Bengals vs. Patriots: Complete Week 5 Preview for Cincinnati

After a timely bye week to heal and prep for a critical stretch, the undefeated Cincinnati Bengals head to Foxborough for a meet with the New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football.

Unlike most encounters between the two sides over the past decade, Cincinnati seems the favorite this time around. Not only are the Bengals one of the best in the league, the team is getting healthy and has had extra time to prepare for a reeling opponent.

Not only are the Patriots just 2-2, Tom Brady's offense looks drastically off. The team also happens to be on a short week after a jarring 41-14 loss to Kansas City on Monday Night Football.

This seems in the minds of many to either equate to a motivated Patriots team that comes out firing on all cylinders, or a deflated one that takes its second loss to Cincinnati in as many years. For their part, the Bengals are not putting a ton of stock in last year's win over this same team.

"We're a totally different team and I'm sure they're a totally different team," said defensive end Wallace Gilberry, per STATS LLC (via ESPN.com). "That mindset (about the past) is gone."

Indeed, as this season has been seemingly a turning point for a young team, highlighted by a trip to Baltimore to pick up its first win there in a number of years. The next step is a trip to Foxborough to take down a fading AFC power.

The opportunity to silence any lingering doubters is certainly there beneath the national microscope.

Bengals Week 3 Recap

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As has been the case for most of the season, the Cincinnati Bengals showed few signs of true weaknesses in a 33-7 win over the Tennessee Titans before the bye week.

While Andy Dalton encountered his struggles against a strong pass defense en route to just 169 yards and his first interception of the season, the rushing attack behind him still managed a gritty 116 yards and three touchdowns.

That said, it helps that the Titans repeatedly shot themselves in the foot with 11 penalties and costly turnovers. Cincinnati continued to struggle on third down, running up just a 3-of-9 mark. The defense was also spotty at times, allowing rookie back Bishop Sankey to gain 61 yards on just 10 carries.

The good news is that most of the aforementioned issues were still not enough to garner a loss. Even better, most are correctable and came right before a bye week.

The final scoreboard read a dominant win, and it mostly was. All that remains is for health to improve and smaller things to get cleaned up before the dance with New England. The Patriots are struggling, yes, but the team certainly has an ability to capitalize on mistakes if the opportunity presents itself.

News and Notes

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Bengals Choose to Ignore Monday Night Football

As mentioned, the New England Patriots had a rough go of it Monday in Kansas City. While the lopsided outcome has caught the eye of the globe and altered perceptions of Tom Brady and Co., one party is not interested in the end result. 

That party being the Cincinnati Bengals. Quarterback Andy Dalton explained the approach to ESPN.com's Coley Harvey:

"

The way that game turned out doesn't show the kind of team that they are. Obviously it kind of got out of hand, and the score was pretty lopsided, but that's not the team that they are. It shows you've got to play every [week] because if a few things don't go the right way, it can turn out like that. But they're a talented team. They've been a good team for a long time so we know we're going to get their best.

"

On one hand, this makes loads of sense. We know the Patriots are better than last week's performance, and while he has been bad through four contests, it is silly to write off Brady. 

On another, Cincinnati can certainly use some of the info on display in the film to their advantage, such as the fact that Knile Davis rushed for 107 yards and Jamaal Charles had 92 and a score. The blueprint is certainly there, even if the Bengals are smart enough to know it will not come as easy.

New England Ready for Mohamed Sanu

Not only has wideout Mohamed Sanu seized the bull by the horns in the wake of Marvin Jones' absence this season, he has also been one of the best trick-play threats in the league. 

A former quarterback, Sanu attempted one pass against Atlanta that went for 50 yards. The week after against Tennessee he got the ball in his hands and hit Dalton with a pass the quarterback took 18 yards for a score.

New England's Bill Belichick is well aware of the challenge Sanu presents. Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com has the note:

"

He throws the ball as well as a lot of quarterbacks do. He’s very accurate and he’s got a great touch and arm, but his accuracy is very good. So, they run those plays and it looks like, you see it’s (number) 12 but you kind of think, ‘Is that a quarterback?’ ‘No, it’s the receiver throwing the ball.’ So, they execute them well and they have a good design to them.

"

Credit goes to new offensive coordinator Hue Jackson for the creativity on the offensive side. Even if he does not roll out another trick play, the fact opposing coaches have to prepare for it gives the Bengals an additional advantage.

Darrelle Revis Almost Landed in Cincinnati

It seems like we hear this story every time the Bengals play Darrelle Revis, and here it is again—Bengals coach Marvin Lewis thought his guy at No. 18 in the 2007 NFL draft was Revis, not Leon Hall.

