5 bold predictions for Raiders against Bengals
By John Buhler
The Las Vegas Raiders will host the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday afternoon with both AFC teams on two-game losing streaks.
A pair of 5-4 AFC teams will clash on Sunday afternoon, as the Las Vegas Raiders will host the Cincinnati Bengals.
Assuming there is no awkward tie like the one that played out last week between the Detroit Lions and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the loser of this game at Allegiant Stadium will drop to 5-5 in the midst of a three-game losing streak. Conversely, the winner of this game will improve to 6-4 and will be very much alive for one of seven available playoff spots in the AFC heading into December.
Here are five bold predictions on the Raiders’ side of things when they host the Bengals Sunday.
Las Vegas Raiders: 5 bold predictions for Week 11 game vs. Cincinnati Bengals
5. Darren Waller will have the first touchdown catch of the game on either side
This game between two borderline AFC contenders will go down to the wire. In a contest of great desperation, fans of these two teams will be living and dying with every passing snap. While the fans should not expect anything less than a one-score game on Sunday, look for Raiders tight end Darren Waller to have the first trip to pay dirt on the afternoon. Raider Nation will be loving this.
It will come off a well-orchestrated drive by the Raiders offense, one that will see a good combination of run and pass. While the ground game will come alive in a way that it did not vs. the arch rival Kansas City Chiefs last week, it will be quarterback Derek Carr finding a leaping Waller for six at the back of the end zone. This first-half touchdown will have all of Allegiant Stadium rocking.
Even if this is the only touchdown reception for Waller, it will be a big one for him and the Raiders. It will help set an early tone that Sunday’s game vs. the Bengals will not be more of the same like they experienced vs. the Chiefs and the New York Giants before that. Of course, there are no guarantees as to which AFC team will win this week, but the Raiders will put up a fight for sure.
Look for Waller to have around six catches for 85 yards and a touchdown vs. the Bengals.