Week In Review: Coaching Staff Hopes To Replicate Raiders Turnaround
When the Bengals face the Raiders on Sunday, the two teams may be more closely tied than one would think. Both staffs struggled during year one on the job. In Jon Gruden's return the Raiders started 1-7, but are currently half a game behind the first place Chiefs in the AFC West. The Bengals are banking on Zac Taylor's 0-9 start to turn out the same way.
Matchup Of The Game: The Center of Attention
Center Trey Hopkins went against Oakland defensive coordinator Paul Guenther's defenses for four seasons in practice when Paulie G. succeeded Mike Zimmer as the Bengals defensive coordinator. Both have impressively moved on as they prepare to meet Sunday in Oakland.
Taylor-Made Takes: Shaking Up The Backers
Head coach Zac Taylor sat down with Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com to talk about Ryan Finley's debut, the release of Preston Brown and facing his old coach from that oh so brief training camp under Jon Gruden in Tampa Bay all those years ago.
Finley's Flash Catches Bengals' Eye
The Bengals oversaw quite a different offense Sunday than the one they crafted in the offseason and training camp. Not only was Ryan Finley the quarterback and not nine-year man Andy Dalton, but they ripped up the running game and gave the Ravens more power plays and gap schemes than they showed last month.
Other Noteworthy Items
- The Bengals waived LB Preston Brown. WR John Ross also returned to practice and is eligible to return from the Reserve/Injured list in Week 13.
- Watch GEICO Locker Room video of TE Tyler Eifert, LB Germaine Pratt and WR John Ross.
- View photo galleries of the Ben-Gals Cheerleaders in action, as well as practice on Wednesday and Thursday.
- Find out what Zac Taylor and Ryan Finley had to say ahead of the matchup against the Oakland Raiders when they met with the media.
