I don’t think I have ever been more thrilled to be wrong. This Sunday, the Bengals beat the Baltimore Ravens so bad it should be considered animal abuse. With a final score of 42-17 against one of the best teams in the league right now, the Bengals look to keep on rolling on this 3 game road stand by finishing things off at Metlife Stadium in New Jersey to take on the 1-6 New York Jets. The Jets are coming off of a beatdown of their own at the hands of Mac Jones and the New England Patriots. This should be a fun game to watch, not because the Jets are considered to be a tough opponent, but because the national narrative about the Cincinnati Bengals is finally starting to shift and this game could be another huge opportunity to prove that you can’t sleep on this team. Here are some keys to the game this Sunday.
Beating The Jets Could Be A Statement Win… Wait, What?
Yes, you did read that right. Winning games on the road in the NFL is tough. With a win at Metlife this week, that would mean that the Bengals went on a three-game road trip where they destroyed the Lions at Ford Field, Slaughtered the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium, and they now have a chance to do some damage against one of the league’s worst teams to pad the stats a little more. That is something that playoff teams do. I don’t think anyone is doubting that the Bengals, the way they look right now, are a playoff team. Cincinnati currently sits atop the AFC and could really do some damage this year if they keep playing as they did on Sunday. Cincinnati will most likely make the Wild Card at the worst (you can quote me on that), however I really want to see this team push for a whole lot more this season.
Look For CJ Uzomah To Have A Breakout Game This Weekend
One benefit to having the receiver core that this Bengals team does is that you get to a point where the defense, no matter how hard they try, is going to have to leave someone good open. That someone has been CJ Uzomah as of late, and it’s time to see a breakout performance. I don’t think we live in a world where this Jets team is going to be able to cover guys like Ja’Marr Chase (who deserves his own article), Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, and still be able to cover someone like CJ who absolutely abused the Ravens defense on Sunday. Here, I note that the Ravens are a top team right now.
Key Injuries
Zach Wilson left the game against the Patriots with a knee injury early on. Whether he will return to play Cincinnati or not is unclear as of the time I am writing this article, but if he were to sit, it would make things even easier for the Bengals in what already looks like a fairly easy game. As for the Bengals injuries, not a whole lot to be concerned about this week, but knowing this team I am afraid that could change real soon.
Predictions
So here’s the problem, last week was the first time I had picked against the Bengals all season and they absolutely destroyed the Ravens in Baltimore. So, now I feel obligated to pick against them again, but I am going to hope that regardless of my superstitions the Bengals can pull off the win here. I am picking the Bengals to win 41-20. Like I said, I think CJ is due, Ja’Marr should stay hot, and Mixon should feast against this defense. All in all, it should be a fun game for Bengals fans to watch. I really hope I didn’t just curse this team.