Bengals vs. Giants 2016: Game time, TV schedule, and team news for ‘Monday Night Football’

When the Cincinnati Bengals visit the New York Giants in Week 10, the Monday Night Football matchup has playoff implications for both teams. At 3-4-1, the Bengals probably shouldn’t be in the mix for a divisional crown. Thankfully for them, they play in the AFC North. At 5-3, the Giants are currently holding on to a wild card spot, but they’re in the shadow of the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East.

The AFC North has become one of the NFL’s most embattled divisions thanks to swoons from all four teams. The Baltimore Ravens started the season 3-0 and now lead the North at 5-4. The Pittsburgh Steelers got off to a 4-1 start and now sit in second place behind their arch rival. The Browns own the mother of all slumps, which now stands at 10 losses (and counting).

Then there are the Bengals, who will need a late-season rally to keep a streak of five straight playoff appearances alive. Cincinnati fell behind the division’s leaders with a rotten 2-4 start thanks in part to a brutal schedule. A recent 1-0-1 stretch, which included the first NFL tie on foreign soil and quite possibly the first exciting tie in league history, has them back in the playoff hunt, although a wild card bid might be out of reach.

Andy Dalton has been solid at quarterback but struggled to drive his offense into the end zone. Cincinnati scored touchdowns on 65 percent of its red zone drives in 2015. This fall, that figure has dropped to 52 percent as the Bengals have scored just 20.9 points per game. After throwing 25 touchdowns in 13 games last season, Dalton has only nine through eight games in 2016.

New York will provide a stiff test for Marvin Lewis’s team. The Bengals have yet to defeat a team with a winning record this season, toppling the New York Jets (3-6), Miami Dolphins (4-4), and Browns (0-9). The Giants are another tough matchup in a schedule that already included games against the Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, and Cowboys. Recent history suggests the Bengals won’t just lose — they’ll lose by two touchdowns.

The Giants are trending upward after a 2-3 start. Eli Manning has guided his team to three straight wins over postseason hopefuls like Baltimore, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia to put New York in line for its first playoff berth since since the Super Bowl in 2011. While Manning has continued to struggle with interceptions — he’s throwing one per game so far this year — he’s also had the most accurate season behind center of his 13-year career and is on pace for a 4,500-yard, 24-touchdown campaign.

The offense hasn’t been the sole factor in New York’s turnaround. The Giants have been one of the league’s most effective teams when it comes to shutting down opposing quarterbacks, holding opponents to just a 75.8 passer rating.

While New York has the lowest sack rate in the league at just 3 percent, an opportunistic secondary has badgered opponents into eight interceptions through eight games. That bodes well for the team’s postseason hopes.

However, New York also plays in a division where each team is playing .500 football or better. A victory on Sunday is paramount to the team’s ability to keep pace in the mounting tempest known as the NFC East. Cincinnati also needs a win, although relying on the AFC North to stumble might not be a terrible bet in 2016.

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET

Place: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.

TV: ESPN

Announcers: Sean McDonough, Jon Gruden, and Lisa Salters

Online: WatchESPN