Bills/Bengals Preview: 5 Questions with Stripe Hype
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The Buffalo Bills go to Cincinnati this weekend, looking for their first road win against T.O and the Bengals.
The Bills have been playing better than what their record indicates, and I believe they have a shot to make it two in a row this Sunday.
I went to Nate Wilkinson of Stripe Hype for find out his take on the Bills/Bengals match-up.
BLD: The Bengals signed Terrell Owens in the offseason and all everyone heard about was how awesome the ‘Dynamic Duo’ of Owens and OchoCinco was going to be. Well the Bengals are now sitting at 2-7, has the addition of Owens hurt the chemistry of this team?
SH: Owens’ addition has not necessarily hurt the team, but he hasn’t exactly helped it either. Cincinnati has been passing significantly more than last year and the team is better built for a ground-based attack. Furthermore, despite Owens’ solid statistics, he has stopped short or slowed down on a few routes that have led to interceptions. I would imagine Bengals nation is split on whether people would like to see him come back next year.
BLD: Cedric Benson had great success running the ball last year (96.2 yrds/game), but doesn’t seem to be getting the same type of success this year (69.2 yrds/game), what are the reasons behind his drop in production?
SH: The offensive line hasn’t played as well as last year and the team has been playing from behind in almost every game this season. Taken together, those two things have led to a drastic dropoff in production for Benson. It’s also possible that Benson is a little beaten down from so many carries last year as well.
BLD: Plain and simple, do you still believe in Carson Palmer?
SH: I believe in Carson Palmer as an effective quarterback, but no longer an elite one. I think many of Palmer’s interceptions this season have resulted from errors or inconsistencies by his receivers, but he always takes the blame himself. Palmer is a rhythm passer and has done well in the hurry-up and no-huddle offense. But outside of that, Palmer hasn’t been consistent this year – much like the rest of the offense.
BLD: Besides the big names in Cincinnati, tell us Bills fans who we should look out for on Sunday on both the offense and defensive side of things.
SH: Leon Hall is one of the better cornerbacks in the National Football League, but he doesn’t get much recognition playing in Cincinnati. He’s solid in pass coverage and aggressive against the run. He should have a good game Sunday. In addition, keep your eyes out for Cincinnati’s impact rookies, Jordan Shipley and Jermaine Gresham.
BLD: Game Prediction?
SH: I think Cincinnati bounces back at home, where the defense has been playing pretty well all season. Bengals 24-13.