Will the Jets dominate again? (Bill Kostroun/AP)
The countdown has begun for this weekend’s AFC Wild Card match-up between the 4th seed Cincinnati Bengals and the 5th seed New York Jets. The game, which will be on Saturday at 4:30 EST, will be played in Paul Brown Stadium. In an effort to provide a different perspective on the game I collaborated with Cincinnati Bengals Examiner Dan Parzych to cover some of the hot topics for both teams. The results of our question and answer session are outlined below.
Dan Parzych-Cincinnati Bengals Examiner: Do you expect this game to be similar to last Sunday night's game? Many people expect to see similar results to last week's performance while others believe it will be a completely different outcome. What are your thoughts regarding this week's matchup compared to last Sunday night?
Tyson Rauch-New York Jets Examiner: I think this will be a very close, physical game that will be decided in the fourth quarter. Both of these teams are very similar, relying on their defense and ground games, therefore I would be shocked to see any type of offensive explosion. This is the playoffs, therefore I would expect both teams to play at a very high level. In addition Cincinnati will be able to feed off of the home crowd, which is always an advantage in the postseason.
TR: What is the feeling amongst the Cincinnati fan base for the Bengals playoffs hopes? Is Saturday's game being hyped up in the city?
DP: The Cincinnati fan base is excited about a chance at the postseason considering how nobody seemed to believe in them in winning the division and all the odds they overcame against some pretty impressive teams. Most people considered the Bengals to have no chance in a division with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. The Bengals may have struggled against a few teams they were heavily favored against this year, but they know that a new season starts Saturday with just as good of a chance to go the distance as any of the other 11 teams.
DP: The Jets held the Bengals to just 72 yards on the ground without Cedric Benson in the lineup. Is there a concern for New York stopping the run with Benson in the lineup? What about the threat of him and Larry Johnson?
TR: The New York Jets have been pretty consistent stopping the run, therefore I do not think it will matter who the Bengals use at the running back position. If the Jets struggle on offense with repeated three and outs, maybe the pounding of a big back like Johnson could potentially wear down the Jets defense in the fourth quarter.
TR: How would you describe the Bengals psyche coming off of a pretty flat performance on Sunday night?
DP: As rough of a performance as last weekend’s 37-0 loss was, the Bengals know the scenario is completely different this time around. While the Bengals had a chance at the No. 3 seed in the AFC, they knew that no matter what happened against the Jets, they would still be playing at home the following weekend. The Jets were in a completely different situation and knew the only way to play the following weekend would be with a win over the Bengals. As great as the No. 3 seed would have been, Cincinnati had to take into consideration the health of their players, which is why they rested Benson, Crocker, Geathers, and Peko.
DP: There has been a lot of talk about the way New York squeaked into the playoffs considering they played against backups over the last two weeks. Is there any concern regarding the Jets playing against the Bengals' starters for an entire game and just how far do you think this team can go in the playoffs?
TR: The squeaking and backing into the playoffs is starting to get more attention than it deserves. The bottom line is that the Jets have one of the best defenses in the NFL in addition to a strong rushing attack and that will make them competitive against any team. While they did get a break against the Colts, they had some bad luck earlier in the year against other teams, so it almost averages itself out. I think the Jets will go as far as Mark Sanchez takes them. Every team is going to try to stop the run and force Sanchez to beat them. If the kid starts throwing interceptions, the Jets will have next to no chance to win. In addition if the Jets fall behind in the game early, they have never shown the ability to rally back offensively.
TR: The Bengals seem to be struggling on offense, what do you think are the contributing factors for that?
DP: It’s no secret how much the Bengals have struggled on offense this season, especially in the passing game this season. As impressive as their running game has been with Cedric Benson, I believe one of the main factors behind their struggles this season has been the absence of Chris Henry. With Henry in the lineup, opposing defenses seemed more focused on how much of a threat he could be down the field, which allowed other players such as Andre Caldwell to find holes down the field. In the eight games with Henry in the lineup, Caldwell recorded 272 yards and three touchdowns. Since then, he has a total of just 160 yards and no touchdowns. He was also held without a reception in twice in the final eight games of the season.
DP: New York led the NFL this season by averaging 172.2 yards per game on the ground, taking most of the pressure off of quarterback Mark Sanchez. If the Bengals can find a way to shut down the running game, how confident are the Jets in Sanchez leading the passing game?
TR: The Jets are keeping Sanchez under close wraps, with fairly conservative play calling. If the Bengals are able to shut down the running game it could be a long day for the Jets as Sanchez has shown a propensity to turn the ball over.
TR: How much of an impact will the loss of Rey Maualuga have on the Bengal defense?
DP: The impact of Maualuga’s absence already showed last weekend against the Jets. Before fracturing his ankle, he was fourth on the team in total tackles and the Bengals were allowing their opponents to average just 87.7 yards per game on the ground. Against New York, they allowed Brad Smith, Thomas Jones, and Shonn Greene to run for a combined 232 yards. His presence in the middle of the field was noticeable as New York ran all over the Bengals’ defense.
DP: With the Jets No. 1 overall defense, all eyes will be on the matchup between Darrelle Revis and Chad Ochocinco. Last weekend, Revis shut down Ochocinco, ending his 124-game streak with at least one reception. What do you expect as the two go head-to-head for the second straight week?
TR: I would expect more of the same especially if Ochocinco is not 100%. Revis is playing at a very high level along with a ton of confidence. From the Jets perspective I would be more concerned with Lito Sheppard and Dwight Lowery trying to cover Laveranues Coles and Andre Caldwell.
TR: Of course have to ask some Ochocinco questions. What is the health status of Chad Ochocinco? If Chad is able to play do you think that he will be able to contribute anything on offense while being covered by Darrelle Revis? What is your prediction for the game?
DP: Ochocinco has fully participated in Wednesday’s practice after he was prescribed drugs to reduce the swelling in his injured knee and should be fine to go for Saturday’s game. I think he will be able to be a major factor to the Bengals’ offense this week as the circumstances will be different. Ochocinco knows how much Revis embarrassed him last week by shutting him down and holding him to zero receptions in a game for the first time since 2002. If anything, I expect him to use last weekend’s poor performance as motivation this week.
Despite the blowout last weekend, I expect a completely different outcome this time around. The Bengals know the key to winning is finding a way to slow down the running game. I have a feeling Cincinnati will do everything in their might to find a way to force rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez to throw more than he is comfortable with. With home-field advantage and the fans of Paul Brown Stadium behind them, I predict the Bengals will find a way to just squeak by the Jets 16-10.
TR: Thank you for your time Dan and it is interesting to hear the perspective from the Cincinnati standpoint. I also think it will be a very close and will take the Jets 17-14.
I will post a full game preview from the Jets perspective on Friday.
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