Can Cincinnati Bengals defeat New England Patriots?

The Cincinnati Bengals have been the team that many around the NFL and in the media have been clamoring to take over the AFC North and unseat the defending Super Bowl champions in the Baltimore Ravens.

Everyone has talked about the Bengals’ defense which features defense tackle Geno Atkins and a talented corner in Leon Hall. Even more talk has centered around the Bengals’ offense with a top five wide receiver in the NFL in AJ Green. But the Bengals sit at 2-2 with many questions around their starting quarterback Andy Dalton wondering if he is a franchise players as they head into week 5 facing the New England Patriots at home.

This is a statement game for the Bengals especially when Patriots’ nose tackle Vince Wilfork is out for the season with a torn achillies which he suffered last week against the Atlanta Falcons. Without Wilfork, the Patriots’ defense is very suspect. But if the Bengals can’t take advantage of that as team, which I don’t expect them to, they will be referred to many as, “the same old Bengals.”

The AFC North division is ripe for the taking in the Bengals situation despite the fact that the Cleveland Browns are currently in first place. Tom Brady is working with limited talent on the Patriots’ offense and Dalton has talent all over his offense with tight ends in Jermaine Gresham, Tyler Eifert and a good rookie runningback in Giovani Bernard. If the Bengals can’t take car of this opportunity right now, they won’t do it anytime soon.