Bengals vs Jets: Madden simulation for Week 3

Things haven't gone according to plan for the Cincinnati Bengals this year. They're 0-2 to start the year and Madden has also had a rough start to the year, incorrectly projecting two Bengals wins through the first two weeks of the season.

It wasn't shocking that Madden -- and most people -- picked the Bengals to win last week considering that Cooper Rush was the guy quarterbacking the Dallas Cowboys offense. Rush and the 'Boys got the win though and the Bengals now have to figure out a way to crawl out of the 0-2 hole they've dug themselves into.

Up next is a date with the feisty New York Jets, who have one more win than the Bengals do. The Jets were able to come from behind and take down the Browns in Week 2 and didn't look like the Jets everyone has picked on over the last decade. Oh and don't forget, the Jets managed to beat the Bengals last year too, but this is a whole new season, as we're finding out.

Week 3 Madden Sim: Bengals 23, Jets 17

Once again, the video game is predicting a Cincinnati Bengals victory.

Also once again though, the Bengals get off to a slow start and the Jets are leading 10-3 entering the locker room at half time. The lone touchdown of the game is scored by Braxton Berrios on a 34-yard punt return. Greg Zuerlein also boots through a 23-yard field goal and Evan McPherson has a 52-yard field goal to give us the only other points of the half.

In the second half, the Bengals offense finally gets cooking. Joe Burrow starts the half with a 47-yard pass to Ja'Marr Chase, which sets the good guys up in the red zone. Five plays later, Samaje Perine is dashing into the end zone on a 13-yard touchdown run to make it a 10-10 game.

The two teams trade punts on the next two drives and then the Jets manage to take the lead on a play where Michael Carter breaks through the trenches with a massive 72-yard touchdown run. Now it's 17-10 Jets but there's still plenty of time for Cincinnati to come back in this one.

As we enter the fourth quarter, the Bengals are driving and cap off the long drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass from Joe Burrow to Hayden Hurst. We're now all squared up at 17 but can the Bengals keep the Jets out of the end zone and off the scoreboard for the rest of the game?

On the Jets' next drive, Trey Hendrickson tears through the New York offensive line and sacks Flacco, who fumbles the football. Sam Hubbard scoops up the ball and returns it the other way for six points. McPherson misses the extra point, which means that if the Jets manage to get down the field, score a touchdown and convert the extra-point, they'd be leading by one.

While the Jets do manage to work their way down the field and get into the red zone, they're forced to go for it on fourth-and-goal and Flacco's pass falls incomplete. Crisis averted, at least in the video game universe.

Burrow isn't anything special in this game, tossing 242 yards with the lone touchdown. Joe Mixon leaves the game early with an injury, which is why Perine had the touchdown. Perine puts up 62 yards on the ground and has 12 yards as a pass-catcher.

Speaking of pass-catchers, Hurst had the only touchdown through the air in this one but Ja'Marr Chase led the way in receiving yards with 95 off of six catches. Tee Higgins has a respectable game too with four catches for 65 yards.

Defensively, Hendrickson forced a fumble and Hubbard recovered it for the score. Hendrickson also notched a sack on Flacco while D.J. Reader also got a sack on the long-time Ravens quarterback.

As for the Jets, Flacco threw for 303 yards in this sim but failed to get the ball into the end zone. Carter's 72-yard touchdown run made him the Jets leading rusher and he finished the day with 90 yards on the ground. Elijah Moore led the way in receiving yards with 47.

Defensively for the Jets, familiar-face Carl Lawson gets home and sacks Burrow twice. Otherwise, it's actually not a bad day at the office for the Bengals o-line.

This is a must-win game for the Cincinnati Bengals. They can't fall to 0-3 or else it's going to be really difficult to get into the playoffs and repeat as AFC champions. Will Madden's prediction of them finally securing a win come true?