Jets at Bengals
Jets at Bengals
Jets at Bengals
New York Jets at Cincinnati Bengals (-2.5, 34.5)
After taking a 126-hour break and making a 633-mile commute, the Jets and Bengals resume their Week 17 meeting in the playoffs Saturday.
But a lot more has changed since the Jets' 37-0 cakewalk than just time, place and importance. For starters, the Bengals are playing to win.
The healthier, hungrier version of the Bengals will give the Jets their best shot in the rematch, not the half-hearted swat they made Sunday night.
The Bengals didn't wave the white flag like some teams that had already RSVP?ed for the playoffs, but they weren't exactly giving it their all. When the Jets took the early lead and continued to blitz QB Carson Palmer, the Bengals simply took the path of least resistance to the playoffs.
Some might call it packing it in, but war generals call it living to fight another day and that's exactly what Cincinnati chose to do. It's hard to make your mind erase what it saw just a few days before - the Jets clobbering the Bengals like baby seals - but the rematch is a whole new ballgame.
Injury update
Jets linebacker David Harris is probable with an ankle injury that kept him out of Tuesday's practice and cornerback Donald Strickland is questionable with a quadriceps injury, but expect anyone who is on the fence to play to do so now that every game could be a team's last.
The Bengals welcome back several walking-wounded players who sat out of last week's dress rehearsal - running back Cedric Benson, safety Chris Crocker and defensive linemen Domata Peko and Robert Geathers Jr., but the best get-well news is from wide receiver Chad Ochocinco.
Ochocinco injured his knee before Sunday's game and was shut out, but results of an MRI and pain medication say he'll be ready for revenge.
The X-factors
This matchup is more about Xs and Xs, not Xs and Os. With two defensive-minded coaches at their helms, both with roots to the Baltimore Ravens, it would come as no surprise if Jets-Bengals II turns out to be an offensive struggle.
Jets first-year coach Rex Ryan never saw a blitz he didn't like and will likely focus his efforts on putting Palmer on his back before he can put the ball in the air. The Bengals, with Benson back in the backfield, will need to establish the running game to keep Reed's troops honest.
Bengals Marvin Lewis sat on his battle plans last week and will adjust his defense to stop the Jets' ground attack and force Jets rookie QB Mark Sanchez to put it in the air. Running back Thomas Jones ran wild against the Bengals last week but will see a different defense today.
Line movement
Interestingly enough, this one opened at Bengals -4 and immediately started dropping, now at -2.5 to -3 on most books and as low as -2 at a couple shops. Again, it goes back to the general betting public buying into what they've just seen even if the circumstances are different this time.
Also dropping slightly was the total, which opened at 35 and has fallen to 34.5. It makes sense since the Jets and Bengals boast two of the top defensive teams in the league and inconsistent offenses. If those generalities hold true to form, the scoring should be as cold as the weather.
Weather or not
C-c-cold. The forecast calls for a temperature around 18 degrees at kickoff with a much lower wind chill and a 30 percent chance of snow.
Neither team has really had to play in much of the way of bad weather this season before Sunday's chilly warmup, so advantage defenses.
Boys of Troy
With both QBs hailing from sunny USC, the condition could make flying the friendly skies not-so friendly, especially for playoff virgin Sanchez.
Sanchez has been both spectacular and woeful this season, as is commonplace for rookie QBs, and is prone to making mistakes. He has thrown 12 touchdowns to 20 interceptions and is completing less than 54 percent of his passes, not exactly playoff-favorable numbers.
Palmer has had more time to acclimate to the Cincy chill and has hungered for a return to the playoffs for four years, when his first pass of the game - a bomb to the late Chris Henry - resulted in a season-ending injury and loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers.
Defensive battles often come down to which quarterback can make the most plays to will his team to victory. If so, Palmer has the edge in experience, motivation, inspiration from the passing of Henry and a healthy Ochocinco on his side.
86-talking 85
Ochocinco spent last week Twittering to Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis and anyone who would listen about the big game he was going to have in Week 17. Then No. 85 slipped during pre-game warmups, injured his knee and was held without a catch for the first time in 120 games.
"Ochocinco had his ego bruised when he fell down before the game," joked Lewis. "... Other than that, I think he's healthy, as he's Twittered all over America. That's what happens. The only way to come back from that is to put up now. Now is the time for all of us to put up.''
Ochocinco had even vowed to change his name back to Johnson if he got shut down by Revis but broke that promise. He's not making any bold statement leading up to this one ("It's not time to talk, he said. "It's time to play.''), a sign the Bengals are approaching this meeting differently.
Odds and trends
You really can throw out the regular-season records and stats when it comes to the playoffs, and neither side has much recent history to rely on.
The Bengals have won five in a row at home and are 9-0 SU against visiting underdogs. The Jets have won five of their last six SU and ATS but the last two came against teams on playoff cruise control and the other three Ws were against bottom-feeders Tampa Bay, Buffalo and Carolina.
