New York Jets host Thanksgiving game against the Cincinnati Bengals
The New York Jets will be hoping that it won't require any more late game heroics to get a win against the 2-8 Cincinnati Bengals as the two teams meet at the New Meadowlands Stadium on Thanksgiving Thursday
25 November.
Previous meetings and recent games
The sting of defeat is probably still fresh in the mouths of several Bengals players as the Jets beat them in back-to-back games last season. The Jets won in the final week of the season 37-0, and then
went on to win in their divisional play-off encounter, a week later, by a score of 24-14.
In fact, the Jets have lost only once to the Bengals since the NFL's realignment.
The Bengals currently have the league's longest running losing streak, which is now at seven games. They most recently lost to the lowly Buffalo Bills by a score of 49-31 after leading the game at one
point by a score of 28-7 and giving up 35 unanswered points in the second half.
Since a 9-0 loss to the Green Bay Packers coming out of their bye week, the New York Jets have become one of the most exciting teams in the NFL. They haven't been winning games against the NFL's best competition,
but they have now been involved in three straight games which were either won in overtime or on virtually the last play of the game. Their 72-yard drive on four plays for a touchdown to get a 30-27 win against the Houston Texans was the latest game which came
right down to the wire.
"We're cutting it awfully close," quarterback Mark Sanchez was quoted by reporters as saying recently. "I don't think anybody has any fingernails left if they're a Jets fan."
How they matchup
Football is a sport which often involves analyzing a lot of numbers. Those numbers reveal many things, but rarely tell the whole story. If you match them up man-for-man then you'd be inclined to give the
edge to the Bengals. By the numbers Carson Palmer would edge out Sanchez; you'd give the nod to Cedric Benson over LaDainian Tomlinson; and Terrell Owens would get the edge over Braylon Edwards. But the number that is always the most prized is that in the
win column, and the Bengals only have two while the Jets have eight.
The reason why the two teams have such lopsided records is the fact that if you go beyond their top players, the Bengals are very thin. The Jets have tremendous depth with a great number two rusher in
Shonn Greene, a decent receiving corps which is bolstered by Santonio Holmes and tight end Dustin Keller, utility players such as Brad Smith, a great offensive line, and one of the most menacing defences in the NFL.
What to expect
Carson Palmer is suffering from a sore foot, and was wearing a protective boot at practice recently, but the injury is not expected to keep him out of the lineup on Thursday.
This could be a tricky game for the Jets as they could already have their minds focused on next Monday's game against the New England Patriots. Both of the Jets losses have also come at home this season.
Still, 35 unanswered points in the second half against the Bills says a lot about what kind of a team the Bengals are.
Jets win 31-27.
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