The Cincinnati Bengals and Andy Dalton had seemed to quiet most of their skeptics during a record-breaking 8-0 start. But after Monday night's ugly loss to the Houston Texans, many of the old narratives about their primetime collapses and their failure to show up on the biggest stages quickly resurfaced.
Bengals vs. Cardinals 2015, ‘Sunday Night Football’: Cincinnati, Arizona in primetime spotlight again
The Bengals are playing in primetime for the third week in a row. Can they avoid their second straight loss after a historic 8-0 start?
The Bengals are now 4-15 in their last 19 primetime games and 8-17 under coach Marvin Lewis. Cincinnati gets another chance to silence its critics this week with a cross-country road trip to face the NFC West-leading Cardinals on Sunday Night Football.
After their awful performance on Monday night, the Bengals again are facing questions about their tendency to flop when the sun goes down and the spotlight shines brightest. Cincy couldn't score a single touchdown, becoming the first 8-0 or better team to not reach the end zone in a game since the 1934 Lions. In front of a national television audience, Dalton had a nightmare outing, recording season lows in passing yards (197), yards per attempt (5.2) and touchdowns (0).
Although the Bengals' perfect season came to a screeching halt last week, the good news is that it did little to slow down their pursuit of an AFC North title. They still hold a comfortable 2.5-game lead over the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Football Outsiders' playoff odds report gives them a 95.5 percent chance to win the division. Following this game in Arizona, their schedule lightens up, too, with four of their final six contests against teams with losing records.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals are coming off a statement win against the Seattle Seahawks that could go down as the pivotal moment in Arizona's regular season. With the victory, they took a commanding three-game lead in the division and asserted themselves as the dominant power in the NFC West. They now have 91.3 percent odds to take home the title, per Football Outsiders, and have the inside track to a first-round playoff bye as well.
A key takeaway from their 39-32 triumph over the Seahawks was the resiliency the Cardinals showed in rallying to beat the defending NFC champions in front of a hostile crowd. Most teams would have wilted after choking away a 19-point lead on the road against a bitter rival; instead, Carson Palmer calmly led them on two fourth-quarter touchdown drives and the Cardinals legitimized themselves as the team to beat out west.
Digits
Perhaps the most shocking part of the Bengals’ first loss was their monumental struggle on the offensive side of the ball. They entered Week 10 with the league’s third-ranked scoring offense and sixth-ranked total offense, but managed just 256 yards and six points, both season-lows.
If this poor effort is a real trend and not just a minor blip, Cincy could be in trouble on Sunday night. Arizona’s defense is one of the best in the league and simply doesn’t let any team move the ball efficiently on the ground or through the air. The Cardinals are allowing the third-fewest total yards per game, fourth-fewest rushing yards and third-fewest yards per passing play in the NFL this season.
Not only do the Cardinals feature a top-notch defense, they also boast arguably the league’s most dynamic offense. Arizona ranks first in total yards and yards per play, and is a close second in points per game. Carson Palmer, who faces the team that took him with the first overall pick in the 2003 Draft, is putting up MVP-caliber numbers. He is the highest-graded quarterback at Pro Football Focus, leads the league in ESPN’s Total Quarterback Rating, and ranks second in both yards per attempt and passing touchdowns.
The way the Cardinals are dominating on both sides of the ball, they have to be considered prime Super Bowl contenders. They are the only team that ranks in the top six in Football Outsiders adjusted efficiency ratings on both offense (third) and defense (sixth), and they have the second-best point differential in the NFL. Bovada has them with the second-best betting odds to win it all, while ESPN's Football Power Index gives them a 25.4 percent chance to earn a ring, behind only the Patriots (32.3 percent).
Who to Watch
The matchup on the outside between Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson and Bengals wideout A.J. Green should be terrific. Peterson has rebounded from a couple of subpar seasons to establish himself again as one the league's true shutdown corners this year. Per Pro Football Focus, he has allowed only 48.6 percent of throws in his direction to be caught and has surrendered just one touchdown in nine games.
Green had a chance to be the hero for the Bengals on Monday night, but he lost a fumble in the final minute as Cincinnati was driving for the game-winning touchdown. Can he bounce back from that crushing mistake? Green has topped the 100-yard mark just twice this season and only once since his monster 227-yard effort in Week 3. In his last two games combined, he’s caught only nine passes and has zero touchdowns.
How to Watch
When: 8:30 p.m. ET
Where: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
TV: NBC
Announcers: Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya
Online: NBC Sports Live Extra
Odds
The Cardinals are 5-point favorites and the over/under is 48, according to OddsShark.com.
Preliminary Judgment
The Cardinals are a near-unanimous pick to send the Bengals to a second straight loss. Over at CBS Sports, seven of the eight guys are taking Arizona, and nearly all of ESPN’s experts are going with the Cardinals. Here at SB Nation, it’s a clean sweep on the eight-member panel for the Cardinals.
Further Reading
To get caught up on the Bengals, head over to Cincy Jungle. For everything Cardinals, check out Revenge of the Birds.
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