AJ McCarron played well against a struggling San Francisco 49ers team, but his real test as a quarterback will be on Monday night when facing a top-ranked defense in the Denver Broncos. Both teams are battling for position in the playoffs as they make things work with backup quarterbacks. McCarron did everything asked of him in Week 16 with limited weapons to work with as he will once again be without Tyler Eifert and left to make up those catches elsewhere on the field.
According to ESPN.com, Eifert will be out once again as he continues to heal from a concussion. Cincinnati ruled out the tight end on Saturday saying he has yet to shake off the concussion symptoms suffered two weeks ago. According to the Cincinnati Inquirer, there is a real chance that Eifert is out the remainder of the regular season. The Bengals do not want to rush their star tight end back on the field since this injury seems serious. This will be the second straight game he has missed with the issue that caused Steelers safety Mike Mitchell to take a hefty fine.
Without Eifert on the field, Tyler Kroft becomes critical for McCarron. The backup tight end has done well in place of Eifert, Over the past two weeks he has five catches for 62 yards. He also hauled in a nice 20-yard touchdown catch from McCarron. While he is no Eifert, he is a suitable replacement for the tight end, but it remains to be seen if he can handle the pressure from the Broncos' defense. That is where Marvin Jones and AJ Green will come in handy.
Jones has developed into McCarron's favorite target in the past two games as he has racked up 13 targets in that time. The two hooked up for a 47-yard touchdown catch against the 49ers as the quarterback is very comfortable with the veteran. Green was on the other end of McCarron's first touchdown pass as the two linked up for 115 yards and a score in that first game for the backup quarterback. However, against the 49ers Green had just one catch for 37 yards. The Broncos' defense is sure to zero in on Green during the game which could make someone like half-back Ryan Hewitt important. Quick dump offs to Hewitt could be a key piece in the game plan.
The biggest question for the Bengals could be the run game with Jeremy Hill Giovani Bernard. The veteran got the start last week over Hill, but the second-year rusher was the more productive back. Both Hill and Bernard could struggle against the Broncos' defense. If the Bengals' line cannot handle the pressure, it could be a long day for the run game and McCarron.
