Collins is expected to get the start for the injured Andrew Whitworth, which will be his first since 2011 and the 19th of his six-year career. Peppers is an 11-year veteran and likely Hall of Famer whose 111.5 careers sacks rank 18th in NFL history and third among active players.
The 6-foot-5, 315-pound Collins is coming off the most active preseason of his career, having filled in it at right tackle while Andre Smith was out before switching to left tackle for Whitworth. And the Bengals are 12-6 in his 18 career starts.
Peppers (6-7, 287) doesn’t seem to be slowing down with age. The 33-year-old has had double-digit sacks in each of the past two seasons and four of the last five.
“He’s still the best,” Collins said. “Shoot, 33, 21, he’s still Julius Peppers. So you’ve got to man up. He’s definitely the biggest end you’re going to go against, so you’ve got to play ball and be smart. We have some great ends over here, so they will get me ready.”
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