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It appears Geno Atkins won’t be making his 2020 debut in Week 4.
On Friday, head coach Zac Taylor revealed Atkins is unlikely to play vs. the Jaguars due to his lingering shoulder injury, which he suffered during the team’s final training camp scrimmage.
Zac Taylor said he doesn't expect Geno Atkins (shoulder) to play on Sunday #Bengals
— Tyler Dragon (@TheTylerDragon) October 2, 2020
Last year, the Bengals didn’t win a game until December. Part of that was due to arguably their best offensive player — A.J. Green — missed the whole year due to injury.
This year, the Bengals are once again winless heading into October, and a big part of that is their best defensive player — Atkins — has been sidelined with a shoulder injury.
Just like last year, the Bengals have had several close games that could have been wins if Atkins had been playing, and that could hold true Sunday when they host the Jaguars in what should be a close game.
Unfortunately, Atkins won’t play this week, and that could go a long way in deciding if the Bengals get their first win or if they go into Baltimore in Week 5 with a winless record.