CINCINNATI BENGALS
Perfect power rankings
After playing just three games this season, the national media has looked highly upon Marvin Lewis’ team, placing them high in the power rankings.
Andy Dalton is on fire and the running back stable has played strong. With some defensive strength, maybe Cincy deserves the recognition.
Here’s the power ranking rundown:
ESPN: 2
Sports Illustrated: 1
Fox Sports: 3
CBS Sports analyst Pete Prisco: 2
Week Five game plan
The Bengals come off of a bye week extremely fresh, traveling to New England to take on the struggling Patriots.
While this game might seem to be a breeze after what we saw the Patriots do on Monday, Brady and Co. are ready for a comeback. Here are a few things to watch as Cincinnati looks to improve to 4-0:
Stopping Tom Brady: This is the key to the game for the Bengals, and it all comes down to the pass rush. The Bengals have a strong secondary that can stop these Patriot receivers. If they want to win, the defensive line must play big.
Using A.J Green: This goes without saying, but it can likely change the course of the game. If Dalton can find Green early, it could set the tone, ultimately proving to be too much to handle for the Patriots.
Get out to a two-score lead: After the collapse we saw with the Pats offense last week, it would be hard to believe that Tom Brady can mount a comeback with this team. If the Bengals can get out to a big lead, they’ll be in fine shape.
CLEVELAND BROWNS
Running back decisions
Ben Tate is back to practice and should be back on the field for the Browns this week, leaving Mike Pettine and his staff with a decision at the tailback spot.
Rookie RB Terrance West says he wants success – no matter who is carrying the ball:
“Whoever’s got the hot hand and whoever’s going to get us the win, that’s who we’re going to roll with.” (via PFT)
Don’t be surprised if you see Isaiah Crowell get more than a handful of carries on Sunday against the Titans. Against a Tennessee defense that has its fair share of holes, Crowell’s speed could prove to be a big factor.
6-2 record to come?
Let’s take a quick run through the rest of the Cleveland schedule, exploring how they can end up jumping to 6-2 after Week 8.
- at Tennessee: With QB issues and defensive uncertainty with the Titans, the Browns could take advantage and get a big post-bye win.
- Pittsburgh: Any home AFC North game can be a win. With the way Pittsburgh is playing, don’t be shocked to see a win here.
- at Jacksonville: With the Jaguars struggling offensively (and defensively), the Browns just need to score a 20 points or so to win this one.
- Oakland: This game is a safe bet for the Browns at home against a team who already fired their head coach.
- Tampa Bay: The Bucs aren’t bad, but we can’t expect them to sustain greatness after beating Pittsburgh. This could definitely be a big win.
It’s not likely, but certainly possible…
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Defensive blues
The Steelers are like a box of chocolates. You just never know what you’re going to get.
Ben Roethlisberger and his offense have been fairly consistent, but the guys on the defensive side of the ball haven’t been able to muster any consistency – something that showed in the team’s last-second loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The unit allowed the Bucs to go 7-9 on third downs in the second half and racked up the penalties to help Mike Glennon work a comeback in the 2nd half.
Tomlin addressed the penalty issues (via CBS Pittsburgh):
“I’m not trying to take the genuine emotions and excitement of the game away from our guys. That’s not me and that’s not the right thing to do. But, I will ask them to do it within the guidelines of the rules prescribed.”
The Steelers have a -2 turnover ratio, and just 7 sacks in 4 games.
Keys to Week Four
We have to be careful projecting what the Steelers will do this week when they travel to Jacksonville, as the entire league thought they would roll over the Buccaneers at home last week.
Here are the matchups to watch in this one:
Blake Bortles vs. PIT secondary: He’s young, but he’s shown some firepower at times this season. With some injuries on the back end, the Steelers may have trouble stopping the pass.
Bell and Blount vs. Jacksonville front-7: The Jags have allowed 130+ rushing yards per game this season. If the Steelers can win the ground game, they may win the game with ease.
SLEEPER ALERT: Jacksonville’s young receivers (Hurns, Lee, Robinson): Bortles will be looking for his young weapons on Sunday. If they can get going, they have a chance to stay in this game.
