Falcons @ Bengals predictions

[kevin]

THIS is a game Bengals need to WIN in The Jungle. Atlanta likes to RUN, maybe too much. Best way to beat that is get out in front with a lead. I think AFC Champ Bengals can take this game and go to 4-3 on the season. This might even be a blow out as Bengals win by a lot of points for a change. Although I'll be happy with any kind of WIN and Bengals going to 4-3 with a chance to climb to 5-3 which is a good start to season record.

[shuffle]

Bengals 32
Falcons 17
Going to be a great dey!

[Soonerpeace]

(10-20-2022, 10:32 PM)shuffle Wrote: Bengals 32
Falcons 17
Going to be a great dey!

I’m with you. 35-21

[Fan_in_Kettering]

If and only if the Bengals build a huge early lead will I predict a relatively easy win. If the game is close it will come down to a last second field goal by Evan McPherson.

[jeremydc]

It all comes down to stopping the run. Bengals lose if we can’t contain it.

[Science Friction]

No respect to the F-Birds but if you can't beat Atlanta at home, you ain't advancing deep into the playoffs. Bengals better win this CONVINCINGLY.

[*SHRacerX*]

(10-18-2022, 10:54 AM)jeremydc Wrote: This game will be tougher than the saints. If we don’t score early and often, we are screwed. 27-17 Birds

Dead on.  I think the Falcons are the #3 overall offense in the league according to PFF.  Why?  They don't make mistakes.

They pound the ball to the tune of only 3.5-4 YPC in most games, including their last two, but they have Mariotta pull it out on read-option and gets about 8-10 YPC.  That sustains drives and kills defenses that key on the run.  Without both Reader and Wilson, I am very nervous.  When the Bengals have had to stop the run, they usually can't very well.  The lone exception I remember was the playoff game against the Titans, although I don't think Henry was anywhere near himself.

The good news is the offense is starting to figure things out and should be able to put points up against the Falcons.  I see a FG late to pull it out mainly because they have the home field and it isn't in a dome.  They beat the enigmatic 49ers because the niners fumbled (which was picked up and ran 20 yards for a TD) and they threw two INTs.  The Falcons had zero turnovers.

I think the Bengals can keep it close by not giving up TDs in the red zone.  Hold them to a FG on a couple possessions instead of TDs and score TDs yourself and they can pull it out.

The weather is supposed to be perfect, so that won't affect the dome team.  Mid 70s and sunny.  

I am calling Bengals 24-20

[samhain]

(10-21-2022, 02:34 AM)Science Friction Wrote: No respect to the F-Birds but if you can't beat Atlanta at home, you ain't advancing deep into the playoffs. Bengals better win this CONVINCINGLY.

I can't disagree.  Unless the falcons are some hidden juggernaut like we were last year, the Bengals have no business losing this game.  Not if they are even a shadow of who we think they are.  

There are games that terrify me as a fan going in.  KC last year both times would be good examples.  Buffalo this year on MNF.  The common theme is that those games feature teams with quarterbacks that are possibly and probably better than ours.  It's nauseatingly redundant, but it's a quarterback driven league.  The Falcons have a fine running game and beat the hell out of a good 49ers team last week.  A good 49ers team with a guy under center that nobody wanted in the offseason, including his own team.  Beating a a team that's superior on paper is a different deal when the team has a legit head and shoulders better than your qb qb starting.  

Tennessee was a superior team on paper and the 1 seed in the playoffs last year.  They lost because their qb is a middling to sometimes good just guy and he cost them the game.  Mariota can cost his team a game easily in a close contest.  He's also going to have a tough time if he gets behind big and needs to score fast and his killer run game is rendered useless.  

In short, the Falcons should be taken seriously, but the Bengals have the far superior quarterback.  This is a team they should beat all day.

[Soonerpeace]

I think it’s a bad matchup for Atl. They are #31 in sacks, #31 in opponent QB % @ 69%., #31 in pass defense. I think the OL takes another step. Their corner Terrell is not 100% and the other corner has only started 1 game. 35-21 Cincy

[*rfaulk34*]

(10-21-2022, 01:25 AM)jeremydc Wrote: It all comes down to stopping the run. Bengals lose if we can’t contain it.

They didn't lose after not containing the Saints running game last week. 

[*Go Cards*]

(10-20-2022, 10:57 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: If and only if the Bengals build a huge early lead will I predict a relatively easy win.  If the game is close it will come down to a last second field goal by Evan McPherson.

Agree and hoping for that cruise control win. Yet will be happy with Evan kicking a FG to seal the deal, especially with Wilson and Reader out. 

