The Cincinnati Bengals are saying and doing all the right things about trap games before the Week 8 game against the Tennessee Titans.
It’s all necessary, considering those Titans are 1-6 going into the game in Cincinnati and just traded away one of the best players in football before kickoff.
The Bengals, meanwhile, shrugged off post-bye sluggishness in the second half of last week's win over the Baltimore Ravens, scoring those memorable 35 straight points to win and reach a 4-2 mark.
Quietly, the Bengals have enjoyed one of the NFL’s healthier streaks, too, with little in the way of starters or critical depth dealing with issues going into Sunday’s game.
Also quietly, Joe Burrow remains on pace for one of his best seasons as a pro, completing
71.7 percent of his passes with 1,653 yards and 15 touchdowns against three interceptions. There are question marks ahead of the NFL trade deadline such as whether they could use help at running back or safety, but Sunday is a chance for those spots to correct a bit, too.
As for the Titans, they did pull off a win in Week 6 over the Indianapolis Colts, but it’s hard to get a positive read on the team for beating a division rival that has already fired a general manager and is also in the middle of a big fire sale.
Otherwise, quarterback Cam Ward has thrown just four touchdowns and five interceptions over seven games while averaging just 5.7 yards per attempt. Running back Tony Pollard (a really notable Bengals trade deadline candidate, funnily enough) is the only one keeping his head above water with 478 yards and four scores on a 4.3 average.
It’s important for the Bengals to move the needle to 5-2 on Sunday before going to Spain against the Atlanta Falcons. But it would take a pretty colossal flop to lose while onlookers wonder whether some of the Titans suiting up for the game are potentially auditioning to stay in Cincinnati at the trade deadline.
Prediction: Bengals 27, Titans 17
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Final score predictions for Titans vs. Bengals in Week 8
