Bengals vs. 49ers: What's the Game Plan for San Francisco?

The San Francisco 49ers' Week 13 overtime win over the Chicago Bears was a bit of an abomination as was revealed by the team's subsequent effort in Cleveland against the Browns—a game that saw San Francisco fall 24-10.
And now, the 4-9 Niners will try to stage an upset against the 10-3 Cincinnati Bengals at Levi's Stadium on Sunday.
Cincinnati is dealing with its own problems. Quarterback Andy Dalton (hand) won't be able to start, and injuries to tight end Tyler Eifert (concussion) and defensive backs Adam Jones (ankle) and George Iloka (groin) change the nature of this bout.
Jones was able to practice this week, per CBS Sports.
Still, it's hard to gauge what San Francisco's game plan will be on Sunday. After last week's debacle, fans must be wondering if the 49ers' offensive and defensive approaches look something along the lines of this:
But the 49ers have been a better team at home this season. Three of their four wins have come at Levi's Stadium, and a banged-up Bengals squad opens up a little more opportunity for San Francisco.
Can the 49ers reach for their fifth win of the season?
In order to do so, coordinators Geep Chryst and Eric Mangini should dial up a game plan that focuses on the following elements and matchups.
Offensive Game Plan

Last week, the 49ers offense mustered a mere 221 total yards against a Browns defense that ranked at or near the bottom of nearly every significant category this season.
And quarterback Blaine Gabbert was sacked nine times, which tied a team record.
Let those numbers sink in for a moment.
OK, it doesn't get much better in Week 15. The Bengals boast the second-best defense in the league this season with just 229 points allowed. And their defense is ranked No. 9 against the run with just 1,250 yards on the ground.
This doesn't bode well for a 49ers rushing attack that has managed just 79.5 yards over the last four games.
Injuries to Jones and Iloka could open up some things for Gabbert and the passing game, though. Cincinnati is slightly more susceptible to the aerial attack—ranking No. 16 in the league here with 3,154 yards allowed through the air.
But to combat this, the Bengals boast one of the better pass-rushing units in the league. Four Cincinnati defenders have four-plus sacks, and defensive end Carlos Dunlap has 12 on the season, per Pro Football Focus. Oh, and he'll frequently line up opposite right tackle Erik Pears.
Player | Pass-Rush Grade | Sacks | QB Hits | QB Hurries |
---|---|---|---|---|
DL Geno Atkins | 34.1 | 11 | 9 | 49 |
DL Carlos Dunlap | 9.2 | 12 | 15 | 32 |
DL Domata Peko | 1.0 | 2 | 12 | 26 |
DL Michael Johnson | -6.2 | 5 | 12 | 26 |
The 49ers will need to help Pears out, so it wouldn't be surprising to see Chryst slide a tight end over in that direction or assign fullback Bruce Miller on that side in base formations.
Even if the pass protection is adequate enough, Gabbert will need to focus on one key component that was largely absent in Week 14: accuracy.
Here is a prime example of this weakness.
Gabbert will target wide receiver Torrey Smith on this play with fellow wideout Anquan Boldin drawing two Browns defenders down the field with him. The design is, essentially, a pick on Cleveland's defensive back covering Smith.

At this moment, Smith makes his cut (note the three Browns defensive backs out of position). He has a chance to make a big play if Gabbert hits him in stride.

Instead, Gabbert's pass is thrown slightly behind Smith, which forces him to slow down to make the reception. Smith is quickly tackled by the converging defensive back despite a fairly wide-open window to exploit within the secondary (white triangle).

The play went for a modest 17-yard gain instead of something, potentially, much bigger.
Gabbert focused more on his accuracy during training camp and less on his velocity. But this particular play reveals the pinpoint throwing efforts weren't exactly up to par. And it wasn't as if Gabbert was under pressure either.
His throws will need to be on target against a Bengals secondary having allowed just 15 passing touchdowns on the season.
Targeting Bengals cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick might also be a part of the offensive game plan. Lined up opposite Jones, Kirkpatrick is posting a minus-10.6 pass-coverage grade, per PFF.
Look for Gabbert and his receiving targets to try to exploit this.
Defensive Game Plan

