When: Monday, 5 p.m.
Where: Paycor Stadium (Cincinnati, Ohio)
TV/Radio: ESPN/710 AM; 93.1 FM; 1330 AM (Spanish); Sirius 818, 806
Line: Bengals by 3
Notable injury designations
Rams: WR Puka Nacua (oblique; questionable)
Bengals: QB Joe Burrow (calf; questionable), TE Irv Smith (hamstring; doubtful)
What’s at stake? It’s the first rematch of Super Bowl LVI since the Rams beat the Bengals 23-20 at SoFi Stadium in Feb. 2022 to earn their first championship in Los Angeles. Many of the core players are the same, from Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Germaine Pratt to the Rams’ Matthew Stafford, Aaron Donald and Rob Havenstein. As well as a chance for revenge for the Bengals, Cincinnati will be looking to right the ship after a rocky start to the season while the Rams look the recapture the momentum they gained with a surprising Week 1 win.
Who’s better? On paper, it’s the Bengals, who last season lost to the Chiefs in the AFC championship game and entered this year with Super Bowl aspirations. But if we’re looking at who is playing better football entering Week 3, it’s the Rams. The team hit the ground running from the very first drive against Seattle in Week 1, whereas the Bengals have looked disjointed after Burrow missed most of training camp and preseason practices with a calf injury, one that is still plaguing him entering this weekend.
Matchup to watch: Rams run game vs. the Bengals front seven. Cincinnati has allowed the third-most rushing yards in the NFL through two weeks (192 per game), while second-year back Kyren Williams is entering his second game as the Rams’ starter. This is a big opportunity for Williams to assert himself and help the Rams shorten the game against the Bengals’ explosive offense.
Rams win if: Williams averages over four yards per carry and nears 100 yards on the ground. … The Rams pass rush gets into the backfield and makes the hobbled Burrow uncomfortable with at least eight pressures. … The secondary limits the explosive duo of Chase and Tee Higgins to 150 yards receiving combined.
Fantasy sleeper: Rams QB Matthew Stafford. The 15-year veteran has been efficient and at times flashy through the first two weeks of the season, reminding the NFL he’s still got something left in the tank. But he’s only thrown one touchdown so far this season, limiting his fantasy upside. But there’s a good chance the dam breaks and Stafford puts together a strong fantasy performance.
Prediction: Rams 27, Bengals 21. Beat writer record: 1-1 for the season, 0-2 against the spread.
