Packers can ill afford being overconfident today
This could be one of those so-called “trap games’’ for the Green Bay Packers.
By all accounts, they should dispatch of the Cincinnati Bengals at Lambeau Field today. And they should dispatch of the Bengals quite easily.
After all, the Bengals are winless and will be without some of their key pieces, namely tight end Tyler Eifert and right guard Trey Hopkins.
What’s more, the Bengals’ offense has been inept. They managed to score a paltry nine points in their first two regular-season outings, the fewest in Roger Goodell’s 32-team kingdom.
Having written that, the Packers can ill afford being overconfident. The Bengals do have some prime-players, especially on offense. Quarterback Andy Dalton has shown he’s capable of shredding a defense and wide receiver A.J. Green has game-changing skills. In three of his previous six pro seasons, Green has caught at least 10 touchdown passes.
But Mike McCarthy has been consistently good at keeping his team focused during his 12-year tenure as Packers coach and one can safely that’ll be the case again against the Bengals.
Prediction: Packers 27, Bengals 17
Photo by RONALD WOELFEL
Gery Woelfel
Gery Woelfel is an award-winning reporter and columnist. Gery has covered a wide-range of sports over his three decades as a professional journalist. During his career, his primary beat has been the NBA and has been a recipient of the Pro Basketball Writers Association of America award. Gery has conducted one-on-one interviews with numerous legendary sports figures like Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He has also been a regular contributor for HoopsHype.com and Lindy’s Pro Basketball Magazine and been on various sports talk shows around the country while serving as a pro basketball insider for WSSP (105.7 FM) in Milwaukee. Gery has covered every one of the NBA pre-draft camps, dating to the early ‘80s, along with numerous NFL combines.