NFL - Bengals v N.Y. Jets

9 January 2010

Preview By Tipster Jumbo (New Zealand)

Of the 3 replayed games this opening weekend of the playoffs this match was the most telling of them and really I just cannot see a way back from last weeks debacle for the Bengals here, None at all. For the second straight week, the Bengals will face cold conditions, a mauling Jets O line and the top defense in the league, Hardly encouraging now is it

The Bengals pretty much knew they would face the Jets this weekend and at half time in last weeks game he knew that for certain, So both the offensive and defensive coordinators stuck with basic game plans, Still, the AFC North champion Bengals didn't expect to be thumped the way they were losing 37-0 against a Jets team that needed a victory to secure a playoff spot. RB Benson was rested, but Cincinnati played the rest of its starters on offense until the game was out of reach. They finished with a franchise-worst 72 yards - none passing - against New York, which leads the NFL in scoring defense with 14.8 points per game and total defense 252.3 yards per game.While the offence struggled their defence that has been so good all season long especially against the run were awful, the Bengals Rush defence gave up 257 yards rushing. Their worst effort of this season, Now The Jets are averaging an NFL-best 172.2 yards on the ground, but still the Bengals were giving away only 76 rushing yards on their season and they were just dominated last week by a Jets Rush attack who pretty much just did what they liked, The Bengals were outmatched physically at the Meadowlands and now must quickly find a way to bounce back as it returns home with temperatures expected to be in the low 20s.It does not help the Bengals that WR Ochocinco hurt his left knee after slipping during pregame warm-ups, However Ochocinco insists he will play, It really might not matter as Carson Palmer has been well below his electrifying best and Jets CB Darrelle Revis marked Ochocinco last weekend and as he has done to many a WR this season he dominated him with Ochocinco failing to catch a pass for the first time since 2003, a span of 120 games. The Bengals running game should improve with Cedric Benson due back for this match, Benson has rushed for a career-high 1,251 yards and is ranked ninth in the NFL in rushing with 128.5 yards a game.The Bengals have looked lifeless for a while now and they have scored the fewest points of any team in the playoffs, finishing the regular season ranked 24th in the league in total offense. However the Bengals have found ways to win and with their defence that has been out standing this season helping them to stay in their matches.But perhaps the Biggest concern for the Bengals is Carson Palmer who last week went 1 for 11 for zero yards with an interception before leaving in the third quarter. Hardly encouraging all round for the Bengals entering this weekend.

The Jets have ruled the roost this season with their defence looking great all season long, they have perhaps the strongest Offensive line in the Entire NFL which is why their running game works so well, the QB Situation though is the one sore spot for the Jets and has been since the Jets were thumped by the Saints earlier this season, A year ago, Sanchez had just led USC to a Rose Bowl victory, and now he's the only rookie quarterback in these playoffs. He has been inconsistent all season, throwing 20 tINT’s as well as only 12 TD passes, His ball handling though has been fantastic over the last 2 weeks and he was turnover-free in wins at Indianapolis and against Cincinnati, However the Jets have stuck to a run-first philosophy. Thomas Jones finished fourth in the league with a career-high 1,402 yards rushing, and rookie Shonn Greene is averaging 5.0 yards on 108 carries. The Jets will hope that their leading tackler David Harris is back for this game as it tries to stop Benson. The linebacker's status is uncertain after spraining his right ankle last weekend.

Recent history and the Jets have beaten the Bengals in 5 of the last 6 meetings and they are also 4-2 in those games,Only twice have they met in Cincinnati once in 2007 in a high scoring match which the Bengals won 31-38 and in 1997 a match which the Jets won 31-14..The Jets have won seven of their last eight match ups with the Bengals, and won the teams' only playoff meeting 44-17 in the first round Jan. 9, 1983.

I really can’t see how the Bengals are going to win this game today, at home or not, last week they were dismantled and to make it worse they were actually trying right up till half time before pulling most of their side come the 3rd Quarter, The Bengals kept the Jets to only 10 second half points but to be honest the Jets also stopped playing after half time and both sides just went through the motions waiting for the game to finish, On seasons averages the Jets score 2 more points per game than the Bengals do and allow 4 points less, They gain 50 yards more on the ground than the Bengals and allow under 100 rushing yards per game, the Jets are not a throwing team but they only average 40 yards less than the Bengals through the air but allow 50 less yards through the Air than the Bengals do, add in some other small factors and the Jets looked like specials, the jets are 4-1 in their last 5 Road games, they are 5-1 in their last 6 matches overall and are 4-2 ATS in those matches, they are 7-1 in their last 8 against the Bengals and are on a roll, To be honest I really don’t see the jets going any where this post season but I do really fancy them to win today's match against a side they have just dismantled not less than 6 days ago….Momentum is a Mother Fucker at times and it’s all with the Jets in this game, Lets see if we can’t open up with a bang here as we look for the Jets to pick up where they left off on Sunday….Good Luck.