New York Jets vs. Cincinnati Bengals, 8:20 P.M. ET
Spread: New York by 8.5
Total: 43.5
My, how things have changed since last these two met.
After pounding the Bengals in Week 17 last season to book a place in the postseason, the Jets went to Cincinnati a week later and defeated the NFC North champion Bengals 24-14.
After following that win with a run to the AFC title game, the Jets came into this season with a world of expectations on their shoulders, and after a stumble right out of the gate, the Jets have found a way to win, win, win, looking every bit like the LSU of the NFL. Eight of the Jets’ 10 games this season have been decided by nine points or less, and the Jets are 6-2 in those games.
Each of their last five wins has seen the Jets make a big play (or plays) in the late going to seal the deal.
Against Minnesota in Week 5, it was a pick-six of Brett Favre late in the fourth quarter that thwarted the Vikings’ comeback and wrapped up a 29-20 win.
In Week 6, the Jets drove 80 yards and scored the winning touchdown with 1:13 left to win 24-20 at Denver.
In Week 9, New York rallied from a 20-10 deficit in the final minutes at Detroit, forcing overtime with a Nick Folk field goal on the final play of regulation and then winning 23-20 on another Folk kick in overtime.
In Week 10 at Cleveland, after the Browns scored in the final minute to force overtime, it looked like we could be headed for a rare tie. Alas, in the final minute of overtime, after Jim Leonhard’s punt return set the Jets up in excellent field position, Holmes turned a short catch into a game-winning 37-yard touchdown in a 26-20 win.
Then last week, after going from being up 23-7 early in the fourth quarter to being down 27-23 with 55 seconds left, the Jets drove 72 yards in five plays on the league’s worst pass defense, with Mark Sanchez hooking up with Holmes for another game-winning score, this one a six-yarder with 10 seconds left, to beat Houston 30-27.
As for the Bengals, little has gone right this season. After a 2-1 start, the Bengals have dropped seven in a row, with the most recent defeat being the most gut-wrenching, despite the previous six all being by eight points or less. Sunday’s home clash with the Bills provided a golden opportunity for the Bengals to break their cold streak, and with a 31-14 halftime lead, it looked like they were well on their way to doing just that.
Then the Bills, with the aid of three second-half touchdown passes from former Bengal backup Ryan Fitzpatrick, scored five touchdowns without reply in the final 30 minutes. Just when you thought everything that could have happened to the Bengals had, that happened. Is that the spirit breaker, or is there still some fight left in this team? If there’s still a discernible emotional hangover from Sunday’s crushing loss, it could lead to a beatdown of epic proportions tomorrow.
I’d like to say that the Bengals are a better team than their 2-8 record, and with the talented pieces they have on offense, that is true to a certain extent. But there’s a reason – well, a lot of reasons – why they’re 2-8, and those are the same reasons why they’ll be 2-9 after tomorrow night. Well, that and the fact that the Jets are pretty darn good.
SPREAD PICK: NEW YORK -8.5 (Strength Rating: 8.5/10) - Sure, the Jets have made a habit of playing it close this season, so there’s a good chance they could allow the Bengals to stay within reach, but after letting the Texans back in it in the fourth after seemingly having the game under wraps, I don’t think they’ll let the same happen here.
TOTAL PICK: OVER 43.5 (Strength Rating: 8.5/10) - Did you see the Bengals’ defense on Sunday? Enough said. To add to that, the Jets haven’t exactly been living up to their rep lately either, so the Bengals should be able to notch at least a couple of scores, even if it ends up being a blowout.
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