Mother Nature must be a Bengals fan. At least that’s what she made us believe by turning on a heavy rain shower right as the Patriots took the field for their final possession of the game. Although Tom Brady is a great clutch quarterback, the rain and long field were too much for the Patriots to overcome, and in falling to the Bengals, the Patriots lost their first game of the season.
Today’s game was a huge win for the Bengals. In picking up the victory, the Bengals were able to keep pace with the Cleveland Browns. The Ravens also kept pace by beating the Dolphins in Miami, meaning the AFC North has a three-way tie for the top spot at 3-2. The Steelers are the lone team left out at 0-4.
The AFC North isn’t a stacked division. Like the NFC East has been the past couple of years, the AFC North is composed of middle-of-the-road teams, meaning the eventual division winner may be able to pull off the accomplishment with a record around the 11-5 mark. Beating the Patriots is a big step in the right direction for the Bengals, a team that has struggled in recent weeks to find their rhythm.
The Bengals now have a great opportunity to go on a bit of a winning streak. In the next three games, the Bengals play the Bills, Lions and the Jets. The Lions have the ability to pile points on the board, but they rarely put a full sixty minute game together, meaning the Bengals should be favored in three straight games. If Cincinnati can push their record to 6-2, they’d be right back on track with their preseason expectations.
In that same span of time, the Browns and Ravens will face much tougher competition. The Browns will be facing the Lions, Packers and Chiefs without their starting quarterback, and the Ravens will play the Dolphins, Packers and Steelers.
By this point in the season, most teams have faced some sort of adversity, but the Bengals have managed to navigate those difficult games by putting themselves in position for a winning streak that would likely push them into the lead in the AFC North. Obviously, there’s a lot of football left to be played. That being said, the Bengals are in great position moving forward.
