Jets Look to Win #3 vs. Cincy
Jets look to top winless Bengals in Week 6
When thinking of the Bengals, the first thing that comes to mind is...didn't this team used to be good? The second thing that comes to mind is this is the typical game the Jets blow. Giving five and a half to a winless team spells a formula for most teams, but usually not the NYJ.
On paper, the Jets should win the game, but they don't play the games on paper because if they did Joe Willie probably wouldn't have given the most glamorous finger wag in NFL history.
Let's face it, the Bengals aren't any good and haven't been for a couple of years now. Since their stellar 11-5 2005 campaign, the Bengals have not finished over .500 and have lost their first five to start 2008. The once vaunted Cincy offense is averaging less than 15 points per game this season and no one knows if Carson Palmer will be playing week to week. This week, don't count on it. Palmer has completely fallen off the map to the point where the best former USC quarterback that will be getting the most air time this year will be Matt Cassel. As of Friday, Palmer will not be starting this week. Chad Johnson/Ocho Cinco has justified his ridiculous name change by catching less than three balls a contest. I touch more balls during my nine usual bathroom breaks at Jet games. To add to the season of discontent for the Bungles 2.0, video killed the radio star (bad 80's joke alert) AND former standout runner Rudi (no not that one) Johnson is now running directly into the line for the DEEE-troit Lions. The one bright spot for this team has been Pro Bowl wide receiver and fantasy standout TJ HOUSHmandzadeh, and yes he is on my fantasy team. But with all these problems, the Bengals still worry me this week.
BUT WHY?
It's because they are playing the Jets. They are the only team in the NFL to whom no lead is safe. Just ask the people in Section 132 two Sundays ago who almost had a collective coronary as God's Quarterback nearly led his team back from being down 34 points at halftime. This is the same team that got annihilated Weeks 2 and 3 to two teams that were dismantled by Tony Soprano and his gang of henchmen, which surprises me on many levels, but mostly because I thought Little Steven was still on tour with Springsteen.
The Jets line play underachieves on both sides of the ball each week. Jumbo Elliot is not walking through that door. Carson Palmer's status this week is iffy, so if he does not play, or even if he plays dinged up, it is imperative that the Jets get after the quarterback. I don't care if the Bengals backup quarterback went to Harvard, the Jets should give him a PHD in field turf on Sunday. The linebackers have shown an ability to get into the backfield, but they have not been cut loose nearly enough. They also have to be more sporadic with when they blitz Kerry Rhodes. The Mangenius sent Rhodes on what seemed like every play against the Cardinals and put the Jets D at a disadvantage in coverage when he didn't get to the quarterback, which was pretty much every time he blitzed.
Offensively, the Jets looked great at times against the Cardinals because the play calling was very keen for the most part. The coaches finally realized that the Jets QB has a better arm than a nine year old for the first time in a long time. But good teams do not blow big leads. I know the Jets didn't lose that Cardinals game, but they made it a lot closer than it had to be. My Erev Rosh Hashanah dinner would have gone down a lot smoother if they had finished the job instead of scaring me more than future Mohinder.
After a quarter of the season, the Jets biggest problem has been their inability to run the ball. For some reason Thomas Jones is only capable of scoring touchdowns against the Dolphins. I don't blame him though I would enjoy scoring against the fins than any other team as well.
Is this because the offensive line hasn't gelled yet, or is it a deeper problem. Someone needs to take D'Brickashaw Ferguson to an all you can eat buffet. I'm not saying that he's grossly undersized, but he's skinnier than Shenae Grimes. On a side note, can somebody get Shenae Grimes a cheeseburger or at least have Tristan Wilds snag her a bag of those crab chips they used to eat on “The Wire.” The Jets developing some sort of running game is a key to the rest of the season. If not, their one dimensional offense may start to struggle.
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The Jets need to put together a complete effort, but for some reason this week seems like the classic let down game. Even without Carson Palmer, I do not feel safe one bit.
The Jets must come out firing this week. There’s a big difference between 2-3 and 3-2. Let’s make it happen.
The prediction: Bengals 32 - Jets 23
Let’s just pray that I’m wrong.
By Dan Rein
ProFootball-fans.com New York Jets Correspondent