Cincinnati Bengals Shouldn’t Fall into Jets Revenge

Oct 27, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (14) stops to talk to New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith (7) after the game at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

If you believe the report by Coley Harvey, then the Jets-Bengals game in Cincinnati is almost certain to be a circus. The Jets Defensive Tackle, Sheldon Richardson, has come out and said that they owe the Bengals big time for the 49-9 Bengals blow out last year at the Meadowlands.

The Cincinnati Bengals should be worried about 2 things on Saturday, perfecting their playbook and not falling into the Jets extracurricular activities after the whistle. I am not one who typically cares what Rex Ryan says or does at any point in the season, but I do worry about his team’s mentality this Saturday when they travel into Cincinnati for the 2^nd of 4 preseason games.

If you have seen Andrew Whitworth and the Bengals offensive line get a little testy in past games, you know why I am worried. The Bengals have been known to lose their cool, especially when they get taunted and frustrated. They have been known to take cheap penalties when they have no business doing so.

If any of the Jets share Richardson’s feelings towards the Bengals, then the Bengals will need to keep an eye on their starters and making sure they walk off healthy and clean. If any foul play starts to occur, Marvin Lewis and the Bengals coaches need to get their most important players off the field.

Maybe I am overreacting and they hope to get revenge on the scoreboard, but when I see Coley write “Look for the Bengals to try to get through next week’s game healthy,” I start to get concerned. I am especially concerned with a game that means little and with players that have little to lose.