The San Francisco defense suffered a total breakdown in fundamentals last Sunday, and missed tackles were a primary culprit.
Entering the game, Cleveland owned the league's worst rushing offense but somehow managed to rip off 230 yards on the ground.
According to PFF, the 49ers had nine missed tackles over the course of the game, and defensive tackle Quinton Dial was the lone starter not to miss a tackle, per Ryan Sakamoto of NinerFans.com. Those aren't exactly the kinds of numbers one would want to see from a developing defense.
The Bengals boast a two-headed monster out of the backfield. Both running backs Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard have over 600 yards on the ground this season and a combined 10 rushing touchdowns.
With rookie quarterback A.J. McCarron getting his first start in Dalton's stead, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Cincinnati offense focus on the running game, especially after what was seen last week from the 49ers defense.
So let's expect Mangini to add additional defenders to the box in an attempt to take away the Bengals' ground efforts. If San Francisco's run-stoppers can emulate their efforts from Week 12 versus the Atlanta Falcons (12 yards on 12 carries for running back Devonta Freeman), the defense might have a chance with McCarron under center.
To get the rookie signal-caller off his game, the 49ers should look to attack both Cincinnati's center and right tackle positions. Offensive lineman Russell Bodine and Andre Smith Jr. both rank as the Bengals' lowest-grading starters in pass protection, per PFF.
Player | Overall Grade | Pass Block | Run Block | Sacks Allowed | QB Hits | QB Hurries |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LT Andrew Whitworth | 24.6 | 9.9 | 12.2 | 3 | 1 | 10 |
LG Clint Boling | 14.3 | -0.6 | 13.6 | 3 | 2 | 21 |
C Russell Bodine | -19.0 | -8.3 | -11.2 | 2 | 0 | 24 |
RG Kevin Zeitler | 21.8 | 5.7 | 15.9 | 0 | 2 | 13 |
RT Andre Smith Jr. | -16.2 | -8.8 | -3.9 | 2 | 1 | 19 |
This means the Bengals are vulnerable to interior pressure and pressure from their right side. So look for Mangini to bring blitzes from the middle of the 49ers front seven and from their left. Can outside linebacker Aaron Lynch (concussion) return soon enough?
Eifert is listed as doubtful for this game, which is a bonus for San Francisco. He's the Bengals' biggest red-zone threat with a team-leading 12 touchdown grabs.
Still, Cincinnati boasts wide receiver A.J. Green, who leads the club with 1,169 receiving yards and eight touchdowns of his own. Veteran cornerback Tramaine Brock will frequently be lined up in coverage opposite Green and has put together a decent season with three interceptions, 10 passes defended and a plus-4.3 pass-coverage grade, per PFF.
Overall, the 49ers' defensive game plan should be simple—take away the Bengals' running game and make McCarron look like a rookie under center.
Key Players and Matchups

Brock versus Green should draw a lot of attention. Cincinnati's top receiver will likely be a heavy target for McCarron on Sunday, so Green will need to be the focal point of San Francisco's secondary. It wouldn't be surprising to see safety Eric Reid help out in coverage here, especially with Eifert not likely in the equation.
But forcing pressure on the rookie quarterback will also need to be a part of the plan.
Lynch, who is still listed as questionable, could be a factor given the weakness along the right side of Cincinnati's O-line. And it wouldn't be surprising to see defensive end Arik Armstead working in tandem with Lynch, should he be ready to go, as illustrated by Brandon Thorn of CBS Sports:
The 49ers also have their fair share of O-line concerns—namely, Pears versus Dunlap in a clear case of strength against weakness.
And it will also be interesting to see how Marcus Martin handles himself at left guard after the 49ers lost former starter Alex Boone (knee) for the season. Martin owns a minus-42.1 PFF grade—the lowest out of all eligible centers this year. Can he perform better at guard?
Lastly, can Gabbert bounce back from last week? How will he handle a tough Bengals pass rush, and will accuracy woes continue to plague him?
Prediction

Even with a rookie quarterback starting, the Bengals are still in a position to dominate a weak and disorganized 49ers team this Sunday.
Cincinnati has a top-tier defense—one the San Francisco offense won't be able to easily overcome unless a near-perfect game plan is drawn up and executed.
But signs don't point to this being the case in Santa Clara right now, as James Brady of SB Nation pointed out. Citing a source, Brady noted a lack of cohesion within the 49ers coaching staff. This doesn't bode well facing a Bengals team looking to cap off the AFC North.
McCarron could provide the 49ers with some opportunities on defense. And, potentially, the Bengals may overlook a weak San Francisco squad while focusing more on playoff aspirations.
If the 49ers hang around long enough, there may be a chance.
Still, it doesn't seem likely this will happen. Look for the Bengals to come away with a victory in Week 15. The outcome may not be a total embarrassment, but the 49ers are far from being capable of knocking off a Cincinnati team, despite injuries, loaded on both sides of the ball.
A 24-13 victory for the Bengals sounds about right.
All statistics, injury reports, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com unless otherwise indicated.
Peter Panacy is a Featured Columnist covering the San Francisco 49ers for Bleacher Report. Follow him @PeterPanacy on Twitter.