CINCINNATI — The Bengals beat the Steelers on Thursday night to snap a four-game losing streak and get right back into the AFC North race.
They have a golden opportunity to get back to .500 on the season when they host the win-less Jets in Week 8 at Paycor Stadium.
New York made a quarterback change on Sunday after scoring just three points in the first half. They benched Justin Fields in favor of veteran Tyrod Taylor.
The Jets lost to the Panthers 13-6. They’re 0-7 on the season. They scored three points with Fields and three points with Taylor—a field goal in each half.
“We needed a spark at that time. I felt it was the right time to do it,” Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said after the game.
A quarterback controversy is certainly brewing in New York, with Glenn searching for his first win of the season. The first-year head coach didn’t commit to a starter for their Week 8 matchup with Cincinnati.
What does it mean for the Bengals?
This defense desperately needs to get on the same page. They struggled against the Steelers, allowing 31 points. This could be somewhat of a get-right opportunity for defensive coordinator Al Golden.
The Bengals are allowing 394 yards-per-game and 30.5 points-per-game. Both rank near the bottom of the NFL.
Cincinnati won their first two games of the season, then dropped four-straight with Joe Burrow on injured reserve. They’ve shown plenty of signs of life after trading for Joe Flacco.
What’s next for this team?
They desperately need their defense to be better in Week 8 and beyond. They didn’t have Trey Hendrickson against the Steelers due to a hip injury. It sounds like he could be ready to go on Sunday against the Jets.
“He was pushing to play yesterday,” Zac Taylor said on Friday afternoon. “I can’t speak on that today, but I’d have to feel reasonably optimistic given that he was pushing to play yesterday.”
Cincinnati’s defense clearly missed Hendrickson, allowing a whopping 7.3 yards per play and 31 points despite a 2-0 turnover advantage. The Jets will be starving for a victory. The Bengals cannot let that happen if they hope to turn their season around—regardless of who plays quarterback for the Jets.
