Backing Into Playoffs, Bengals Favored In Rematch With New York Jets

NFL News - January 4th, 2010 - Written by John

Same ol' Jets?

Hardly.

Just when it seemed the New York Jets were dead in winter, when even head coach Rex Ryan erred in professing his team was out of the postseason, the Jets were able to win when it mattered.

In the final game of the year, with a berth into the 2009 NFL Playoffs on the line, New York ran through the Cincinnati Bengals (literally) Sunday night to reserve a spot in the postseason for the first time since 2006. Now, they will get those same Bengals in the wild card round in one of three rematches from Week 17.

With a full roster this time around, Cincinnati is favored by three, according to NFL Playoff Betting Lines, with an over/under of 34 1/2. Although the Jets passed that total by themselves last week, the Bengals are 9-0 hitting the under as a home favorite this year. They are also 7-1 ATS against winning teams this year.

In the waning weeks of the regular season, New York was still eligible to make the playoffs, but seemed to be tanking with three losses in four November games. News outlets began running head lines such as "Same ol' Jets" to spotlight the teams struggles in crunch time, including last year when they started 8-3 and finished 9-7.

But riding a bruising running game, New York is now being praised for a huge win Sunday in the final game at the old Meadowlands Stadium. Three runners had at least 60 yards on the ground, and the defense held Cincinnati to just over one yard per play. The Bengals already had their no. 4 seed locked up after the New England Patriots won earlier in the day, and didn't really have anything to play for.

Cedric Benson was iced out of the game, and Carson Palmer was pulled early, so the outcome has to be put into perspective. But there will be concern if Cincinnati flounders early. Chad Ochocinco vowed to change his last name back to Johnson if he was held receptionless against Darrell Revis, and he was. But that may not even matter. Ochocinco injured his knee in the loss, and said Monday that he is having trouble extending his leg.

The Bengals still have to get credit for a terrific return to prominence this year, sweeping a brutal AFC North division and winning 10 games for the first time since 2005.

With Benson in the lineup, they are clearly a better team, getting an average of 4.2 yards per carry. He is eighth in the NFL with 1,251 yards despite sitting for much of the December schedule once the postseason was clinched. But the fact that they are averaging just under 13 points over the last four games is unsettling.

New York has the whole running game thing down pretty well, too, and the team thrives whenever Mark Sanchez simply turns around and surrenders the ball. Three different rushers had a score last week, and Brad Smith led all runners with 92 yards on only four carries. Thomas Jones is third in the league with 1,402 yards, and Shonn Green adds five yards per carry as a reserve.

The Jets also have the league's top defense heading into the playoffs, and Ryan told reporters after the game "All I know is no one wants to play us right now." No need to tell that to Cincinnati. It gained only 72 total yards in the blistering winter game, and only accumulated five first downs.

History suggests last week was no fluke. New York has beaten the Bengals in eight of the last nine meetings dating back to 1992. The only Cincinnati win came in 2007.