Once Upon A Time In Las Vegas – Divisional Round
In perhaps the most anticipated matchup of the NFL's Divisional Playoff weekend, the Cincinnati Bengals travel to Buffalo to take on the Bills for the right to go to the AFC Championship game. The Bengals reached the divisional round on the strength of a 24-17 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night. The Bills, meanwhile, were able to oust a feisty Dolphins teams 34-31 on Sunday afternoon. The opening kickoff for this exciting AFC Divisional matchup is scheduled for 3:00 PM EST.
The Cincinnati Bengals are back in familiar territory as they reach the divisional round of the AFC playoffs for the second straight year. The Bengals will get a second shot at a Bills team that finished just a 1/2 game ahead of them following the unfortunate health scare suffered by Bills safety Damar Hamlin just three weeks ago. Luckily, Hamlin appears to be on the fast track to recovery so this game can strictly be about football. Already an underdog in the game, the Bengals have an additional chip on their shoulder since the defending AFC champs are rarely mentioned in the same breath as AFC favorites Buffalo and Kansas City.
“I don't think you are going to find a whole lot of people that would feel like we were mentioned with those teams very often,” Bengals OC Brian Callahan said. “I'm sure our guys carry that chip on their shoulder. We always knew how good we were capable of being.”
The Bengals struggled last week as heavy favorites against division rival Baltimore, who played once again without star quarterback Lamar Jackson. Quarterback Joe Burrow went 23-of-32 for just 209 yards and one touchdown. He also ran for a score in a close win. The game turned when Baltimore fumbled at the Cincinnati one-yard line and DE Sam Hubbard raced 99 yards for the deciding score. Burrow was sacked four times in the game and the Bengals rushed for just 51 yards.
Hubbard-Yard Dash or Fumble in The Jungle? The trio discusses the touchdown that will live in Bengals history forever.
Who Dey Conversations | @PaycorInc pic.twitter.com/5Mfaml0nXX
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) January 19, 2023
Bengals' quarterback Burrow will likely be playing behind a patchwork offensive line once again. He will likely have three reserve lineman protecting this week and left tackle Jonah Williams and right guard Alex Cappa are still recovering from injury. Still, the Bengals offense cannot be taken lightly. Cincinnati finished 7th in the NFL in points per game this season. They may try to lean more on a run game that is just 29th in the NFL but might be crucial to give Burrow more time in the pocket. Cincinnati is also 7th in the NFL in passing offense and have been excellent in the red zone, ranking 5th in converting red zone opportunities into touchdowns. Defensively, the Bengals have been one of the more underrated teams in the league. Cincinnati is ranked 6th in scoring defense this season and they are giving up two less points per game over the last three games. They are 9th against the run and 23rd against the pass on the season. The Bengals have been excellen t in the red zone defensively as well. They are fifth in the league in keeping teams out of the end zone in red zone opportunities. The Bengals have been protective of the football as well, ranking fifth in the league in turnover differential.
Key Injuries: OL Williams and Cappa are likely out again this week. CB Tre Flowers has a hamstring issue, which could be an issue if he is unable to go on Sunday.
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