Can The Bengals Wrangle The Bucking Broncos?

September 30, 2012; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (14) reacts during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Rob Foldy-US PRESSWIRE

On Sunday the Denver Broncos, led by future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, will make their way to Cincinnati to take on Andy Dalton and the struggling Bengals. The Broncos are coming off of a record breaking game against the New Orleans Saints last week and are looking to keep the momentum rolling in Paul Brown Stadium. However the Bengals, clear underdogs this week, will be looking to turn the tables on Denver.

It should be noted that Peyton Manning has never lost to the Bengals in his career. He is coming into this game 7-0 against Cincinnati. He has scored a total of 17 touchdowns, thrown only 3 interceptions, and possesses an all time 107 passer rating against the them. If history wasn’t bad enough, Manning is coming in to Sunday’s matchup on a win streak that has him sitting on a league-best 127.9 passer rating.

The Bengals, in contrast, are coming in to Sunday on a three game losing streak. They have seen their quarterback throw 8 interceptions in the past three games and only 5 touchdowns. Cincinnati is entering the matchup after a week where their head coach has called out their second year quarterback, not once but twice. Lewis first called http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/D/DaltAn00.htm out for his interceptions, then for his leadership. This isn’t the time when they need or want to face a team on the rise, like the Denver Broncos.

There is good news for the underdog Bengals, though. They are coming off of a bye week where they had a chance to rest up and work out some kinks. The team is also giving the fans a first look of their first round draft pick, CB Dre Kirkpatrick. This will be the first game of the season for the highly touted back. Kirkpatrick in the backfield could provide a much needed spark on the Bengals defense that has been less than stellar throughout the season.

The defense for the Bengals will have to be sharp in all areas of the field if the team is going to slow down the Broncos. Last week Peyton Manning completed 22 of 30 passes for a total of 305 yards and three touchdowns. In doing so, he became the first quarterback in NFL history to pass for at least 300 yards, throw 3 touchdowns, and complete 70 percent of his passes in four straight games. The backfield will have to stay sharp and shut down Manning’s options. That has been easier said than done lately for these backs.

The Bengals backfield won’t be the only group that will have to be sharp. Denver RB Willis McGahee has also been on point this season. Last week he ran for a season-high 122 yards and a touchdown against the Saints. The team, as a whole, came together for a total of 225 yards on the ground in that game. So the Bengals defense will have to step up their game up front, as well. In their last game Cincinnati allowed 167 rushing yards to the Steelers. With the Broncos numbers, the outcome doesn’t bode well for the Bengals defense.

As we know in the NFL, especially this season, anything can happen from week to week. Though the Cincinnati team has been on a slide recently, they are capable of putting up a good fight this week against Manning and the Broncos. If the team can pull it all together and Dalton can have a solid game, hope will not be lost for a win on Sunday. No team in the NFL is as good as they look and no team is as bad as they look. Hopefully, the sold-out Cincinnati win will finally see a much needed win.