NFL
By: Jalen Willingham
The Cincinnati Bengals will travel to Foxborough to face the New England Patriots in week 16 of the 2022 NFL Season.
When: December 24, 2022
Network: CBS
Offense
The Bengals offense was off to a rough start versus Tampa Bay but turned it around in the second half. Joe Burrow has officially entered the MVP conversation although I doubt he’ll win it. Cincinnati is flying high on a 6 game-winning streak which is also the best in the league at the moment. New England on the other hand is desperately trying to move on from the most heartbreaking way to lose a game that I’ve seen in quite some time.
A big challenge awaits Cincinnati’s offense in Foxborough. With the Bengals offense facing the Patriots, the best thing about the New England defense has no doubt been their pass rush. When asked about the New England defense, offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said “They look like a Patriots defense.” Their 48-sack total is third in the NFL while their hurry percentage is the best. Matt Judon and Josh Uche have been leading the charge in terms of getting to the quarterback. Burrow has been sacked five times in the last three weeks. Judon or Uche is going to have to command a double team to help sustain drives.
It’s imperative that Cincinnati doesn’t turn the ball over in this game. They were able to get away with it last week versus an inconsistent team. The Patriots are also a top-scoring defense as well. Tight end Hayden Hurst is progressing toward playing soon. I expect Cincinnati to still utilize Mitchell Wilcox especially after him scoring his first career touchdown. The Bengals need to keep doing what they’ve been doing offensively. Throw to whoever is open. Don’t force any targets. Don’t go away from the run game too early
Defense
For once in my life, I can finally say that a team made Tom Brady choke. Brady was 89-0 when leading by 17 going into week 15. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo continues to find ways to get things done while dealing with a ton of injuries. It’s truly been the definition of next man up. Luckily, this week should be much easier for Anarumo and the Bengals defense as a whole. I actually don’t think Mac Jones is a bad quarterback. It’s just that Matt Patricia is his offensive coordinator. Their scheme has been uncreative and I think it should be easy to face on Saturday. New England is also averaging only two trips to the red zone per game. That is the lowest in the Bill Belichick era. They are also 30th in goal-to-go and 29th on third down.
Like many Patriot offenses, a big part of their game plan relies on the running game. Rhamondre Stevenson has had a solid year and is coming off a 172-yard rushing performance in Las Vegas. The Bengals need to stop the run. The linebacker core of Logan Wilson and Germain Pratt has been on fire as of late and I expect them to fly around once again. The Bengals defense will be without defensive end Sam Hubbard. Filling in for Hubbard will be second-year edge Joseph Ossai. Trey Hendrickson is slowly progressing toward making a return to the field to play on Saturday,
If Cincinnati wins, they officially clinch a playoff spot. While I do think the Bengals can win this game, a part of me does feel like this could be a trap game. History is also not on the side of Cincinnati as well. The last time they beat the Patriots was in week 5 in 2013. The last time they beat the Patriots in New England was week 14 in 1986. I don’t expect to see a high-scoring game.
Prediction
Bengals win 20-17
