Today it’s the Cincinnati Bengals."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections 49ers Salary CapLevi’s Stadium Events49ers Transactions49ers Injury News49ers Press Conferences & Conference Calls49ers Opponents49ers 2019 opponent preview: Cincinnati BengalsNew https://www.49ersfanshop.com/Fred-Warner-Jersey ,40commentsIt’s time to start scouting the 49ers opponents for 2019. Today it’s the Cincinnati Bengals.PDTShareTweetShareShare49ers 2019 opponent preview: Cincinnati BengalsThe Cincinnati Bengals are an interesting study. They had a decent draft, but not-so-decent free agency. They were able to keep several of their players, but they didn’t bring in much from the outside. They (finally) dumped Marvin Lewis as head coach but go Zac Taylor to replace him. Taylor was a hot candidate but he has only five games (yes games) experience calling plays at the NFL level. It’s clear the Bengals want to go the same route the Los Angeles Rams did with their hire, getting a young offensive mind to lead this team, but Taylor seems like he’d need a year or two as an offensive coordinator in the NFL to really be flashy. That’s just nitpicking though. Lewis had to go. The Bengals had so much talent in 2015 and some of it (namely that nice wide receiver corps behind A.J. Green) has been gutted and off the team. With a new and young coach along with a erratic quarterback in Andy Dalton, and a running game that needed severe overhauls, the Bengals head into a rebuilding phase. Their offensive line wasn’t awful, allowing 26 sacks and 13 hits, but it still needs work, especially with all the retoolings it made. PFF has its pass blocking ranked 24th, that’s not enough to win football games. Their back-half rankings don’t end there. The Bengals offense managed 1682 rushing yards Tarvarius Moore Jersey , enough to put them at 21st in the league. Joe Mixon was the clear star, getting 1168 yards in 2018 with only 14 games played. The Bengals run game could have been improved had Mixon not been out with a knee injury. But the clear star of the show was the Bengals defense which brings reminders of when Jim O’Neil was the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers. Under Marvin Lewis, who also served as defensive coordinator, the Bengals were ranked dead last in pass defense, allowing 4414 yards to their opponents. That’s not the only thing they were last in, they are also ranked 32nd in total yards allowed with 6618. Rushing, the Bengals rank 29th, allowing 2204 yards. Oh and they are 30th in points allowed. They almost as bad as the 2016 49ers. Almost. Marvin Lewis is a defensive mind and these were the numbers he turned in. This is why he doesn’t have a job anymore. So how did they address this? Draft picksRound 1: Jonah Williams(OT) Round 2: Drew Sample (TE)Round 3: Germaine Pratt (OLB)Round 4: Ryan Finley (QB)Round 4: Renell Wren (DT) Round 4: Michael Jordan (C) Round 6: Trayveon Williams (RB)Round 6: Deshaun Davis (ILB)Round 6: Rodney Anderson(RB)Round 7: Jordan Brown (CB)Notable free agent acquisitionsJohn Miller (G)B.W. Webb (CB)Kerry Wynn (DE)Not too many flashy moves in free agency. I do like the John Miller acquisition. Tight end Tyler Eifert also re-signed with the team which will be a good crutch as Drew Sample gets ready to go. They didn’t spend much money in free agency because they are a long ways away from being competitive to put it mildly. I do love the draft they had though. It’s not a earth shattering group of selections, but it’s a solid board.Jonah WIlliams was one of my favorite players and will be a great source of protection for whoever they put behind center. Ryan Finley in the fourth round is a decent pick for quarterback. If he doesn’t work, the Bengals didn’t burn a first round pick for a signal caller. Germaine Pratt and Deshaun Davis will both be interesting to watch. I wasn’t sure about was Drew Sample who was an obvious reach. Even he didn’t think he’d go that early. I also don’t understand the numerous running backs towards the end, especially with Joe Mixon tearing it up. Though Mixon can’t be trusted with his character and behind him Kentavius Street Color Rush Jersey , there’s not much, so maybe they were looking to get some depth. The matchupI said the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were rebuilding similar to the 49ers and the Bengals may be on that same path. I like the defensive