What will it take to win sunday?

[ChadJohnson-85]

Of course we need to stop LT but theres also Antonio. I'm so sick of the Bengals not being able to cover a F***ing TE! If we can't stop those 2 things then we lose + our season gos down the drain.

[Stripes]

I voted stopping LT, but I think the game will be won or lost by the Bengals' offense.

[Spor_tees]

In the immoral words of Joe Theisman, "The team that scores the most points, will win THIS game."

[walzav29]

The offensive line. The Bengals need to explode.

[schweinhart]

I vote pass rush. After watching McNair pick apart the secondary with way too much time to throw, the Bengals have to apply some heat to take away the other teams receivers -- even when they are marginal ones at best like the Falcons, the Ratbirds and the Bolts.

The Bengals won't stop LT -- ground or air -- because he's not Jamal Lewis. But they have to take their chances by forcing him to bounce to the edges running much like they did with Cadillac Williams with success except for 2 times. In the flat over over the middle, LT is a mismatch nightmare and the LB blitzing is probably going to have to be nixed for this game, except for Jeanty some and Brooks on run blitz only.

If they hold LT to 20-90 rush and 6-60 receiving, they'll give their offense a chance.

As for Gates, the Bengals did get burned by Heap and Gates will get his too. The main thing will be to keep him from getting to the second level with the catch. If they can get pressure with just a 4-man rush and maybe some DB blitzing, they should be able to keep him around 8-80.

So can they pressure Rivers? Justin Smith showed once again that he didn't have a snowballs chance against Ogden but he should fare better vs. the Bolts. Not sure it will be enough though and the combination of B-Rob and Jumpy Jr. might not be enough either from the other edge. So if the heat comes, I'd look for it from the DTs...Big Sam and Shaun Smith have to lower the bullrush boom when the Bolts pass on running downs. But the real heat has got come from Peko and Thornton and maybe B-Rob when they kick him inside on passing downs. These guys stunt well with the other DT or a DE and hopefully somebody can get free to mess up Rivers.

[AGrizzlyBaer]

Steve Foley

Terrance Kiel

Shaun Philips

Shawne Merriman

Igor Olshansky

Luis Castillo

all of these guys look like they may be out for the chargers i think we finally see a team that has more guys out then us! if the o-line cant hold its own this week... i dont know what to think then!

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

Steve Foley

Terrance Kiel

Shaun Philips

Shawne Merriman

Igor Olshansky

Luis Castillo

all of these guys look like they may be out for the chargers i think we finally see a team that has more guys out then us! if the o-line cant hold its own this week... i dont know what to think then!

Yeah, Steve Foley just might be out. Has anyone ever been listed as "Questionable, Gunshot Wound" ?

On a serious note...to win, this team needs to play as a TEAM. I'd hoped they'd learned something after the playoff loss, but some of them aren't acting like it.

[walshfan]

It'll take our Oline to protect Palmer from being pressured all the time.

Plain and simple...

do that and everything will fall in place.

[starvin_marvin]

I voted for stopping LT... the man is dangerous. And though we obvoiusly have problems covering the TE, they haven;t beat us yet... only extended drives. Get a couple 3 and outs on SD and we'll be ok.

Marvin

[agreen_112]

There should definitely be an "all of the above" answer, b/c we will have to do all three of those things to get this win.

[Tasher]

All Three?