LA Chargers: Complete roster comparison vs. Cincinnati Bengals
By Jason Reed
The LA Chargers take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season.
Football is almost back and we are counting down the hours until we get to see the LA Chargers back in action against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Chargers are playing in Cincy with the game set to begin at 1:05 p.m. PDT.
This is a compelling matchup as both teams are in vastly different situations than the year prior. The Chargers moved on from long-time quarterback Philip Rivers and are deploying Tyrod Taylor while the Cincinnati Bengals are starting first overall pick, Joe Burrow, after a historical season at LSU.
Before every game this seaosn we are going to be breaking down the two team’s rosters to find out who truly is the more all-around talented team. Let’s start with the special teams unit.
Special teams: Advantage, Cincinnati Bengals
It is hard to really give an advantage to one team in special teams as that is something that needs recent numbers to truly evaluate but if forced to choose, I would go with the Bengals.
The Chargers have more potential in the return game than the Bengals with fourth-round pick Joe Reed but he has not played a single NFL snap in his career so we are going to have to call that a wash for now.
Ty Long and Kevin Huber are comparable punters with similar legs while also putting it within the 20-yard line at almost the same rate.
It really comes down to the kicker and while Michael Badgley has been solid for the Chargers, Randy Bullock has been one of the most consistent kickers in the league over the last half-decade. Bullock ranks eighth in the NFL over the last three years in field-goal percentage (86.5) with at least 70 overall attempts.