NFL Week 3 first look: Cincinnati Bengals at Green Bay Packers

A first look at the Cincinnati Bengals’ first trip to Lambeau Field since 2009 to take on the Green Bay Packers in a nationally televised broadcast at 4:25 p.m.

The Bengals, at least on offense, are in a bit of a state of flux after firing offensive coordinator Ken Zampese following a 13-9 loss to Houston at Paul Brown Stadium last Thursday night to fall to 0-2. Andy Dalton struggled with accuracy again (57 percent) and the team rushed for just 3.4 yards per carry.

The Packers lost a rematch of last year’s NFC Championship game in Atlanta, falling 34-23 to the Falcons. The already-hampered Packers (1-1) lost playmaking receivers Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb to injuries during the game while Aaron Rodgers was hit seven times, sacked three times and intercepted once in 50 pass attempts.

Packers players of note on offense

Aaron Rodgers, QB

The best quarterback in football has had to try and work around a bevy of injuries to his offensive line and pass catchers through the first two weeks, and the result has been an OK start to the year as opposed to his usual all-world self. Through two games, Rodgers has an 88.8 rating while leading the NFL in completions (61) and attempts (92). He has also turned the ball over three times and thrown for three touchdowns. He has been sacked seven times and has been hit/hurried 16 times. The 33-year-old QB can still move out of the pocket as well, not only by extending plays and creating time to throw but to also scramble for key yardage.

Ty Montgomery, RB

A converted wide receiver, the 6-foot, 216-pound third-year man out of Stanford can be a playmaker for the Packers and create matchup problems for the Bengals’ linebackers. He hasn’t established himself as much of a rushing threat through two weeks (29 attempts, 89 yards, 3.1 average) but he has caught 10 passes for 114 yards. He also has scored three total touchdowns to start the year.

Jahri Evans and Lane Taylor, guards

Evans is in his 12th year at right guard and was one of the Packers’ rare free agent acquisitions, a big player (6-4, 318 pounds) who went to six Pro Bowls and being named All-Pro four times with the New Orleans Saints. Lane Taylor (6-3, 324) is the left guard and was the man the Packers felt good enough about to move on from Pro Bowler Josh Sitton a year ago. They will be the men responsible for trying to slow down Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins, who tuned up the interiors of the Baltimore and Houston offensive lines for 12 total tackles and three sacks.

Packers players of note on defense

Mike Daniels, DT

A fiery presence and the anchor of the Packers’ 3-4 scheme up the middle, he is a true three-down player making 44 tackles while registering four sacks and 14 hits on the quarterback a year ago. A press time it was learned Daniels is dealing with a “minor” hamstring injury he suffered on the first series of the Packers’ loss to Atlanta, but if he’s on the field he can be disruptive in the middle of the pocket and require double teams from interior linemen. He made seven tackles and notched 1.5 sacks and forced a fumble in the Packers’ season-opening win against Seattle.

Clay Matthews, OLB

The All-Pro outside linebacker remains a player to be accounted for in Dom Capers’ 3-4 scheme, and he enters his ninth NFL season with 72.5 sacks (coincidentally, his first career sack came against the Bengals in 2009 when he took down Carson Palmer). He hasn’t recorded a double-digit sack season since 2014, but remains a force in pass situations and has to be accounted for. After a quiet opener, Matthews sacked Matt Ryan 1.5 times on Sunday and made five total tackles against the Falcons.

Kevin King, CB



The Packers traded out of the first round to select the 6-foot, 3-inch, 200-pound cover man No. 33 overall with the first pick of the second round. He made three tackles and had a pass breakup on Sunday in Atlanta in 46 snaps after seeing just six snaps in his NFL debut in Week 1. He was matched up on Julio Jones on several occasions, so it’s possible he’ll be tabbed to take on A.J. Green as well. King has some familiarity with the Bengals, as he and first-round pick John Ross were teammates at the University of Washington.

Quick facts

TV: CBS: Jim Nantz (play-by-play), Tony Romo (analyst), Tracy Wolfson (sideline reporter).

Radio: WCKY-AM (1530) and WEBN-FM (102.7).

Line: +9

Last week: Bengals lost 13-9 to Texans, Packers lost 34-23 to Falcons

Key numbers

0

Victories Aaron Rodgers has in two starts against the Bengals in his career (47 of 82, 505 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, 73.5 rating, 10 sacks). He is winless against only one other team – Pittsburgh.

1

Bill Lazor is the first offensive coordinator (or any coordinator) to take over the Bengals’ unit in-season as the team heads to Lambeau Field.

4

AFC teams that have beaten Rodgers at Lambeau Field since he took over as the Green Bay Packers’ starter in 2008 (4-13 overall). The Bengals were one of those teams, winning 31-24 in 2009.

6

Sacks by the Packers through two games, 4.5 coming from the linebackers.

Connections