The Los Angeles Rams are set to travel to Paul Brown Stadium to take on the Cincinnati Bengals in the final game of the preseason for both teams. Both the Rams and the Bengals have struggled through the preseason, however, this was to be expected. Up to this point, the Bengals have taken a 35-25 defeat against the Arizona Cardinals, and a 22-25 loss against the New York Giants. On the flip side, the Rams have a 1-1 record with a 29-22 win against the Los Angeles Chargers, and a 24-20 loss against the Houston Texans. With both teams being championship hopefuls this season, the preseason game will not be taken too seriously, however, it will be a great opportunity for young and second-string players to put on a show.
Super Bowl Rematch
This preseason matchup will be a rematch of last season’s Super Bowl. Although the starters will not see too much action in this game, they may play through the first quarter or even the first half. Along with this, the Bengals and Rams will be holding joint practices with each other the week leading up to their game. This could add an interesting layer to this preseason matchup. At times, joint practices can get a bit chippy between two teams, and at times fights or even brawls can break out. If that were to occur, it could possibly spill over into the game as well. Along with this, the Bengals already have a chip on their shoulders as the Rams are the team that barely kept them from a Super Bowl victory last season. Although a fight is unlikely, after a week of practicing against each other might be enough to ignite the competitive flames in both teams and make for an incredible game to end the preseason.
Both Teams Looking to Get Out of the Preseason Healthy
In the grand scheme of things, this game will not have much of an impact on the season either of these teams will have barring an injury. They are both widely believed to be championship contenders once again this season. Los Angeles has a star-studded roster of veterans that they somehow added even more talent to over the offseason. On the flip side, the Bengals have arguably the brightest future in the NFL. Joe Burrow has proven himself as a franchise quarterback and he has the potential to be one of the best in the league once he reaches his prime. Along with this, Jamar Chase had a rookie year for the history books. The duo of Burrow and Chase could be one of the best for years to come.
As a result of both of these teams having so much to lose this season, their starters likely will not play more than the first half of the preseason game. The last team that either team would want would be for their championship dreams to be put on hold due to a star player getting hurt in a preseason game. Despite this, both teams have very talented bench units and it should still be a very close game.
