons. Mixon’s running mate in the backfield is HB Giovani it will be carried by WKRC-TV (Ch. 12) in Cincinnati, WHIO-TV (Ch. 7) in Dayton Bernard, an eighth-year pro who with two more catches will tie Bengals legend and on WKYT-TV (Ch. 27) in Lexington. Broadcasters are Kevin Harlan (play-by- James Brooks (297 catches) for the most receptions ever by a Cincinnati running play), Trent Green (analyst) and Melanie Collins (sideline reporter). back (more info in “Gio closes in on J.B.” on page 6.). Joining Green at WR is fifth-year pro Tyler Boyd, who is coming off of back-to-back 1000-yard receiving Radio: The game will air on the Bengals Radio Network, led by Cincinnati seasons, along with speedster John Ross, jump-ball specialist Auden Tate and flagship stations WCKY-AM (ESPN 1530; all sports) and WEBN-FM (102.7). rookie second-round pick Tee Higgins. Broadcasters are Dan Hoard (play-by-play) and Dave Lapham (analyst). While most of the public’s anticipation surrounds the now-healthy offense, WLW-AM (700) will join the flagship stations in broadcasting the Bengals game the defensive side of the ball has also drawn its fair share of headlines. once its broadcast of the Cincinnati Reds game concludes (the Reds game Cincinnati dedicated most of its offseason to re-tooling its defense, which last begins at 2:15 p.m. Eastern). year ranked 29th in the NFL and 32nd against the rush. According to the The game also will air nationally on Sports USA Radio, with broadcasters defensive depth chart (page 19 of this release), the Bengals are expected to start Larry Kahn (play-by-play) and Hank Bauer (analyst). four players on defense this year who were not with the team in 2019 — DT D.J. Reader, LB Josh Bynes, nickel CB Mackensie Alexander and S Vonn Bell. Setting the scene: After making it through perhaps the most Joining the newcomers on defense is a group of veteran playmakers that are unique offseason in NFL history, the Bengals return to the field this weekend led by DE Carlos Dunlap and DT Geno Atkins, who rank second and third, to open their season against the L.A. Chargers at Paul Brown Stadium. The respectively, on Cincinnati’s all-time sack list. Dunlap currently stands at 81.5 game, however, will be played without fans present, due to the COVID-19 career sacks, just two shy of Bengals sack king Eddie Edwards (83.5). Atkins, pandemic. whose 75.5 sacks are the most ever by a Bengals interior defensive lineman, is “We just have to make sure that we bring our own energy on Sunday, and be close behind. fired up and ready to play,” said Bengals head coach Zac Taylor, noting the With a new quarterback, revamped defense and returning star player, unique circumstances of this year’s opener. “We’ve had the crowd noise on (the anticipation for the 2020 Bengals season has been palpable in Cincinnati. Asked speakers) at practice that they’re going to be playing in the stadium (during the about that excitement being coupled with the unique COVID-19 circumstances game). But this isn’t something we’re going to make any excuse for. We just and lack of game reps, due to the cancellation of preseason games, Taylor have to make the most of it, and control what we can control.” maintained that his team’s approach hasn’t changed. While 2020 will be remembered by most as the year COVID-19 changed the “There’s just a different energy this week,” he said. “No more Sundays are way the NFL operated, Bengals fans will be quick to point out that it’s also when going by without football — this Sunday, we’re playing. We’ve got to be on top of their team gained a new quarterback and potential face of the franchise. That the details, and that’s what we’ve been challenging our guys with all training would be No. 1 overall draft pick Joe Burrow, an Ohio native, college national camp. This week is really no different in that regard.” champion, NCAA-FBS record-holder and Heisman trophy winner. Sunday marks Burrow’s much-anticipated debut as a Bengal, and he is The series: The Chargers lead 21-15, including 10-7 as the road team. expected to be the