additions the Bengals have made, but going from dead-last in some of those categories to a respectable ranking isn’t going to happen overnight or in one season. Jimmy Garoppolo has to be licking his lips at the pass numbers the Bengals could allow. Sure they got some cornerbacks in the offseason, but Kyle Shanahan’s scheme against the worst pass defense in 2018? That can be very fun. The fact the Bengals can’t defend the run well is only going to make things even worse for them that day. On the flipside, the Bengals aren’t the greatest running the ball. The 49ers were 14th in run defense and they only got better with what they did in free agency. The passing offense of the Bengals will be a be a nice way to gauge if the 49ers secondary has improved at all. Ranked 24th against a secondary that busted coverages all through 2018 will see if the 49ers can put a stop to their issues and keep the Bengals from throwing it all over the place. If the 49ers defense can show up, there’s no doubt Kyle Shanahan and the offense can devise some schemes to leave the Bengals reeling. They will be a nice test to see where the 49ers are in 2019, take notes of this game, the 49ers can win it, but it will be an important progress report. RENTON, Wash. (AP) — Russell Wilson knew the question was coming and tried to lean into it with some levity on Thursday.“I think somebody is missing a shoe somewhere,” the Seattle quarterback joked as he took to the lectern for his weekly press conference.So why was Wilson making jokes about shoes?San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan was assessed an unsportsmanlike penalty in last Sunday’s game against the Seahawks for arguing with officials after Wilson tossed the lost shoe of linebacker Fred Warner to the side after a play. Seattle then went hurry-up offensively and the 49ers were caught offsides as Warner tried to exit the field and a replacement was late making the substitution.“It wasn’t a smart thing by me and something I can’t do https://www.49ersfanshop.com/Alfred-Morris-Jersey ,” Shanahan told reporters Monday.The shoe toss itself was seemingly not caught by either the FOX television broadcast of the game or the coach’s tape film made available to the public. Nevertheless, Wilson admitted to tossing the shoe between plays.“Listen, I didn’t know whose shoe it was, first of all,” Wilson said. “Second of all, it was right in the middle of my play. It had to go. We were going no-huddle and it was like right where we were going to pretty much snap it. And I was like ‘anyone’s shoe?’ and was like all right, whatever. So I threw it.”Warner lost his left shoe on the previous snap late in the third quarter as Seahawks left guard J.R. Sweezy stepped on the back of his heel while attempting to block him. The shoe came to rest of the 30-yard line directly on the left hash mark. The 5-yard run by Chris Carson on the play would have left the shoe 2 yards directly behind Wilson, who lined up under center at the 28-yard line, for Seattle’s next snap.An overhead shot on the TV broadcast showed Warner having retrieved his shoe departing the field from at least as far back as the 38-yard line. He could not get the footwear back on in time for the next play and Elijah Lee attempted to replace him on the field, drawing the offsides penalty.“I didn’t want to throw it forward because we were going that direction, obviously Weston Richburg Jersey , toward the end zone. So I threw it back. I don’t know. I’ve never seen a shoe on the field like that in the middle of a play when I’m trying to go no-huddle,” Wilson said.Shanahan began arguing with officials about the whole scenario and was flagged himself for unsportsmanlike conduct.“That’s what I was trying to figure out, especially when another guy on the opposing team threw it,” Shanahan said Monday. “I’m not saying that (Wilson) did that maliciously or anything, who knows, but it was an unusual situation and it was my tipping point.”Wilson said he could definitely understand why the opposing head coach would be upset about how the sequence played out.“I understood why he did it. I wasn’t thinking about it in the midst of doing it,” Wilson said with a chuckle.The Seahawks would score a touchdown on the second play of the fourth quarter to finish the drive on an 18-yard pass from Wilson to receiver Jaron Brown. It was Wilson’s fourth touchdown pass of the game and second to Brown.