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Everybody in New England Loves the Cincinnati Bengals (For One Night Only)


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Everybody in New England Loves the Cincinnati Bengals (For One Night Only)


  • Boston.com Staff
  • December 21, 2014 6:04 PM
bengals_wilbur_1221.jpg

Go Bengals.

A win over the visiting Denver Broncos Monday night and the Cincinnati Bengals can not only stamp their NFL playoff passport, they would also afford the New England Patriots the chance to leave their bags at home, packed and marked only for Glendale, Ariz.

Yes, those Bengals. The Cincinnati team that the Patriots embarrassed, 41-14, at the crossroads of both franchises’ seasons, is the same one New England fans will be pulling for in the final game of Week 16. Back when the Patriots were only 2-2, coming off a disastrous effort in Kansas City, they welcomed a 3-0 Bengals team that had NFL experts swearing this time was, honest to goodness, for real.

If we only knew then…

The Patriots sealed at least a first-round playoff bye with a nerve-wracking, 17-16 win over the New York Jets Sunday that could best be classified as “sloppy.” Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady was sketchy all afternoon, clearly missing wide receiver Julian Edelman, who missed the game with concussion symptoms. And while Danny Amendola (eight catches, 63 yards) performed admirably in his absence, Brady’s comfort level without his go-to guy was clearly affected, leading to an afternoon in which he threw for only 182 yards.

New England’s offensive line didn’t do him any favors either - particularly Marcus Cannon and Nate Solder - as the Jets sacked Brady four times. There was a point in the first half during which Brady ripped his linemen on the sidelines, visibly upset over having no time to read the field.

All of a sudden, the play of the offensive line is in focus again after remaining a point of strength through the bulk of the season. Coincidentally, it was in that same Bengals game on Oct. 5 that the unit suddenly made competence appear out of nowhere. But save for the second half against Miami last weekend, and the New England offensive machine sure looks like it needs an oil change. It survived against the Jets and snuck past the Chargers.

The Bengals can make it so it doesn’t matter what happens against Buffalo, only that New England’s offense shows up renewed and ready for another 2,689-mile trip to Arizona, home of Super Bowl XLIX.

As for Sunday? Chalk it up to injuries to Edelman and LeGarrette Blount. Blame it on the fact that the Jets give the Patriots fits, no matter the situation. Hell, give Rex Ryan all the credit in the world on his way out if you want.

"We're the team that always gives [Brady] his biggest challenge, whether he admits it or not,” Ryan said after what was likely his final home game as HC of the NYJ.

Shucks, let the man have it.

For as ugly as the win was, just be grateful that it didn’t go down the same way it did a year ago in Miami, when the Patriots coughed up home-field advantage with a 24-20 loss on Dec. 15. You know the rest of the story.

One year later, it’s in the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals, trying to prevent the Patriots from traveling back to Denver for the AFC title game, and instead, potentially scheduling it for Route 1 next month. That would make it third championship game at Gillette Stadium in the last four years.

The Pats truly, nearly blew it all away - again - in the Meadowlands on Sunday.

No matter. The Bengals can clinch everything for New England on Monday.

If the Broncos end up beating the Bengals Monday, New England still holds the head-to-head tiebreaker and the No. 1 seed in the AFC. But a Bengals' win affords New England the opportunity to rest the likes of Brady and Rob Gronkowski next Sunday against the Bills. In effect, it gives the teams’ vital cogs a second bye week to play with.

Everybody loves the Bengals Monday night. Quarterback Andy Dalton is a stud. Marvin Lewis is a hands-on coach who brings his game in the biggest moments. Jeremy Hill is the NFL’s next, big thing in the running game, and the Bengals defense is primed to give Peyton Manning fits in what’s forecast to be a 45-degree night in Cincinnati.

They’re playing for their playoff lives, but more importantly, they’re playing for the Pats.

Home field on the line.

The Bengals have been labeled chokers on the big stage, both during regular-season playoff chases and in the postseason, where Dalton and Lewis turn into a pumpkin and the hare as far as winning is concerned. Even at 9-4-1, the Sons of Boomer Esiason could end up owning the third-best record in the league. It would be their best mark since 1988.

"This is everything wrapped into one game,” Bengals' lineman Andrew Whitworth told Cincinnati.com. “Make the playoffs, beat a (good) team in prime time. It doesn't define you, but this is the kind of game if we're ever going to take the next step, we have to win.

"You have to have everybody. You have an opportunity to have the best record around here in I don't know how long. We have a chance to be 11-4-1. You wouldn't think that, if you've been in this locker room all year. It's crazy.

"You'd think we're somewhere (around) .500. Guys have kind of overreacted to the way we've played in certain games. I think it's guys coming to the reality that, 'Man this is a good football team'. Mentally, if we show up ready to play, we can beat anybody.’'

Time to believe. It’s time to toss faith into Cincinnati. When did that city ever thwart the dreams of Boston sports fans anyway?

Bet on the Bengals. Monday, at least.

I mean, let’s not get crazy.

 

http://www.boston.com/sports/columnists/wilbur/2014/12/everybody_in_new_england_loves_the_cincinnati_beng.html

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Interesting thought....

 

What if Rex Ryan is fired and the bengals win and meet the patriots in the divisional round, I wonder if the bengals would consider bringing in Rex Ryan as a special defensive assistant to help stop the patriots....the Jets are terrible, but it seems like they're the patriots Kryptonite....I'd be willing to pay him 20-50K to have him come in for the playoffs.

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