Bengals vs. Patriots: TV Info, Spread, Injury Updates, Game Time and More

Andy Dalton and the undefeated Cincinnati Bengals charge into New England on Sunday Night Football for a conference clash with the reeling Patriots.

Weary on a short week at .500 after a 41-14 trouncing at the hands of Kansas City Monday, Tom Brady and his offense have more questions than answers, and a soft defense against the run continues to give the struggling quarterback little time to find a solution.

Refreshed after a bye, the Bengals are on the hunt to get a key win and continue to outright dominate the opposition in an effort to quell past demons and signify that they are ready to seize a postseason win for the first time in four attempts.

Cincinnati is a known commodity at this point, but the propensity for New England to bounce back in a major way or fall flat once again provides an allure to this contest on a national stage that prior weeks have lacked.

In a duel between two would-be AFC powers, expect to at least be entertained.

Role Reversal

Bill Belichick's Patriots are a home underdog.

One-word-summary time: rare.

That hardly happens, but it is difficult to blame Las Vegas. Brady has been a shell of his former self all season, as a number of points illustrated by Fox Sports Live showcases:

"

So far, this has been Tom Brady's WORST season. #FSLive pic.twitter.com/Uru9bmhOrx

— FOX Sports Live (@FOXSportsLive) October 2, 2014"

Now on a short week, Brady gets thrown to the wolves against a Cincinnati defense that, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), has already generated eight sacks, 15 quarterback hits and 42 hurries in just three games.

As a whole, Cincinnati held Baltimore to 16 points and the explosive Atlanta offense to just 10. It goes without saying, then, that Brady and his hodgepodge cast of receivers have their work cut out for them.

While the New England defense tops the league with just 185.5 passing yards allowed per game, the rush defense is a sour point that ranks in the bottom 10. Against the duo of Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill, that may prove to be a problem:

NAME	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
Giovani Bernard	55	185	3.4	3
Jeremy Hill	26	132	5.1	2

In short, it is quite strange to see how this matchup stacks up. While the Bengals did upend the Patriots last season in a sloppy affair, most considered that an anomaly rather than a developing trend. In a precarious situation and in danger of falling below .500, though, this may be just what the Patriots need to finally come alive.

Health

Frank Victores/Associated Press

The one thing that can seemingly derail the Bengals at this point is a pesky injury bug that has plagued the team this season. 

Dalton is down a tight end in Tyler Eifert thanks to his placement on the injured reserve/designated for return list. He was supposed to get back No. 2 wideout Marvin Jones, who caught 51 passes last season for 712 yards and 10 scores. Instead, Jones suffered a setback in practice and may not suit up.

Guard Kevin Zeitler, who ranks as the No. 12 overall guard in the NFL at PFF and was No. 27 overall last season, may not be at 100 percent.

Most important of all, though, is the potential absence of linebacker Vontaze Burfict, who has suffered two concussions in as many games. His absence is a major part of the reason Tennessee rookie back Bishop Sankey was able to carry the ball just 10 times and gain 61 yards in Week 3.

Despite all of this, Belichick is certainly not taking the hobbled Bengals lightly. He told ESPN.com's Coley Harvey that, "That's as good a team as I've seen in a while; a better team from last year. They're complete in all three phases of the game and they produce on a consistent basis."

Still, Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen can certainly find room to operate if Burfict misses another game, which will take pressure off Brady and the passing game. Likewise, a New England front that already has nine sacks—led by Chandler Jones and his 2.5—can generate a more consistent rush if Cincinnati's starting right guard is absent.

If there was one team that ever desperately needed a Week 4 bye, it was Cincinnati. How much it helped remains to be seen.

When: Sunday, October 5, 8:30 p.m. ET

Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

Watch: NBC

Betting Info: (via Odds Shark)

• Over/Under: 46
• Spread: Cincinnati (-2)

Team Injury Reports

Name	Position	Status
Marvin Jones	WR	Questionable
Vontaze Burfict	LB	Questionable
Kevin Zeitler	OG	Questionable

Name	Position	Status
Rob Gronkowski	TE	Probable
Chandler Jones	DE	Questionable

Injury info will be updated once released, via ESPN.com.

Prediction

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

These Bengals notoriously struggle under the bright lights of a prime-time contest, but "these Bengals" is a definition that continues to change by the week.

Cincinnati, one year removed from holding New England to all of six points, allows an average of 11 points per game. While hobbled, the roster continues to play to its talent level, and the staff has had an extra week to prep the team for this encounter in particular.

Brady and the Patriots certainly will not just give this one away. The team is angry, at home and better than its recent form has displayed on both sides of the football. But the run defense is susceptible to being exploited by a run-first team with a pair of versatile, talented backs.

The Bengals will be able to keep Brady off the field and control the pace throughout, much as Kansas City did less than a week ago.

Prediction: Bengals 34, Patriots 20

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