Cincinnati Bengals vs. New Orleans Saints: Week 11 Preview for New Orleans

For the first time this season, the New Orleans Saints will play consecutive games at home, as they host the Cincinnati Bengals in a Sunday afternoon clash.

The Saints (4-5) lead their division, but they’re not yet a week removed from a rare home loss, their first, in fact, since 2012. New Orleans fell to the San Francisco 49ers in overtime last Sunday, and coach Sean Payton’s squad will attempt to reclaim its home-field advantage with a strong performance this weekend.

New Orleans will also be looking to increase its lead in the NFC South. The Saints are just a game ahead of the Carolina Panthers and the Atlanta Falcons, and a victory Sunday could be significant in the race for what’s likely to be the division’s only playoff spot.

Payton’s club enters the game with the NFL’s second–ranked offense. While the Drew Brees-led passing attack averages over 300 yards per game, the New Orleans ground game has blossomed in recent weeks, as Mark Ingram has emerged as a formidable between-the-tackles ball-carrier.

As for the Bengals (5-3-1), coach Marvin Lewis has his team in the thick of the race in the highly competitive AFC North. Cincinnati fell to the Cleveland Browns last week in a lopsided affair, however, as quarterback Andy Dalton turned in an abysmal performance.

Lewis' defense has also struggled this season, but the group boasts some impressive talent, and the Saints are likely to get the Bengals' best effort come Sunday.

Continue reading for a full preview of this important Week 11 matchup, with a score prediction on the final slide.

Week 10 Recap

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In what proved to be one of the most entertaining games of the entire NFL season, the 49ers toppled the Saints, 27-24, in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

San Francisco exploded out of the gates to grab a 14-0 first-quarter lead, as 49ers running backs Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde ran through the Saints rush defense like a hot knife through butter.

Brees, meanwhile, got off to a horrible start, tossing an interception on the Saints’ third play from scrimmage.

New Orleans settled down in the second quarter and slowly clawed its way back into the contest. Another Brees interception ended the first half on a dismal note for the Saints, however, and the 49ers led 21-10 at the half.

The home team picked up its play in the second half, as Brees found a nice rhythm against a stout San Francisco defense. The New Orleans running game also kicked into a higher gear, and Ingram began to eat up chunks of yards on the ground. 

Holding a 24-21 lead late in the fourth, the Saints were within one play of victory when the 49ers converted on a crucial fourth-down play with a 51-yard pass. San Francisco went on to kick the game-tying field goal with less than a minute left to play.

As the clock expired in regulation, Brees heaved a Hail Mary pass into the end zone, and Jimmy Graham came down with what appeared to be the game-winning reception. Graham was flagged for a controversial push-off, however, and the game went into overtime

In the extra period, San Francisco linebacker Ahmad Brooks stripped Brees of the ball from behind, and the 49ers recovered. Kicker Phil Dawson promptly booted the game-winning field goal, and the 49ers escaped with a victory.

News and Notes

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Saints-Bengals Series

Despite the fact that these two franchises have both been around since the late 1960s, their paths haven’t crossed very often. The Saints and the Bengals have met only 12 times in the regular season, and the series is knotted at six wins each.

The last meeting came in 2010, when Payton’s club outscored Lewis’ Bengals in a shootout in Cincinnati, 34-30.

Surprisingly, Cincinnati holds a 3-2 advantage in games played at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, which is the site of Sunday’s contest. The Bengals won the last meeting at the venue in 2006, defeating New Orleans 31-16 in Payton’s first season with the Saints.

New Orleans’ last home victory over the Bengals occurred in 1994, when the Jim Mora-led Saints bested Cincinnati in the final game of the season, 20-13.

Ingram Heating Up

Mark Ingram was selected by the Saints in the first round of the 2011 draft, but his career in New Orleans was largely considered a disappointment heading into the season. After beginning his pro career with two lackluster seasons, the former Heisman Trophy winner out of Alabama picked things up in 2013, finishing the year with an average of 4.9 yards per carry.

Ingram established himself as New Orleans’ top ball-carrier in the first two games of this season, but he’s taken his game to another level in recent weeks.

With fellow running backs Khiry Robinson and Pierre Thomas sidelined with injuries for the last three games, Ingram has made the most of his opportunity as New Orleans’ featured back, with three straight outings with at least 100 yards rushing.