Jets at Bengals
Jets at Bengals
New York Jets at Cincinnati Bengals (-2.5, 34.5)
After taking a 126-hour break and making a 633-mile commute, the Jets and Bengals resume their Week 17 meeting in the playoffs Saturday.
But a lot more has changed since the Jets' 37-0 cakewalk than just time, place and importance. For starters, the Bengals are playing to win.
The healthier, hungrier version of the Bengals will give the Jets their best shot in the rematch, not the half-hearted swat they made Sunday night.
The Bengals didn't wave the white flag like some teams that had already RSVP?ed for the playoffs, but they weren't exactly giving it their all. When the Jets took the early lead and continued to blitz QB Carson Palmer, the Bengals simply took the path of least resistance to the playoffs.
Some might call it packing it in, but war generals call it living to fight another day and that's exactly what Cincinnati chose to do. It's hard to make your mind erase what it saw just a few days before - the Jets clobbering the Bengals like baby seals - but the rematch is a whole new ballgame.
Injury update
Jets linebacker David Harris is probable with an ankle injury that kept him out of Tuesday's practice and cornerback Donald Strickland is questionable with a quadriceps injury, but expect anyone who is on the fence to play to do so now that every game could be a team's last.
The Bengals welcome back several walking-wounded players who sat out of last week's dress rehearsal - running back Cedric Benson, safety Chris Crocker and defensive linemen Domata Peko and Robert Geathers Jr., but the best get-well news is from wide receiver Chad Ochocinco.
Ochocinco injured his knee before Sunday's game and was shut out, but results of an MRI and pain medication say he'll be ready for revenge.
The X-factors
This matchup is more about Xs and Xs, not Xs and Os. With two defensive-minded coaches at their helms, both with roots to the Baltimore Ravens, it would come as no surprise if Jets-Bengals II turns out to be an offensive struggle.
Jets first-year coach Rex Ryan never saw a blitz he didn't like and will likely focus his efforts on putting Palmer on his back before he can put the ball in the air. The Bengals, with Benson back in the backfield, will need to establish the running game to keep Reed's troops honest.
Bengals Marvin Lewis sat on his battle plans last week and will adjust his defense to stop the Jets' ground attack and force Jets rookie QB Mark Sanchez to put it in the air. Running back Thomas Jones ran wild against the Bengals last week but will see a different defense today.
Line movement
Interestingly enough, this one opened at Bengals -4 and immediately started dropping, now at -2.5 to -3 on most books and as low as -2 at a couple shops. Again, it goes back to the general betting public buying into what they've just seen even if the circumstances are different this time.
Also dropping slightly was the total, which opened at 35 and has fallen to 34.5. It makes sense since the Jets and Bengals boast two of the top defensive teams in the league and inconsistent offenses. If those generalities hold true to form, the scoring should be as cold as the weather.
Weather or not
C-c-cold. The forecast calls for a temperature around 18 degrees at kickoff with a much lower wind chill and a 30 percent chance of snow.
Neither team has really had to play in much of the way of bad weather this season before Sunday's chilly warmup, so advantage defenses.
Boys of Troy
With both QBs hailing from sunny USC, the condition could make flying the friendly skies not-so friendly, especially for playoff virgin Sanchez.
Sanchez has been both spectacular and woeful this season, as is commonplace for rookie QBs, and is prone to making mistakes. He has thrown 12 touchdowns to 20 interceptions and is completing less than 54 percent of his passes, not exactly playoff-favorable numbers.
Palmer has had more time to acclimate to the Cincy chill and has hungered for a return to the playoffs for four years, when his first pass of the game - a bomb to the late Chris Henry - resulted in a season-ending injury and loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers.
Defensive battles often come down to which quarterback can make the most plays to will his team to victory. If so, Palmer has the edge in experience, motivation, inspiration from the passing of Henry and a healthy Ochocinco on his side.
86-talking 85
Ochocinco spent last week Twittering to Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis and anyone who would listen about the big game he was going to have in Week 17. Then No. 85 slipped during pre-game warmups, injured his knee and was held without a catch for the first time in 120 games.
"Ochocinco had his ego bruised when he fell down before the game," joked Lewis. "... Other than that, I think he's healthy, as he's Twittered all over America. That's what happens. The only way to come back from that is to put up now. Now is the time for all of us to put up.''
Ochocinco had even vowed to change his name back to Johnson if he got shut down by Revis but broke that promise. He's not making any bold statement leading up to this one ("It's not time to talk, he said. "It's time to play.''), a sign the Bengals are approaching this meeting differently.
Odds and trends
You really can throw out the regular-season records and stats when it comes to the playoffs, and neither side has much recent history to rely on.
The Bengals have won five in a row at home and are 9-0 SU against visiting underdogs. The Jets have won five of their last six SU and ATS but the last two came against teams on playoff cruise control and the other three Ws were against bottom-feeders Tampa Bay, Buffalo and Carolina.
