Cincinnati Bengals Prepare to Battle Carolina Panthers at Paycor Stadium

The Cincinnati Bengals (4-4) will take on the Carolina Panthers (2-6) at Cincinnati's Paycor Stadium on Nov. 6, and fans are hoping the team makes it over the season's hump intact.

The Bengals are coming off a disappointing 32-13 loss to cross-state rival Cleveland Browns – a game in which Cincinnati's offense was pretty much dead until the final quarter. The Bengals didn't move the ball down the field well and gave up two turnovers during the Halloween game, plus Evan McPherson had a rare fail on a field goal attempt. Quarterback Joe Burrow endured five sacks.

"This isn’t the type of team we are. It’s a 17-game season, and this is one game that we weren’t at our best in any phase," Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said after the game. "I’m confident that’s not who we are, that we can make the corrections and flush this one away quickly, turn our attention to Carolina on a six-day week and have a great opportunity to get this out of our system real quick."

Now the Bengals are hoping to right the ship against the Panthers in week nine. It could be a tall order, though, as multiple Bengals are out with injuries. Wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, who has had many key moments this season to follow his great 2021, is out with a hip injury that could keep him off the field for several weeks. Cornerback Chidobe Awuzie won't suit up due to a season-ending ACL tear, which requires surgery. Cornerback Mike Hilton is down with a finger injury and could use the rest before the bye week, Taylor recently told reporters. Defensive tackle Josh Tupou is still nursing a calf injury and could for a couple more weeks still. Offensive tackle La'el Collins and cornerback Tre Flowers are listed as questionable for the game.

But here's a bright spot: Burrow could continue to make history. The young quarterback is sitting on 9,628 career passing yards going into the Nov. 6 game just 372 away from hitting 10,000. If Burrow picks those up against the Panthers, he would tie for the second-fastest player to reach that milestone, according to Bengals writer Kyle Williams. For the season, Burrow currently leads the NFL in passing yards (2329) and is third in passing touchdowns (17). During the Bengals' win over the Atlanta Falcons on Oct. 23, Burrow became the NFL's first player to have five games of passing for 400 yards or more in the first three years of his playing career.

Kickoff for the Nov. 6 Bengals game against the Panthers will be at 1 p.m., and the battle will be broadcast on Fox. Before cleats hit turf, fans can pregame at The Banks during an official tailgate. Expect live music, lawn games and a special kids area with face painting, inflatables and a DJ.

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