FREE CONTEST: Houston Texans at Cincinnati Bengals ($25 Prize!)
UPDATE: THE WINNER OF THE $25 AMAZON GIFT CARD IS Dud*******@gmail.com CONGRATULATIONS!
Nov 16, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10) is defended by Cincinnati Bengals free safety Reggie Nelson (20) and cornerback Adam Jones (24) during a NFL football game at Paul Brown Stadium. The Texans defeated the Bengals 10-6. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Prizing:
1st Place: $25 Amazon gift card
2nd-5th Place: $10 Amazon gift card
Top 5 winners
1. Matthew Morton
2. Jeffery Anderson
3. Rodolfo Gigantana
4. Deanna Harper
5. Jeffrey Morey
Overview:
On Thursday, September 14th, (0-1) Houston Texans will be on the road to take on the (0-1) Cincinnati Bengals.
The Crowd:
“The Crowd” projects a final score of Bengals 21.4 – Texans 20.7 with an over/under of 42.1.
2017-18 Statistics (32 total teams):
Yards per game: Bengals 221.0 (27th) > Texans 203.0 (30th)
Points per game: Texans 7.0 (27th) > Bengals 0.0 (30th)
Turnover margin: Bengals -4 = Texans -4
Fewest yards allowed per game: Bengals 268.0 (11th) > Texans 280.0 (12th)
Fewest Points allowed per game: Bengals 20.0 (15th) > Texans 29.0 (25th)
Summary:
Cincinnati was the only team in the NFL that was held scoreless in week one. The Bengals managed just 221 yards of total offense against a tough Ravens defense. Andy Dalton was awful going 16-31 for 170 yards and 4 interceptions. Dalton received little help from his backs as Giovanni Bernard was the team’s leading rusher with 40 yards. The Bengals problems lead back to their offseason where they let their top two offensive lineman (Kevin Zeitler and Andrew Whitworth) leave in free agency. Protection is key because the Bengals have some of the most dangerous playmakers in the league. The Bengals defense actually held their own but 5 turnovers is too much to overcome.
Following an emotional week for Houston, I expected the Texans to come out inspired but that certainly didn’t happen against Jacksonville. The Jaguars defense absolutely dominated on their way to a 29-7 victory. It took only one week for Bill O’Brien to bench starting quarterback Tom Savage in favor of rookie DeShaun Watson. Watson threw a touchdown to DeAndre Hopkins late in the game but it had long been decided. The Texans also had the turnover bug as they coughed the ball up four times. Some thought the Texans defense was the best in the NFL coming into the season but they were anything but in week one.
Bottom Line:
The deciding factor of this game will be if the Texans defense can dominate the line of scrimmage and force Dalton into more turnovers. DeShaun Watson will be making his first career start so Cincinnati would seemingly have the advantage. I expect the Bengals to bounce back and win this game at home.
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