Published Oct 21, 6:04pm ET by
Paul Lebowitz - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Oct 21, 6:04pm ET
Grok AI
Updated Oct 21, 6:04pm ET
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| Cincinnati Bengals | -6.5 (-116) |
| New York Jets | +6.5 (-104) |
The Jets have given up 13 points in each of their last two games and lost both. Against the Panthers in Week 7's 13-6 loss, Fields was pulled after completing 6 of his 12 passes for 46 yards. He was sacked 3 times for 21 yards. Even the one thing he's good at -- running the football -- was ineffective, accumulating 22 yards on 4 carries.
Taylor took over and wasn't much better, completing 10 of 22 passes for 126 yards, no TDs, and 2 picks.
JAYCEE HORN ARE YOU KIDDING ME??
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) October 19, 2025
WHAT AN INSANE INT ON TYROD TAYLOR
🤯🤯🤯pic.twitter.com/Hlje2eMEre
Still, they are widely believed to be preparing to name Taylor the starter for Week 8.
At worst, the 15-year veteran Taylor can complete the ball downfield, with the opponent needing to prepare for something other than scrambling and the running game.
New York's defense has been solid in consecutive weeks, stifling Denver and Carolina. On Sunday, they held Bryce Young to 138 yards through the air and 1 TD. Rico Dowdle rushed for 79 yards on 17 carries, a major step down from the previous two weeks of dominance.
The Jets are still near the bottom of the league in points scored per game and points allowed per game, but, notably, they surrendered 26 points total in the past two losses. They are the worst in the NFL at takeaway differential, at -9, and in passing yards per game. They are 9th in rushing yards per game, but that's largely due to Fields. Defensively, they are solid against the pass, 9th in the league, but shaky against the run, ranked 23rd.
As it turns out, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin's visible frustration at the Browns trading Joe Flacco to division rival Cincinnati not long before Pittsburgh was set to play them was justified.
Shots fired: #Steelers HC Mike Tomlin on Cleveland trading Joe Flacco to the Bengals:
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 13, 2025
“Andrew Berry must be a lot smarter than me or us because it doesn’t make sense to me to trade a QB you think enough of to make your opening-day starter to a division opponent that’s hurting in… pic.twitter.com/aQJKCxCUaJ
Flacco has lit up the Bengals' offense and given them hope that they can stay above water until Joe Burrow returns from toe surgery.
In two games, he's thrown for 561 yards, 5 TDs, and no interceptions. In the 33-31 win over the Steelers, Ja'Marr Chase caught 16 balls for 161 yards and a TD. Flacco's arm opened up the running game for Chase Brown, who ran for 108 yards on 11 carries.
Cincinnati's defense is still pockmarked. Aaron Rodgers threw 4 TD passes, but was picked off twice. Jaylen Warren ran for 127 yards on 16 carries. They allowed a near game-ending 68-yard TD pass from Rodgers to Pat Freiermuth before Flacco drove the team down for a game-winning field goal.
But a poor defense is nothing new for the Bengals. They're ranked near the bottom in points allowed, passing yards allowed, and rushing yards allowed. But with Flacco, Chase, and Tee Higgins, they have the ammo to get into shootouts, something that was not the case with Jake Browning under center.
| PLAYER | STATUS |
|---|---|
| Garrett Wilson, NYJ | INJURED |
| Qwan'tez Stiggers, NYJ | INJURED |
| Cam Jones, NYJ | INJURED |
| Michael Carter, NYJ | INJURED |
| Trey Hendrickson, CIN | INJURED |
| Tanner Hudson, CIN | INJURED |
| Mike Gesicki, CIN | INJURED |
For the Jets-Bengals NFL Week 8 battle, the question centers on believability.
Do you believe that Flacco will keep up this level of play at 40 years old against a Jets defense that has been solid recently?
Are the Jets the team that held two decent offenses, Denver and Carolina, to 13 points each? Will they be better offensively with Taylor starting? Good enough to hold the Bengals down while scoring enough to beat them?
The Jets have kept many games closer than would normally be expected for an 0-7 team.
It's not out of line to think New York can keep the score within 6.5 points. However, their season has gone so terribly, and Flacco is on such a roll that Cincinnati will cover the spread and push the Jets to 0-8.
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Pick
Cincinnati Bengals -6.5
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