Predicting the Bengals next five games after Week 10 BYE
Week 12 at Tennessee Titans
If the Bengals can get Josh Tupou and D.J. Reader back by this game, they match up very well against the Titans, which is why they should win. If you slow down Derrick Henry, which is hard to do, then the Titans' offense is fairly one-dimensional. There is not much they have in the passing game. The Tennessee Titans' wideouts have only managed one touchdown combined so far this year.
They succeed by running the ball, mixing in a run-pass option here and there, and then setting up their defense in good spots to rush the passer. The Titans' secondary is not what it has been in the past; however, their front seven, led by Jeffery Simmons, is one of the best in the league, which does not sit well for the Bengals considering how bad they are against elite pass rushers.
Still, the offensive line has been improving week to week, and if they can give Burrow just a little bit of time, he should be able to dissect the defense and put points on the board for the Bengals' offense.
Prediction: Bengals win 24-13
Week 13 vs Kansas City Chiefs
Joe Burrow is 2-0 against Patrick Mahomes, but this could be a game the Bengals drop with how the Chiefs have been playing. Mahomes and Kansas City Chiefs will be looking for revenge, and if the Bengals are still battling injuries at this time, it will be a tall task to limit Mahomes through the air.
Both times the Bengals beat the Chiefs last year, they came back from double-digit deficits. That is not going to be a common trend because it is just too hard to stay consistent with that, and we have seen that this year when trailing by double digits. The Bengals came back in all three of the four, yet are still 0-4 when down by 10 or more points.
This could be one that Cincinnati drops if they fall into another hole, which they have tended to do in all four of their losses this season. However, the Bengals have played the Chiefs fairly well over their last two meetings, especially in the second half after being able to make adjustments at halftime. Although, no Chidobe Awuzie for the rest of the season will hurt a lot of those plans as he is a vital part of the secondary and a key contributor to limiting Patrick Mahomes' success through the air.