The cure for the Cincinnati Bengals’ Giant hangover (see what we did there?) should come this Sunday. Why do we say that? Cincinnati hosts the Buffalo Bills – the 3-straight-losses, 3rd in their division, 31st-ranked passing offense in the NFL Buffalo Bills.
It’s a winnable game. We say ‘winnable’ because after the mistakes in last week’s 21-20 loss to New York, games are not slam dunks. If the Cincinnati Bengals can take advantage of these 3 areas, this game should be … more than winnable.
Cincinnati Bengals vs Buffalo Bills – 3 Cincy Keys
1. Use the home-field advantage. The friendly confines of Paul Brown Stadium have been good to the Cincinnati Bengals recently. They haven’t lost at home since September 25 against the Denver Broncos. Buffalo, on the other hand, has lost 3 straight and isn’t feeling the mojo. Make some big plays and get the home crowd into it. It’s a great way to get Buffalo thinking “Here we go again.”
2. Beguile the Bills’ blitz. Buffalo has only given up 10 touchdowns through the air in 2016, but they are blitz-happy, which makes them vulnerable if they can’t get to the QB in time. If, IF, IF! the Bengals’ O-line can hold off the Bills’ rushers for a few seconds, QB Andy Dalton, wide receiver AJ Green, and TE Tyler Eifert should carve up Buffalo and serve them up like wings.
3. Yeah, about that O-line …. Not sure if we emphasized this point enough already. This game rides on the offensive line. Rex Ryan will throw the kitchen sink at the Cincinnati Bengals’ passing attack. Dalton is smart enough to make the right calls, but he’s gotta stay upright. Also, Buffalo is giving up almost 109 rushing yards a game (18th in the league), so a few good runs should affect the Bills’ defensive game plan and open up the play-action pass.
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