AFC Game Of The Week
Cincinnati Bengals at Tennessee Titans
Bengals: As everyone is around this time, they’re banged up and missing key guys. Whenever the AFC gets discussed or analyzed, who are the first teams that get mentioned? The Kansas City Chiefs, the Buffalo Bills and the Baltimore Ravens. Talk about a team getting swept under the rug, because they are still the reigning AFC champions, and you still must go through them if you want to get anywhere in the conference. As I mentioned the injuries, they’ve been without Ja’Marr Chase for a few games and because of his absence, they’ve attempted to use more of a ground attack to move the ball up and down the field. You all know my admiration for Joe Burrow, and this goes back to his days back at LSU when he was in college. This kid is going to throw the ball and he never goes down without a fight. If I had to apply the term “Mamba Mentality” to some NFL players, Joe would be at the top of the list. I just hope the Bengals keep this kid protected and get him some Offensive Line these next few years, because the way he gets it in the pocket, he won’t make it to a decade in this league. He could retire early in his career just how Andrew Luck did and look at how he used to get hit. On Sunday, the Bengals had to grind that game out against the Steelers. It wasn’t easy as all football games aren’t, but they did just enough to escape and made more plays down the stretch to execute. In week 12, they’ll be back on the road in Nashville.
Titans: Week 11 in Green Bay was the best I’ve seen them look all season long. They’ve come such a long way, especially after starting the year 0-2. As most teams do, the Packers overcompensated for the Running Back and dared Ryan Tannehill to beat them. I know I’ve been fairly critical of him and have said I don’t trust him, but when he’s in his box and playing his game, he’s not bad. Last week was the best I’ve ever seen Tannehill look. He was in control of the game and carved up a good Green Bay pass defense. It’s good to see Derrick Henry back on the field and healthy again and it should be no surprise that he’s leading the league in rushing. This is simply what the Tennessee Titans do. They want to run the football until you find a way to stop it which is easier said than done. I liked Mike Vrabel as a player, and I like him even more as a coach. He’s a blue-collar guy and his players respond to him very well. You can tell Bill Belichick has rubbed off on him because he has the same game plans as his former coach. That’s sticking within your box. If something is winning you football games, stick with it! Don’t get cute! The next is the defense and just like Bill, Mike wants to take away what it is you do best and force you to beat him in a different way. This is the second most physical team in the NFL behind the San Francisco 49ers. On Sunday, they return home for a big showdown in the AFC.
Bengals X-Factor: BJ Hill– 300 pounders shouldn’t be as quick off the snap of the football as BJ is. Also, you don’t see many 300 pounders chasing the ball as quickly as he does. His first step is what allows him to win all those one-on-one battles up front in the trenches. BJ will get to that Quarterback and even when he doesn’t, he still affects the play. I remember him intercepting Patrick Mahomes in the AFC Championship game back in January this year. BJ can also push the pocket and make you move as a Quarterback.
Titans X-Factor: Kevin Byard– This man doesn’t get the respect he deserves. He’s been one of the best Safeties in the league Kevin plays well in the passing game and can play in the box. He plays with range, communication and anticipation. Kevin almost plays his position as if he’s a linebacker because he reads the play or Quarterback, then he reacts and makes his play on the football. If you’re looking for a true ballhawk, look no further than Kevin Byard. He’s a strong magnetic force to the ball.
Final Thoughts: This was the matchup that kicked off the greatest weekend of playoff football any of us have ever seen. Ten months later, here we go again with the rematch. This was a physical, grind it out football game and I expect the same type of game here on Sunday. When they met in the playoffs, the Titans sacked Joe Burrow a total of nine times. I’ll be watching in this matchup how the Bengals will adjust against this Tennessee defensive front. Can Ryan Tannehill have another solid game? The Titans can be weird at times because they rely on two things and that’s running the ball and playing strong defense. If the running game gets shut down, can the Titans depend on Ryan to bail them out? Ja’Marr Chase is expected to be back after missing games with a hip injury. What’s in store for the rematch?
Prediction: Bengals 24, Titans 21