Hobson provides the scoop:

"

going into 07 draft, Lewis says Bengals thought they'd get Revis at No 18 and not Hall

— Geoff Hobson (@GeoffHobsonCin) October 1, 2014"

It is but a small note going into a big game, but one worth a mention. Revis is one of the main focal points Sunday night as he will be tasked with stopping either A.J. Green or Sanu.

Hall has worked out just fine for Cincinnati, obviously, but it seems this sort of "What if?" storyline plays out each time Revis encounters the Bengals.

Injury Report

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Player	Position	Injury Status
Vontaze Burfict	LB	Questionable
Marvin Jones	WR	Probable
Kevin Zeitler	G	Questionable

*All injury reports are from ESPN.com. Will be updated when official report is released.

After a week of rest, the Cincinnati Bengals are relatively healthy in most spots outside of the expected.

Really, this small sheet is not all that concerning. Kevin Zeitler continues to work his way back, but Mike Pollak has been sound in spot duty. Marvin Jones apparently hurt himself once back at practice, but the offense has moved along without him.

As has been the case for most of the season, the most concerning note is Vontaze Burfict. The team cannot cover for his absence, which certainly hurts against a New England offense.

X-Factors and Matchups to Watch

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Bengals Defensive Line vs. Patriots Offensive Line

While not yet as potent or as highly publicized as lines in years past, the strength of the Cincinnati Bengals defense once again lies in the defensive trenches.

While Michael Johnson is a thing of the past and Geno Atkins is still getting back to speed, the Cincinnati line continues to be a force that, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), in three games has eight sacks, 15 quarterback hits and 42 hurries.

Thanks to continued strong play from Wallace Gilberry and strong contributions from the likes of Margus Hunt, the line will dictate whether or not Tom Brady has time to sit in the pocket and pick apart the secondary.

Brady has already been sacked nine times and seems a tick off this season, so should the Cincinnati line keep the pressure on and hold strong against the run, Brady may commit more mistakes. Even better, the linebackers will not be as exposed if Vontaze Burfict misses the game.

Jeremy Hill vs. Patriots Linebackers

While starter Giovani Bernard is a major factor in the outcome of the game thanks to his prowess on the ground and through the air, it is rookie complement Jeremy Hill who may make a bigger difference Sunday night.

Hill has seen erratic usage through three games, but if there is a game in which he will break out, it will come against the Patriots.

To be blunt, Hill is a more effective runner than Bernard. The second-year player averages 3.4 yards per carry, whereas the rookie averages a stellar 5.1.

The Cincinnati coaching staff certainly saw that, while starter Jamaal Charles was effective against the New England defense, it was bruising backup Knile Davis who found 107 yards on 16 carries, good for a 6.7 yard-per-carry average.

If and when Hill gets past the initial line, his ability to beat up on the linebackers consistently will keep the entire unit honest. Outside of moving the chains, the rookie might just get in the end zone as long as the plan is truly to ride the backs in order to keep Brady on the sideline.

Bengals X-Factor of the Week: A.J. Green

Look, A.J. Green is always arguably the biggest factor, so in an effort to keep things fresh, he usually does not get a mention because his importance is implied.

But against New England? Green is everything.

With Tyler Eifert and Marvin Jones out of the picture, the Bengals cannot afford to keep banking on Mohamed Sanu trick plays to get production through the air. Green has been producing at a fine clip, too, but this is easily his toughest matchup to date.

New England touts one of the NFL's best safeties in Devin McCourty, a converted corner. He ranks No. 10 overall at his position at Pro Football Focus. Joining him is Darrelle Revis and one of last year's top corners as a member of Seattle's elite secondary, Brandon Browner, who is back from his four-game suspension.

With few other threats in the passing game, those three individuals and a host of others will be focused on Green. Should he fail to produce and the pressure shifts to someone else, things could spiral out of control for Cincinnati—especially if they fall behind and have to play catch-up.

Prediction

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Chalk this one up as another stepping stone for the rapidly maturing Cincinnati Bengals. 

Cincinnati has its win in Baltimore, something that has eluded the team for years. Andy Dalton looks comfortable in most situations and his team is steamrolling opponents it is supposed to beat.

The next hurdle? A fading power, albeit a dangerous one. Also, the dreaded prime-time matchup.

These not-so-young-anymore Bengals have had their fair share of struggles under the bright lights. Tom Brady and the New England Patriots will surely make this one interesting at some junctures, but the talent disparity is obvious.

While New England has a secondary that can stunt the Cincinnati attack, the run defense is another story entirely. Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill figure to have huge days as long as the staff stays committed to the ground game, which will help mitigate the previous third-down and red-zone issues. 

With the exception of tight end Rob Gronkowski, who continues to play on a limited snap count, there are few Patriots weapons that should scare Cincinnati at this point. Expect the Bengals to pull away after the half and ride the ground game until the clock hits zeroes.

Prediction: Bengals 34, Patriots 20

Note: Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus (subscription required).