49ers schedule: 3 biggest trap games for San Francisco in 2021
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: Week 14 — 49ers @ Bengals
It’s probably better the Niners are playing on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals late in the year where the early fall humidity in Cincinnati won’t quite be the same X-factor as it was in Week 2 back in 2019.
Granted, San Francisco won that game two seasons ago in decisive fashion, but the Bengals are going to hope for a turnaround in fortunes this year with quarterback Joe Burrow looking to back up his impressive-yet-abbreviated rookie campaign from 2020.
True, it’s tough to see the Bengals winning more than eight games this season. Despite Burrow’s presence, Cincy is at least another year or two away from being legitimate contenders. But that doesn’t mean Week 14 completely avoids the trap-game pitfall.
The reason why? Well, the 49ers visit their archrival Seattle Seahawks for a prime-time showdown the week before. With the likelihood both the Niners and Hawks are gunning for playoff positioning this late in the season, and with the contest under the bright lights of Sunday Night Football, it’s just as likely San Francisco is feeling the effects of a letdown contest while also having to deal with the back end of a two-game road trip, plus traveling back east.
The 49ers will surely pump themselves up against the Seahawks in Week 13. It’ll be hard to replicate the same focus against a lackluster Bengals team the following week, setting up the possibility of a trap.