The New York Giants (2-3) will look to win their first home game this season as they host the Cincinnati Bengals (1-4) on Sunday Night Football. This will be the 12th meeting between these two franchises, with the Bengals holding a 6-5 advantage.
This game has the potential to be one of the highest-scoring matchups of Week 6, as the 140 points the Bengals have scored are tied for the fourth-most in the league, and New York’s offense finally coming to life in their 29-20 win over the Seattle Seahawks last week.
This is a huge game for both teams as they try to get out of the cellar in their respective divisions. Sunday night games are usually extra entertaining, and this shouldn’t be any different.
In anticipation of Sunday night’s matchup, we’ll be watching closely to see whether any of these five bold predictions come true.
New York Giants will score a touchdown on their first possession
Not only are the Giants looking for their first home victory of the season, but they’re also looking for their first touchdown at MetLife Stadium this season. Twenty offensive possessions this season (one was a kneel-down), and the Giants have yet to cross the goal line at home.
Fortunately for the fans in attendance on Sunday night, they won’t have to wait long for the team to put an end to this dubious streak, as they will score a touchdown on their first offensive possession.
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Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins both top 100 receiving yards
Despite their record, Joe Burrow has been spectacular this season. His 1,370 passing yards are the sixth-most in the NFL, and his 12 touchdown passes are the most in the league. In last week’s 41-38 loss to the Ravens, Burrow threw for 392 yards and five touchdowns.
Burrow’s top two targets are Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, who have seven combined touchdowns. Chase and Higgins are one of the best receiver tandems in the league and this week, they’ll face a young Giants secondary that has struggled at times. Although the secondary showed signs of improvement last week, it’s still the weak spot of the defense, and Chase and Higgins will have big games, as each will have over 100 receiving yards.
Tyrone Tracy Jr will have a rushing and receiving touchdown
Starting in place of the injured Devin Singletary (groin), rookie fifth-round pick Tryone Tracy had a breakout game as he carried the ball 18 times for 129 yards. This week, Tracy will face a Bengals defense that is allowing 151 yards per game on the ground which is 30th in the league.
Even if Singletary returns this week, Tracy will have a significant role in the offense both as a runner and receiver. The 24-year-old running back has yet to score a touchdown in the NFL, but on Sunday night, he’ll find the end zone twice, once as a runner and the other as a receiver.
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Chase Brown will score on a 40-yard touchdown run
Cincinnati’s ground game has struggled mightily this season, averaging just 96 yards per game, which is 28th in the league. Neither Chase Brown nor Zack Moss has a run over 20 yards this season.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor knows his team must try to establish a ground game in order to try to have a balanced offense and prevent New York’s defense from teeing off on Burrow. For the first time all season, the Bengals will have an explosive play from their ground game that will result in a 40-yard touchdown run by Chase Brown.
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The Giants defense will sack Joe Burrow eight times
The 22 sacks the Giants defense has recorded this season are the most in the NFL. Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen has dialed up effective blitz schemes, and as a result, his unit has made life miserable for opposing quarterbacks.
The Bengals offensive line has surrendered 11 sacks so far this season, but they’ll be overmatched with Dexter Lawrence rushing up the middle, and Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns rushing off the edge. This will result in a long night for Joe Burrow, as he’ll be sacked eight times.
Bengals at Giants prediction: This should be a high-scoring affair, but when it matters most, the Giants defense will come up with a stop late in the game to seal the win.
Giants 30, Bengals 27