Preview: Seattle at Cincinnati
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, October 11, 2015
Where: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
The Cincinnati Bengals are among five teams with a 4-0 record, but they will face their toughest test to date when the Seattle Seahawks pay a visit on Sunday afternoon. Coming off an impressive 36-21 thumping of the Kansas City Chiefs a week ago, Cincinnati is seeking its third 5-0 start in franchise history – and the first since 1988.
The Bengals are making no secret that they are viewing Sunday’s game as a measuring stick against a Seattle team that has made back-to-back Super Bowl appearances. a1serviceplays.com “We’ve been on the Seahawks since February,” Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis said. “They set a standard that we would like to play to.” Seattle has won two in a row – both at home – after escaping with a controversial 13-10 victory over Detroit on Monday in a game marred by a blown officiating call in the end zone. Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch missed practice Thursday and could be a game-time decision.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Bengals -3. O/U: 43
ABOUT THE SEAHAWKS (2-2): Safety Kam Chancellor, who sat out the first two games in a contact holdout, made a game-saving play Monday night by punching the ball loose at the goal line as Seattle has yielded 10 points since his return. Quarterback Russell Wilson has been under siege, getting sacked six times Monday night and 18 times on the season while directing an offense that has produced only five touchdowns in four games. Thomas Rawls got the start in place of Lynch last week and was held to 47 yards on 18 carries one week after putting up 104 yards on 16 attempts.
ABOUT THE BENGALS (4-0): Quarterback Andy Dalton has been maligned for his failure to win a playoff game but he has been superb in Cincinnati’s perfect start, throwing for 1,187 yards with nine touchdowns against only one interception. Wideout A.J. Green has 17 receptions for 309 yards and a pair of touchdowns over the past two games while Tyler Eifert is an emerging force at tight end, complementing the running back tandem of Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard. The Bengals rank sixth in the league against the run (85.8 yards) and recorded five sacks in last week’s win.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Dalton is bidding to become the first QB in history to post a passer rating of at least 115 in the first five games of the season.
2. Wilson has shredded AFC opponents for 24 touchdowns versus only five interceptions.
3. Cincinnati is second in the league with seven rushing touchdowns.
PREDICTION: Seahawks 23, Bengals 20