Jets vs. Bengals The Rematch: The Giant Has Woken Up

Last week was a preseason game for the orange and black. But they did get embarrassed badly, 37-0 and it wasn't even that close. Domination on the Jets behalf.

But the Bengals weren't worried about last week. They were already thinking about the next week.

The Bengals rested three of their four defensive captains and their workhorse running back.

In fact, the possibility of losing to the Jets on Sunday and playing them again, with a rookie quarterback making his first playoff start, might have seemed more appealing than the other option: Matt Schaub and the hot Texans.

When teams play each other twice in a row, the team who lost the week before is 8-5 all-time in the rematch.

The Jets threw the kitchen sink at the Bengals in the must-win. The Bengals will be ready for the wildcat this week and will do a much better job of containing the run.

They have their best run stopper back in Domato Peko. He says he hasn't been this fresh since training camp.

And after the Jets abused rookie free agent safety Tom Nelson, veteran Chris Crocker returns. That allows the Bengals to keep eight in the box, a recipe for success for them this season in stuffing the run.

That means Mark Sanchez is going to have to air it out to Braylon Edwards, a guy that had a goose egg against the Bengals when he played for the Browns in Week Four, and had 15 yards as a Jet last week. Jonathan Joseph is a shutdown corner that hasn't had a problem with the drama queen Edwards.

Jerricho Cotchery is a solid receiver, but Leon Hall isn't going to get burned by him. Sanchez had a tough game last week when the Bengals were playing at half speed, so what's he going to do with everything on the line?

If his two best receiving threats aren't open, he is going to start forcing it. A rookie QB in a road playoff game forcing it?? Sounds like a recipe for success for the Bengals.

Overall, I can see the Bengals giving up one long run to Thomas Jones, but not much else. The D tightens up in the red zone and the Bengals will make the Jets settle for field goals more often than not.

The Bengals offense needs to wake up. They went into hibernation two months ago and has been a vanilla flavor since.

But why not? The Bengals sat at 7-2 and in the driver seat of the AFC North with games against the Lions, Browns, Raiders, and Chiefs still on the schedule.

So they kept out all the tricks and specially designed plays and ran the ball down inferior opponents' throats. It worked most of the time, but I must stress that the Bengals have been on cruise control for awhile.

So the question if they can just flick the switch back to "on" is legit. But when you place a two-time Pro Bowl seven-year QB who has played a grand total of two plays in the playoffs behind center, the expectations are for him to play with a sense of urgency.

I expect Carson Palmer to be extremely well prepared and sharp. He will be diving for first downs instead of sliding. He is going to wait that extra second in the pocket even if it means getting drilled.

Palmer has taken an unnecessary beating by the media because his 2009 numbers don't match the back of his football card. But that is the Bengals offense this year: run, run, pass.

Expect the Bengals to put Palmer in a position to make some big plays down the field. Little known fourth receiver Maurice Purify will step up and be that deep threat the Bengals have been missing since the late Chris Henry went down with an arm injury.

Sure, Darrelle Reevis shutdown Chad last week. He is a great player and a obvious Pro Bowl player. But do you think a nine-year veteran is going to get shut down two weeks in a row?

Chad had a miserable week of thinking about Sunday night and that usually spells a big game the following week. He won't go over a 100 yards but he will have a typical Ochocinco day (let's call it 70 yards and a TD). But he isn't the first option on offense.

"It starts with No. 32 and that's how it will go on Saturday," Ochocinco said.

The offense starts and ends with Cedric Benson. He is the work horse who grinds down defenses with his physical play and quick feet. Benson, who has rushed for a career-high 1,251 yards, will be back in the lineup for Cincinnati, ranked ninth in the NFL in rushing with 128.5 yards a game.

Sure, the Jets have the No. 1 raked rush defense. But the NFL is a passing league now and the I don't think the Jets will be able to stop both.

New York, meanwhile, hopes to have leading tackler David Harris as it tries to stop Benson. The linebacker's status is uncertain after spraining his right ankle last weekend.

Bottom Line: The Bengals can contain the Jets run and shut down Mark Sanchez. The Jets can contain the passing and running game, but can't totally stop it. Special teams are a draw so advantage home team. Or maybe its just as easy as following the old adage:

Never bet on a rookie QB in his first playoff game on the road.

BENGALS 20 JETS 13