Just get the deal done and find a way to clip the Falcons wings and move forward.

It's not a must win, but Bengals need this win badly. 

  find a way

[QueenCity]

I feel really good about this game after the offense seemed to figure it out vs the Saints.

Then again run defense is in shambles due to some key injuries.

Focus is to get out in front and make the Falcons play catch up through the air.

Prediction

31-21 Bengals W

[samhain]

(10-21-2022, 11:19 AM)rfaulk34 Wrote: They didn't lose after not containing the Saints running game last week. 

You can grind a defense down running the ball all afternoon.  If you can't get 6 in the red zone, you're still spinning your wheels, especially against a team that can score quick.  This is the reason championship teams are hardly ever run-first offenses anymore.  You have to have the fire power to take big leads and come back from 3 score deficits.  

The key to this game is to score first, score more, and get the chance to run the ball on offense to keep the defense from getting too worn out.  

[tms]

32-15.

[kevin]

In Fantasy Football, would you trade Burrow if someone offered you Mariota ? NO. Nor would you trade the Bengals WR's for the Atlanta WR's or Mixon for Atlanta RB. You would not trade Bengals Defense for Atlanta's. You would not trade McPherson for Atlanta Kicker.

So on Paper the game should be a Bengals WIN, of course the game is played on the field, not on paper. But that field is in THE JUNGLE as Bengals finally play another game in Cincinnati after on the road most of 2022 so far.

What I would really like to see is Bengals with enough of a lead to where Burrow is on the bench most of 4th quarter, and Allen goes in to run out the clock saving Burrow for the long season and post season ahead. This is something Bengals were able to at times last season, and I think it helped to get Burrow out of a few games early and it gave us a healthy Burrow in play-offs.

Mariota likes to run and so do his RB's, they pass very little. Mariota stats show me he makes a lot of turnovers though. He has lost his job at Titans and Raiders. He may run, but is he a Lemar Jackson, not hardly. Mariota is available as a free agent in just about every Fantasy League which means he is probably one of the lesser QB's Bengals will play in 2022. Plus I think the Bengals Super Bowl Defense is pretty good.

So Atlanta will have problems with Bengals Defense. Bengals need Burrow, Mixon, Chase, Higgins, Boyd, Hurst, Perine and McPherson to DOMINATE this game in THE JUNGLE. Have such a lead that they can take Burrow out in 4th quarter and start getting ready for Browns.

The schedule has it possible for Bengals to be 6-3 at Bye Week, and that would be a good place to be because the schedule looks mighty tough from bye week to end of regular season. The last 8 games could be hard to go 4-4, but that would give Bengals 10 Wins and probably Play-Offs, but NOW is the time to PUT UP WINS before the Bye Week and climb to 6-3.

[motoarch]

I'm so stoked for this game. Can't wait to get over 500 finally.

Bengals win!

I don't care what the score is.

[SouthernFan]

Bengals win 34-24

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

Interesting thing I noticed in here.... 9 of the last 11 predictions including a score have the Bengals scoring more points than they have scored in a game all year, and meeting or exceeding the most the Falcons have given up in a game all year. That seems aggressive.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(10-21-2022, 10:05 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: Dead on.  I think the Falcons are the #3 overall offense in the league according to PFF.  Why?  They don't make mistakes.

They pound the ball to the tune of only 3.5-4 YPC in most games, including their last two, but they have Mariotta pull it out on read-option and gets about 8-10 YPC.  That sustains drives and kills defenses that key on the run.  Without both Reader and Wilson, I am very nervous.  When the Bengals have had to stop the run, they usually can't very well.  The lone exception I remember was the playoff game against the Titans, although I don't think Henry was anywhere near himself.

The good news is the offense is starting to figure things out and should be able to put points up against the Falcons.  I see a FG late to pull it out mainly because they have the home field and it isn't in a dome.  They beat the enigmatic 49ers because the niners fumbled (which was picked up and ran 20 yards for a TD) and they threw two INTs.  The Falcons had zero turnovers.

I think the Bengals can keep it close by not giving up TDs in the red zone.  Hold them to a FG on a couple possessions instead of TDs and score TDs yourself and they can pull it out.

The weather is supposed to be perfect, so that won't affect the dome team.  Mid 70s and sunny.  

I am calling Bengals 24-20

Are you thinking that the Falcons just own the TOP for this to happen SHRacer?

I see Burrow going against the 2nd worst passing Defense and I am drooling myself, especially after him learning to 
just take what the Defense gives him the last game instead of trying to force things...

[BFritz21]

Bengals 41
Falcons 30

Burrow lights it up!