The Buffalo Bills are set to take on the Cincinnati Bengals in what is one of the best matchups from NFL’s Week 9 action.
The two were slated to play late last season before Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest on the field in Pittsburgh. They now go up against one another in a game that could end up dictating home-field advantage throughout the AFC Playoffs.
Cincinnati started the season out slowly primarily due to a calf injury Joe Burrow was dealing with. It has won three consecutive games, including a big-time road victory over the San Francisco 49ers last week.
As for the Bills, they’ve been inconsistent throughout the season. Struggles with turnovers have played Sean McDermott’s squad. Despite this, Buffalo heads into Sunday Night Football with a 5-3 record and can match the Miami Dolphins atop the AFC East with a win.
Below, we provide four bold predictions for what promises to be a good game in Cincinnati Sunday evening.
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Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins both go for 100 yards for the Cincinnati Bengals
Chase has been great after struggling to open the season. In fact, the Pro Bowler has tallied 50 receptions for 586 yards and four touchdowns over the past five games. Back in Week 5, Chase caught 15 passes for 192 yards in a win over the Arizona Cardinals.
Buffalo is without star cornerback Tre’Davious White for the remainder of the season. It has led to some major struggles covering wide receivers with players at this position catching 71% of their targets in eight games against the Bills. It’s in this that we also like Higgins going for 100 yards. He has yet to hit that plateau at any point on the campaign. Expect that to change Sunday night.
Two more sacks for Buffalo Bills’ Ed Oliver
Having signed a four-year, $68 million contract extension during the offseason, Oliver is in the midst of a breakout campaign for the Bills. He’s already matched his career high in sacks with five through just seven games. Oliver has also recorded 10 QB hits and 10 tackles for loss.
Look for Oliver to continue his recent dominating performance against Cincinnati on Sunday night. While Burrow has been sacked just 17 times in seven games, we love this matchup for Oliver.
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Trey Hendrickson puts up another multi-sack performance
Pass protecting has been stellar in front of Josh Allen this season, with the Bills’ quarterback going down just 12 times in eight games thus far. A lot of that has to do with Allen’s mobility in the pocket and ability to avoid pass rushers.
Don’t look for that to continue Sunday night. Left tackle Dion Dawkins has a difficult matchup in Hendrickson who has already put up eight sacks on the season, matching his total from a season ago. Hendrickson has put up multiple sacks twice already this season. We’re boldly predicting that he’ll accomplish that feat again Sunday night.
Cincinnati Bengals get fourth consecutive win in blowout fashion
As noted above, Cincinnati has earned three consecutive wins after starting the season with a 1-3 mark. A lot of that has to do with the team’s defense. It has forced eight turnovers during this three-game streak, allowing just 50 total points in the process.
On the other hand, Buffalo has turned the ball over multiple times in four games this season. The team is 1-3 in those four games. We’re anticipating more struggles from Josh Allen and Co. in this regard against a ball-hawking Bengals defense. The end result will be a 34-20 loss for the road team Sunday night.