The Cincinnati Bengals (2-2) are hosting the Detroit Lions (3-1) today at 4:25 p.m. ET at Paycor Stadium. The high-powered Bengals offense has produced thirteen points the last two weeks combined in losses to the Minnesota Vikings (48-10) and Denver Broncos (28-3).
It hasn’t been pretty since quarterback Joe Burrow went down for what essentially could be the season if they keep playing like this. If the Lions get it going offensively, it’s difficult to see how Jake Browning and company keep pace.
The inactives for this week are:
Cincinnati Bengals:
DE Shemar Stewart
CB Marco Wilson
WR Jermaine Burton
TE Cam Grandy
DT Jordan Jefferson
LB Zach Cunningham
T Taylor Decker
CB Khalil Dorsey
C Kingsley Eguakun
DL Chris Smith
RB Sione Vaki
DL Mekhi Wingo
Betting line for Lions against the Cincinnati Bengals is nearly unprecedented
The Lions are 10.5 favorites on the road in this game, which is the biggest line in the NFL for Week 5. And, according to Jeremy Reisman of Pride of Detroit, there is a historical component.
Per Stathead, the Lions have not been favored by that much on the road since… 1973, when the 1-2-1 Lions were also 10.5-point favorites over the 1-3 New Orleans Saints,” Reisman writes. Not to worry anybody, but the Archie Manning-led Saints actually ended up defeating Greg Landry’s Lions 20-13 that game.
In total, the Lions have been favored by 10.5 points or more 12 times in franchise history. In those games, the Lions are 9-2-1, but they have only covered the spread in four of those games.
I’m not a betting man, but the way these two teams have played recently coming into this game, I think Detroit can cover that easily.
Cincinnati Bengals need to get Ja’Marr Chase going
The Bengals need to figure out what to do with wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and fast.
Ja’Marr Chase had a step or more of separation on 40% of his routes vs Denver (13 of 32 routes). He only saw 4 targets on those open routes. Against the Vikings, he caught five balls for 50 yards. Last week against the Broncos, he was even worse. He caught five passes again, but this time for just 23 yards.
He didn’t have a touchdown in either game. I know the quarterback situation is poor, but this just can’t continue.
Andrew Russell of Pro Football Focus says that he was open against Pat Surtain, but they just couldn’t get him the ball.
“Ja’Marr Chase had a step or more of separation on 40% of his routes vs Denver (13 of 32 routes),” Russell posted on X. “He only saw 4 targets on those open routes. 6 gotta get him the ball when he’s open in space.
“Points like this are why PFF data matters. Box score outlets tout Surtain “locking him down” but the reality was that Chase was running free but the QB didn’t get him the ball. It was reflected in Surtain’s 46.4 coverage grade.”
Chase said the team needs to play with more urgency, aka get him the ball.
“Urgency is there, man, it’s just you gotta want it,” Chase said. “At the end of the day, we gotta want it. Today, it didn’t look like we wanted it.”
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