He’s carried the ball with an intense, violent running style, and he’s also demonstrated an ability to shoulder a heavy workload, toting the ball 24, 30 and 27 times in these last three contests.

The Saints will undoubtedly look to get Ingram rolling again Sunday against Cincinnati’s formidable linebacking corps, which is led by middle linebacker Rey Maualuga.

Injury Report

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The Saints are a banged-up football team right now, and this week’s injury report is quite extensive.

At the top of the list is cornerback Keenan Lewis, who suffered a knee injury against San Francisco. According to the team’s official site, NewOrleansSaints.com, Lewis didn’t practice Thursday, and it’s unknown whether or not he’ll be available come Sunday.

The Saints could certainly use their top cover man against the likes of A.J. Green this week, as the explosive Bengals wideout presents a tremendous challenge to any secondary he faces.

Starting linebacker Curtis Lofton also missed practice Thursday with an ankle injury, as did running backs Khiry Robinson (arm), Pierre Thomas (rib/shoulder) and Edwin Baker (concussion). Reserve wideout Robert Meachem, meanwhile, was held out with an ankle injury.

Mark Ingram was limited in Thursday’s practice with a nagging shoulder injury, as was linebacker David Hawthorne (hand).

X-Factors and Matchups to Watch

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Cam Jordan and Junior Galette vs. Andrew Whitworth

With a combined six sacks in the past three games, New Orleans pass-rushers Cam Jordan and Junior Galette are finally starting to showcase the form they exhibited in 2013, when they rang up a total of 24.5 sacks.

Both players are winning more battles than they were earlier in the season, when it seemed the Saints couldn’t buy a big play on defense. The duo’s improved play has contributed to better play in the New Orleans secondary, which was abysmal throughout the early portion of the season.

Jordan and Galette will once again be counted on this Sunday, as they line up against the Bengals’ mammoth offensive tackle, Andrew Whitworth. The 6’7” 330-pounder is one of the best left tackles in the game and has been for the last couple of seasons. He’s solid in pass protection, but he’s also a ferocious run-blocker and plays with a mean streak.

Jordan and Galette will each get face time with Whitworth, and these one-on-one battles should be fun to watch.

Zach Strief vs. Carlos Dunlap

In Marvin Lewis’ 4-3 defense, Carlos Dunlap mans the left end spot, and he makes for a challenging assignment for Saints right tackle Zach Strief.

Dunlap is quick off the edge as a pass-rusher, and he’s even better against the run. He started off the season on a tear, recording sacks in each of the Bengals’ first three games, but he’s cooled off a bit as of late.

Strief is having a nice season on the right side of New Orleans’ offensive line, but the big man will have his hands full Sunday against an athletic, highly active defensive end.

Saints X-Factor of the Week: Travaris Cadet

The Bengals’ veteran secondary has held up well against the deep ball all season, and while Payton and Brees love to stretch the field vertically, it won’t come easy this week against Cincinnati’s battle-tested corners.

In order to hit the home run, New Orleans will first need to set up the Bengals with a short passing game, and that’s where Cadet comes in.

With Pierre Thomas out for the past three games, Cadet has filled in admirably as the Saints’ top receiver out of the backfield. Thomas has missed practice again this week, which means Cadet could have his number called on swing passes and screens against the Bengals on Sunday.

Prediction

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Although Andy Dalton is struggling under center, the Bengals will bring a well-rounded, talent-laden offense into the Superdome on Sunday. They can run the football between the tackles, and they have a pair of explosive wideouts in A.J. Green and Mohamed Sanu.

That being said, Cincinnati will be hard-pressed to escape New Orleans with a win. The Saints' home-field advantage is well-documented, and even though their team came up short last week against the 49ers, the hometown fans should again be loud and energetic come kickoff time.

Look for the New Orleans offense to establish its ground game with Ingram early on and for Brees to work the flats with short passes to Cadet. In the second and third quarters, the Saints should look to get Jimmy Graham involved in the intermediate passing game while Brees tests the Cincinnati secondary over the top with some deep balls. If things go well, New Orleans will try and close things out with another heavy dose of Ingram in the fourth quarter.

The Saints simply have too much firepower to drop this one at home, and they should emerge with their fifth victory of the season.

Prediction: Saints 27, Bengals 14.