Patriots-Bengals Week 5 Predictions
BOSTON (CBS) -- The 98.5 The Sports Hub, WBZ-TV and WBZ NewsRadio 1030 sports teams make their predictions for the Patriots Sunday night showdown with the 3-0 Cincinnati Bengals.
Scott Zolak, 98.5 The Sports Hub
I don't really know where this one is going based on the 41-14 beat down from the Chiefs.
With Cincinnati coming in I think the defense will improve. We'll see more of what "Revis Island" is and I think they'll hold them to three field goals, but Cincy will also find the end zone.
Bengals 16, Patriots 13
Andy Gresh, 98.5 The Sports Hub
This is the first time in 10 years of being on the Patriots Radio Network that I really don't know if this team is going to respond. I'm taking about responding physically and emotionally, and respond with a good performance.
I think they could lose a close one but still have a good performance, and have people maybe start to believe in them a little bit. A win would be that much better.
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They get back Brandon Browner in the secondary, and I don't really think receiver Brain Tyms is going to be a factor. I could be wrong.
Bottom line is it will be a close, tight game. I'll pick the Patriots, but not with a lot of confidence.
Patriots 13, Bengals 10
Jon Wallach, 98.5 The Sports Hub
This isn't about X's and O's with me, this is about a belief in what this organization has done in the last 15 years. They have always found a way to bounce back and push through when it looked impossible.
It looks like all the odds are against the Patriots; Cincinnati is undefeated and has a great defense that beat the Patriots up last year when they won a low-scoring game. The Patriots meanwhile can't run, can't throw, and Tom Brady has had a lot of trouble standing up in the pocket and finding people. Not to mention, the defense got run over last weekend.
But history tells you that with this regime, with all the odds stacked against them, they go ahead and win the game. This is going to be the last time I go with "The Patriots have done it before," which has always worked up until now. I'll do it one more time because the odds are against them and they've always won in this circumstance before.
Patriots 17, Bengals 14
Walt Perkins, WBZ NewsRadio 1030
The thought of the Patriots starting the season 2-3 is certainly unpleasant but I fear that will be the case.
Bengals 27, Patriots 17
Steve Burton, WBZ-TV Sports
I'm baffled by this football team right now.
But watch them go out and beat the Bengals, just to prove their doubters wrong.
Patriots 24, Bengals 21
Dan Roche, WBZ-TV Sports
Everything on paper says Cincinnati should roll. They have yet to allow a sack, have great receivers and running backs led by a good quarterback, and have a great defense taht beat the Pats last year.
But I like the Patriots, who have to be as desperate a team as we've seen in years. I take the Pats on the old horse race handicapping term: "back class"
Patriots 27, Bengals 24
Levan Reid, WBZ-TV Sports
We're at Week 5 and the Patriots could very well be at a crossroads. The line is drawn in the sand. After all the bad publicity this week, if the Pats don't respond and play better, then people will view them as an average (or less) team.
Tom Brady has heard the rumors all week: He's on the decline, the game has passed him by, he can't carry the team anymore. I'm not sure how much, if any, of that is true but the Pats need to figure something out. Brady is still one of the best in the business but the personnel packages the Pats are using during these games have been poor. They need to get that figured out.
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Here comes a Bengals team that many people are saying is the best in the league. They have talent all over the field, but do they know how to win and get over the hump?
The Pats must have the "it's us against the world" mentality and that could be what they need to kick-start some emotion. They need to clean up their mistakes and get the ball rolling at home. New England is getting kicked right now, this is a good game to kick back.
Patriots 24, Bengals 17
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