NFL Divisional Round Preview: Bengals vs. Bills
The Bengals and Bills were set to play one of the most anticipated games of the regular season on the Monday night of week 17.
A match-up with major playoff implications ended up being canceled after Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field after going into cardiac arrest.
The two teams will meet again this Sunday in the Divisional Round less than three weeks after the cancellation, and both are looking to make a run to the Super Bowl.
Both Buffalo and Cincinnati played in closer games than expected in their Wild Card matches.
The Bills didn’t play well throughout the first half and most of the third quarter. They turned the ball over three times in that span which included a fumble that the Dolphins returned for a touchdown.
If Tua Tagovailoa were healthy, there was a good chance that the Dolphins could have won the game with the Bills’ handling of the ball.
The Bengals also seemed to play down to the Ravens this past weekend.
Early in the fourth quarter, Baltimore was on an impressive drive to Cincinnati’s one-yard line.
Ravens’ quarterback Tyler Huntley went over the offensive line to try to score and fumbled the ball in the process. The Bengals returned the ball 98 yards for a touchdown.
If Huntley was able to get the ball into the endzone, the Bengals may have lost the game as neither team would score after that play.
Joe Burrow cannot allow his offense to go stagnant as the Bills still put up 34 points when their offense wasn’t at its best. The Bengals only scored two offensive touchdowns against the Ravens, but that won’t get it done this Saturday.
On the other hand, Josh Allen will have to be more careful with the football. If the Bengals can get their offense going, they’ll be able to take advantage of the Bills’ turnovers.
If the Bengals can incorporate the run game into their offense, they might be able to get their offense functioning at a high level again.
The Bengals have been pass-first all season and with good reason considering their receiving core. They ranked fourth to last in the NFL in rushing yards this season.
Even though Cincinnati’s offensive line isn’t the best in the league, they still have a dangerous running back in Joe Mixon. With a weapon like him in the backfield, he should be used to give the offense another dimension.
But incorporating him can be a struggle as the Bills have allowed the fourth-lowest rushing yards on the season.
If Cincinnati doesn't try to get the run game going, the Bills can focus on defending the pass.
The Bills have less problems to fix offensively. Allen still threw for 352 yards and had three touchdowns even with the three turnovers.
Usually, turnovers are an easier problem to fix than a stagnant offense. Buffalo has the easier offensive problems to solve and should be able to take care of business in a close game.
Prediction: 31-24 Bills
Jayson O’Connell is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jbo5216@psu.edu.