only rookie QB across the NFL to start in Week 1. Not only is The Bengals have won four of the last five regular-season meetings, including Burrow being thrown into the mix right away, but his first opponent poses a the last two in Cincinnati. The most recent meeting was a 26-21 Chargers win in formidable challenge. Los Angeles in 2018. The Chargers come to town on Sunday boasting a defense which last year The series includes two postseason games. Most recently, the Chargers ranked fifth against the pass and sixth overall. Headlining that unit is a pass rush won a 2013 season Wild Card Playoff 27-10 at Paul Brown Stadium. After the that features NFL All-Pro DE Joey Bosa, a former teammate of Burrow’s at Ohio 1981 season, the Bengals beat the Chargers 27-7 in the “Freezer Bowl,” the State, and his Pro Bowl sidekick DE Melvin Ingram III. That figures to provide a AFC Championship game played in an NFL-record minus-59 degree wind chill at stiff test for a Bengals offensive line being led by LOT Jonah Williams, Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium (see “Remembering ‘The Freezer Bowl’ item Cincinnati’s first-round pick a year ago who is making his own NFL debut on below on page 2). Sunday after missing his entire rookie season due to a shoulder injury. The Bengals played the franchise’s inaugural regular-season game in San “It’s exciting,” Williams said of the matchup. “It’s what you want in the NFL, Diego, on Friday night, Sept. 6, 1968. The Chargers won, 29-13. and it’s what we’ve been practicing for all camp. There are no easy games in the NFL. We play great competition every week, and this team and this player are no Team bests from the series: exception to that.” Bengals — MOST POINTS: 47, in a 47-17 victory at Riverfront Stadium The Bengals on Sunday will also welcome back star WR A.J. Green, who in 1975. The win completed an 11-3 season for Cincinnati, the best season has missed 23 of the last 24 games due to injuries (last played Dec. 2, 2018). winning percentage (.786) in franchise history. LARGEST VICTORY MARGIN: Green, a 10th-year pro and the only NFL WR ever to earn a Pro Bowl nod in 31, in a 31-0 victory at Riverfront in 1971. FEWEST POINTS ALLOWED: 0, in each of his first seven seasons, has six 1000-yard seasons to his credit and the 31-0 victory in ’71. stands second in team history in career receptions (602) and receiving yards Chargers — MOST POINTS: 50, in a 50-34 victory at San Diego in (8907), and tied for second in receiving TDs (63). 1982. LARGEST VICTORY MARGIN: 28, in a 34-6 win at Cincinnati in 2002. Burrow, Williams and Green will be joined by a host of other talent on FEWEST POINTS ALLOWED: 3, in a 24-3 victory at San Diego in 1977. — 1 — (Game notes, continued) FR) and no giveaways. Bengals QB Ken Anderson outdueled future Hall of Famer Dan Fouts of the Chargers, posting a 115.9 passer rating on 14-of-22 for The last meetings: Summaries of the last two Bengals-Chargers 161 yards, two TDs and no INTs. Anderson’s TD passes went to TE M.L. Harris meetings — in 2015 at Cincinnati, and in ’18 at Los Angeles — are on page 13 of and WR Don Bass, and FB Johnson scored a rushing TD. this news release. Only one player was reported to have suffered a weather-related injury — Bengals DE Eddie Edwards with a frostbitten right ear. Official attendance at No fans at season opener: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this Riverfront Stadium was 46,302, with more than 13,000 ticket holders staying Sunday’s season-opener between the Bengals and Chargers will take place home, but fans who braved the cold have been joined over the years by legions without fans present at Paul Brown Stadium. The decision, which was of impostors. announced on Aug. 25, was made in accordance with orders from the State of Ohio. On Sept. 5, the State of Ohio announced that it had granted a variance to BENGALS-CHARGERS 2019 NFL RANKINGS the Bengals to host 6000 fans at the Oct. 4 home game against the Jacksonville BENGALS CHARGERS Jaguars and the Oct. 25 home game against the Cleveland Browns.