NFL Cincinnati BengalsNew England Patriots

Cincinnati Bengals vs. New England Patriots: Predicting the Final Score

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By @BZarp

What is One Reason Cincinnati Bengals Defeated New England Patriots

Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

One of the most anticipated matchups in Week 5 of the NFL season is the Cincinnati Bengals visiting the New England Patriots on Sunday night. Fans are curious to see if the Patriots will be able to rebound from their humiliating loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last Monday, and if their will be any further evidence that their dynasty is coming to an end. Meanwhile, the Bengals are one of two undefeated teams left heading into Week 5, and they’ll put that undefeated record on the line in prime time.

The matchup to watch in this game is obviously the struggling New England offense against the Cincinnati defense. The Bengals have allowed just 11 points per game over their first three games of the season, which could be a problem for the Patriots, who have one of the worst offenses statistically through the first month of the season. The Bengals have a defensive front that can put pressure on most quarterbacks with a four-man rush, and that unit could be particularly troublesome for New England, who is starting two rookies on the offensive line. Tom Brady has been put under pressure all season. However, even if the Patriots can solve their problems up front, Brady doesn’t have the support he needs from his receivers running backs, which should make it difficult for New England to score points against a talented and well-balanced Cincinnati defense.

It could be up to the New England defense to keep the Patriots in the game, although that unit had immense struggles against the Chiefs on Monday night. The Patriots do have the top-rated pass defense in the NFL, allowing 185 passing yards per game. However, Andy Dalton will be the best quarterback they’ve played this season, and A.J. Green will provide the toughest matchup that Darrelle Revis and the New England secondary have faced this season. The Patriots should also be concerned about the two-headed Cincinnati rushing attack of Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill, as New England has not been stout against the run this year and allowed two different rushers to gain more than 90 yards last week.

Heading into the season, this game looked like a big matchup between two of the top contenders in the AFC. However, a month into the season, it has mismatch written all over it. The Patriots have profound issues on offense, and it’ll be difficult for them to work through their issues against the Cincinnati defense. Brady should expect to be under a lot of pressure once again, and unless the New England defense can keep Dalton and company under check, it could be another long night for the Patriots.

Prediction: Cincinnati 35, New England 17

Bryan Zarpentine is a New York Mets writer at www.RantSports.com.  Like him on Facebook, follow him on twitter @BZarp and add him on Google.

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