How concerned should Patriots fans be about the Bengals and the potential that they could prevent New England from claiming the first-round bye that everyone thought the Pats had coming?
Raj: Not concerned at all. The Bengals are a great team, no doubt. But they’re not that great that Patriots fans should worry about them stealing a first round bye. I still think this year’s byes belong to Denver and New England, just like last year. Actually, I’m more worried about the Colts than the Bengals. The AFC North isn’t as dominant as what they used to be years ago so, I don’t think any team from that division will get a bye, We will see the Patriots take on the Bengals soon on Sunday Night Football. If the Patriots win that won, you can be assured that the Bengals won’t take that bye. Assuming New England loses, it still doesn’t limit out the possibility of the Pats getting a first round bye.
Kyle: Cincinnati looks very strong; however, AJ Green’s injury is a real concern. While it was changed fro turf toe to a strained ligament in his foot, it is still something worth watching. I would say that right now Cincinnati is maybe the best team in the AFC. Their defense is intimidating, they don’t lose at home, and their QB doesn’t screw up (in the regular season). I thinkt he second bye will come down to the winner of the Pats Denver game.
Rick: Patriots’ fans should be slightly concerned about the Bengals mainly because despite the loss of Mike Zimmer at defensive coordinator, the Cincinnati’s defense still is one of the better units in the NFL. That being said, Andy Dalton still has to prove that he can win the big game in January. Even if the Bengals host that playoff game, we saw last year that Dalton can lose a home playoff game. I like Gio Bernard in the ground game, which could allow Cincy to help Dalton with more balance to this team. The big test for Cincy will be the Sunday night game in Week 5 at Foxboro, considering they will have two weeks to prepare for Belichick and the Patriots.
Derek: I think the answer to this question really boils down to the head-to-head matchup between the Patriots and Bengals in a few weeks. If the Patriots lose that game, they could easily find themselves behind Cincinnati in the standings and without the benefit of the tie-breaker. That could easily result in the Pats playing during Wild Card Weekend. I like the Patriots at home vs. the Bengals in Week 5, so I’m not going to sweat just yet. Plus, it’s the Bengals, so they’re likely to screw things up somewhere down the line even if they do get the win in Foxboro.
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