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Capping off Week 10 of NFL action, the Cincinnati Bengals (3-4-1) will be squaring off against the New York Giants (5-3) in the Meadowlands on Monday Night Football. This is the tenth meeting all-time between the two franchises, with Cincinnati holding a 6-3 advantage in the series.
At Stake for the Bengals
The Bengals are coming off a bye week after tying the Washington Redskins (5-3-1) in London two weeks ago. They currently rest at third place in the AFC North and are looking to move into half a game out of first place with a victory.
Monday night has not been kind to Cincinnati. In 32 appearances, the Bengals are 10-22 in MNF games and have currently lost two straight dating back to last season. However, the circumstances are a little different this time around as the Bengals did not have Andy Dalton in their last Monday night game.
After falling to the Dallas Cowboys (8-1) by a score of 28-14 and drawing even with Washington, the Bengals will finally try to register a win against an NFC East opponent.
At Stake for the Giants
The Giants come into this matchup red hot. They are currently on a three-game winning streak after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles (5-4) by a score of 28-23 last week. Residing at second place in the NFC East, the G-Men need a win to keep pace with the over-achieving Cowboys.
Monday night has historically been a roadblock for New York as well. The Giants were featured on the primetime contest earlier this season and lost 24-10 to the then-undefeated Minnesota Vikings (5-4). Their record in 57 appearances is 21-35-1.
New York has played just one AFC North team this season. In Week 6, they defeated the division-leading Baltimore Ravens (5-4) by a score of 27-23 in the Meadowlands. Odell Beckham Jr. played out of his mind in that game. He caught eight passes for a career-high 222 yards and two touchdowns.
Marquee Wide Receiver Matchup
This game will feature two of the best wide receivers the NFL has to offer in A.J. Green and Odell Beckham Jr.
Green has been an incredible asset to Cincinnati as well as fantasy owners this season. In eight games he has registered 59 receptions for 896 yards and three touchdowns. In half of those games he topped 100 yards receiving with a season-high of 180 in Week 1.
After a slow start, Beckham Jr. has reverted to his rookie form after eight games. So far he has totaled 44 receptions for 676 yards and five touchdowns. He has logged over 100 receiving yards in two games with the season and career-high of 222 against Baltimore. When asked about Green, Beckham Jr. had nothing but praises for his gridiron contemporary.
Playoff Implications
This game is crucial for both teams as they seek to remain in the playoff hunt. If the postseason started today, Cincinnati would be golfing during the playoffs and New York would be the fifth seed in the Wild Card Round.
There is still some time before the playoffs in January, however, and New York head coach Ben McAdoo is more focused on taking it one game at a time and improving. From the Bengals’ perspective, Andy Dalton emphasized how important the second half of the season will be.
Kickoff from MetLife Stadium is set for 8:30 p.m. The game can be seen on ESPN.
