Subscribers are taking notice of my five-game Bengals prediction winning streak. But I can't get cocky. One game at a time, y'all. Here are my weekly predictions for the Bengals and Cincinnati Bearcats games:
NFL prediction: Cincinnati Bengals (3-3) vs. Atlanta Falcons (3-3), 1 p.m., Sunday, FOX
The Bengals’ offense finally appears on the right track but now their run defense is broken.
That should be a big concern going into Sunday. The Falcons rank third in the NFL with 165.2 yards rushing per game.
Cincinnati is feeling the absence of defensive tackle D.J. Reader, who’s missed three full games with a knee injury and will be out again this weekend. The Bengals now are presumably without injured linebacker Logan Wilson, the team’s second-leading tackler.
The Bengals surrendered a season-high 228 rushing yards in last Sunday’s win at New Orleans. Cincinnati has given up a total of 383 yards rushing in the last two games. The Bengals had allowed 343 total rushing yards through the first four games.
The Atlanta game was originally circled as a sure win. But the Bengals are likely in for a battle, given the injuries on defense. The Falcons also have overachieved, winning three of their last four games.
The Falcons have been without top running Cordarrelle Patterson (knee) the last two games, and he’ll miss the Bengals game. But Atlanta has continued to move the ball on the ground by a committee of players, including quarterback Marcus Mariota. The eighth-year veteran has averaged more than 8 yards per carry in the last two games.
Mobile quarterbacks have been a problem for the Bengals for the past two weeks.
But the Bengals will be playing their first home game in almost a month. The offense should have momentum coming off its best performance of the season, and the Bengals should take care of business.
Prediction: Bengals win, 31-27
Last week: Cincinnati defeated New Orleans, 30-26. I predicted the Bengals would win, 20-17.
My season record: 5-1
College football prediction: No. 21 Cincinnati Bearcats (5-1, 2-0 AAC) at SMU Mustangs (3-3, 1-1), noon, Saturday, ESPN
The moment has arrived. We find out this weekend just how good the Bearcats are.
UC begins a two-game road stretch against SMU and UCF that’ll define the Bearcats’ season. Win both games, and the Bearcats will be in the driver’s seat to reach their third straight New Year’s Six bowl game.
Coach Luke Fickell has been masterful at preparing the Bearcats for big games the past four seasons. But this team doesn’t have as much experience yet on the big stage.
“I don’t think our guys look ahead of things,” Fickell said. “We’re young enough that the moment is still really big for us. Us handling and focusing on the moment is where we have to continue to grow.”
UC got a wake-up call two weeks ago when the Bearcats had to rally in the fourth quarter for a 28-24 win over lowly South Florida. The Bearcats should be rested after being off last weekend. Quarterback Ben Bryant is back after leaving the South Florida game with a concussion.
More:Scouting report: A look at No. 21 Cincinnati's next opponent, the SMU Mustangs
This is where the Bearcats need Bryant’s experience to shine. It feels like he’s on the verge of having a big performance in a critical road game.
UC is 5-1 all-time against SMU, including 3-0 at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. SMU is reeling a bit under first-year head coach Rhett Lashlee. Several players this month abruptly decided to sit out the rest of the season and transfer. The Mustangs snapped a three-game losing skid last week, rallying from a second-half deficit to defeat Navy, 40-34, in Dallas.
Both teams average well over 400 yards per game. On paper, it looks like it could be a high-scoring game. The Bearcats have a better defense and the stakes are high for UC, seeking its 17th straight regular-season American Athletic Conference win.
Prediction: Bearcats win, 35-28.
Last week: The Bearcats were off. UC defeated South Florida, 28-24, on Oct. 8. I was way off in predicting the final score. I predicted UC would win, 52-14.
My season record: 5-0 (the predictions column didn’t start until after UC’s season-opening loss at Arkansas)
Contact sports columnist Jason Williams by email at[email protected] and on Twitter @jwilliamscincy.
