Glimmer of Hope As Cincinnati Bengals Meet Rams In St Louis
Sunday, December 18, 2011
by Aengus Moorehead
Analysis:
The Cincinnati Bengals have squandered a great opportunity to remain in the playoff hunt recently as they have battled through the toughest part of their schedule. With two straight games against sub-.500 teams, this may be the Bengals’ last chance to jump back into that final slot in the AFC.
Cincinnati dropped a heartbreaker in the final seconds last week to the Houston Texans, falling one game behind the New York Jets (8-5) in the AFC and eliminating themselves from the race in the AFC North. The Bengals have to hit the road on Sunday, but it is the lowly St Louis Rams that await them in Week 15. The Rams have averaged 10 points in four straight losses and rank last in the league in scoring offense.
Now three games back of AFC North co-leaders Pittsburgh and Baltimore, Cincinnati wraps its season with a pair of homes games against the surging Arizona Cardinals and 10-3 Ravens. That means a victory over the 2-11 Rams is a must.
Cincinnati led Houston by a 16-3 margin at the half, but watched the Texans storm back behind rookie quarterback T.J. Yates, who hit wide receiver Kevin Walter for a six-yard touchdown pass with two seconds left to play for the go- ahead points.
It was something the Bengals weren't used to seeing, given that they own five come-from-behind wins this season.
The Rams and head coach Steve Spagnuolo are seeing things get a little hot in St. Louis after Monday night's 30-13 setback in Seattle. The club is tied with the Minnesota Vikings for the worst record in the NFC.
St. Louis' four-game slide is its second-longest of the season, behind only its 0-6 start. The Rams fell to 1-6 on the road with the loss in Seattle.
The Rams got quarterback Sam Bradford back from a high left ankle sprain in that game and although he said he felt good enough to play, the 2010 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year did acknowledge the ailment does limit him a bit.
With pending games against the Steelers and NFC West-champion San Francisco, the Rams are in danger of finishing with three wins or less for the fourth time in five seasons.
Cincinnati holds a 6-5 edge in the all-time set between these teams and halted a string of three straight losses to the Rams with a 19-10 home decision in 2007. The Bengals suffered defeats in the Edward Jones Dome in both 1996 (26-16) and 2003 (27-10) during that three-game series skid and last topped the Rams on the road all the way back on Oct. 7, 1990, a 34-31 overtime triumph in Anaheim when the then-Los Angeles Rams were still based there.
Cincinnati has never recorded a victory in St. Louis, having also dropped a 41-27 decision to the Cardinals in the city during 1985 in addition to its two previous setbacks at the Edward Jones Dome.
Marv Lewis owns a 1-1 career record against the Rams, while Spagnuolo has yet to face either Cincinnati or Lewis during his tenure with the organization.
Time & Venue:
- 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 18, 2011. Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri
Last Week's results:
- Cincinnati Bengals (-3) loses to visiting Houston Texans 20-19.
- St Louis Rams (+5) loses to host Seattle Seahawks 30-13
Last week's ATS:
- Favourite Cincinnati Bengals (7-6) loses outright
- Underdog St Louis Rams (2-11) loses and does not cover.
NFL Football Odds: Bengals -7.5, O/U 39.
Next up:
- Cincinnati home to Arizona Cardinals, Saturday, December 24
- St-Louis at Pittsburgh Steelers, Saturday, December 24
Cincinnati had a chance to prove itself over the last five weeks with games against the Texans, Steelers (twice) and Ravens. It did not pass any of those tests. Should the Bengals beat St. Louis and the Arizona Cardinals, they will get one more crack at Baltimore at home in Week 17 with possible playoff implications. Meanwhile, they have to fix a defense that allowed rookie T.J. Yates to drive 80 yards in the final two minutes last week. It did not help that the offense tended to stall in the red zone, settling for four field goals in the 20-19 setback.
Quarterback Sam Bradford is unlikely to play Sunday due to an ankle injury that has hampered him for weeks. The second-year player had his worst game at Seattle on Monday, completing 12 of 29 passes with an interception and no touchdowns in a 30-13 loss. Backup A.J. Feeley is dealing with a thumb injury, meaning newly signed Kellen Clemens could get the call. The defense, which allows an average of 25.1 points, is not in a position to bail out the struggling offense.
The red zone will be one area to watch this weekend, as the Bengals allowed a pair of touchdowns and a field goal in Houston's four trips inside the 20-yard line while also getting a forced fumble from LB Rey Maualuga at the goal line. Overall, Cincinnati ranks 29th in defensive red-zone touchdown percentage (62.9), while the Rams rank 30th in offensive touchdowns in the red zone at 38.5 percent.
Both running backs will be key for the offense this Sunday. Cedric Benson gets a juicy matchup against a struggling defensive unit, while Steven Jackson will be needed to take the pressure off a hobbled Bradford. If Cincinnati takes Jackson out of the game early, the Rams offense could struggle again.
The Bengals have been good at protecting the quarterback this year, but face a tough Rams pass rush without Bobbie Williams. Mike McGlynn and rookie Clint Boling will both get a chance to step in and fill the void. Boling got the call earlier this year while Williams was serving a four-game suspension, but McGlynn started the fourth game of that ban and replaced Williams last weekend.
Cincinnati RB Cedric Benson needs eight yards for 4,000 in his career.
St-Louis DE Chris Long has nine sacks in the last seven contests.
The Bengals have never won in two trips to St- Louis.
St-Louis is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games when playing Cincinnati
St- Louis is 2-11-1 SU in its last 14 games
Cincinnati is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing St- Louis
Cincinnati is 6-1-1 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 7 games on the road
The Bengals are now in a dogfight for their playoff lives, giving them extra motivation for this weekend's favored matchup. Their defense will be looking for a bounce-back effort versus the Rams, who don't really have the offense right now to challenge the talented unit. Benson should get plenty of work to take some pressure off of Dalton, while Bradford could be looking up at the Edward Jones Dome roof for a good portion of the game.
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NFL Football Pick: Take Bengals.
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Category
Tags
a.j. feeley - afc north - andy dalton - arizona cardinals - bobbie williams - cedric benson - chris long - cincinnati bengals - clint boling - edward jones dome
