New York Local News

By JEFF CAPELLINI, WCBSTV.com Senior Sports Producer
NEW YORK (CBS) ― It's not very often the Jets are in a "trap" game, unless, of course, they are the ones doing the trapping. Yet, here they are in Week 6 with a big bull's-eye on their backs. We're going to learn a lot about this team over the next three weeks. Has this franchise turned a bit of a corner? Or are they just setting us all up for yet another fall?

The Jets are rarely favorites, so now that they have seemed to learn how to put up points on a fairly consistent basis we're going to learn a lot about how they handle being expected to win.

 Week 6: Jets-Bengals Preview

And win over the next three weeks they should. It's usually not advisable to look any further than the next week's game, but in the case of the Jets (2-2) – considering all the hype coming into the season – it's fair to look ahead. They simply have to be 5-2 heading into the Bills game at Buffalo on Nov. 2 if they are to seriously have a shot at winning the AFC East and making the playoffs.

So, victories over Cincinnati, Oakland and Kansas City, who are a combined 2-12, are expected, even demanded, over the next three weeks.

But don't for a second think this Sunday's game against the Bengals will come easily. While it's true the Bengals are 0-5 and have more inner turmoil than any team in the NFL, they have shown that they can – at times -- play with the league's elite. They just haven't been able to finish what they've started, sort of like the Jets over the past, say, 45 years.

Four of the Bengals' losses have come by less than 10 points, including an overtime defeat to the unbeaten Giants back in Week 3. Last week they scared Dallas by erasing an early 17-3 hole before coming within a failed 2-point conversion of tying the game in the fourth quarter.

Throughout their checkered history, the Bengals have really been a lot like the Jets. It seems they are perennially the second team in Ohio, like the Jets are here, and always seem to fall short of expectations, even when they have personnel that give everyone else a moment or two of pause.

Cincinnati is a team with offensive weapons of the highest order. Carson Palmer when healthy is as good as any quarterback in the league. He's been hampered this season by a sore throwing elbow. He sat out "The Battle of Ohio" against the Browns two weeks ago. Though he looked no worse for wear in the 31-22 loss to Dallas, throwing for 217 yards and a pair of scores, he has not practiced all week in advance of the Jets and is not expected to start, but could see action depending on the situation.

Ryan Fitzpatrick will get the start, which could severely limit what wide receivers T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chad Ocho Cinco (or whatever he goes by these days) do. Coming into this season, these two had been the premier receiving duo in the NFL, but age, angst and injury have fractured their reputation.

Ocho Cinco, for all of his skills, has struggled mightily, averaging less than three receptions and 60 yards per game. Known for his wild touchdown celebrations, blond hair, gold teeth and often outrageous prose, Ocho Cinco has visited the end zone just once this season.

Jets fans had better pray he doesn't get his GPS fixed this weekend, especially with Fitzpatrick, a relative unknown, calling signals.

Houshmandzadeh may be the best possession receiver in football. Where there are spaces in the secondary, it's a sure bet he'll find them on seemingly every play. Yeah, he can go deep, too, but it's unknown whether Fitzpatrick can reach him.

It will be interesting to see who Jets coach Eric Mangini sticks on Houshmandzadeh. Logic says the team's best cover corner – in this case Darrelle Revis – should be assigned the task of shutting down Houshmandzadeh. But Mangini has to wonder if there's anyone else who can stop Ocho Cinco one on one. Throw in the fact that strong safety Eric Smith will miss this game due to his hit on Arizona's Anquan Boldin and it's easy to get a little worried about the defensive assignments.

One thing is certain: free safety Kerry Rhodes better have his head on a swivel more than usual, because in addition to Houshmandzadeh and Ocho Cinco, the Bengals also have big-play artist Chris Henry, who when not getting arrested has shown a flair for finding the end zone.

The Bengals have had problems running the football, ranking 30th in the NFL at just 70 yards per game. Rudi Johnson, a consummate pro and reliable back, was released in the preseason so coach Marvin Lewis could turn his attention to the young and speedy Chris Perry. Well, Perry is averaging just 2.8 yards per carry and has fumbled five times in five games. Expect, Chicago castoff Cedric Benson to get significant playing time against the Jets.

While the Cincy offense, despite its struggles, has big-play capability, the Bengals' defense has had its moments as well but isn't anything close to special. The Bengals shut down the vaunted Dallas offense for the better part of 20 minutes last week and was on the verge of taking over the game in the fourth before Tony Romo hit Terrell Owens with a 57-yard TD, a score that was really more about Owens' athleticism than a breakdown in coverage.

That said, Cincy's run defense has been porous, allowing a whopping 171 yards per game. Dallas ran for 198, making Romo's passing numbers look even smaller than they were (176 yards, just one sack against). This may be the weekend where the Jets rely a little less on Brett Favre and more on running backs Thomas Jones and Leon Washington, who have accounted for the Jets' awful 86.5 yards-per-game average.

Having these two get going will only make Favre's life easier. If Jones and Washington can establish any sort of rhythm on the ground – and the onus here is equally shared by the spotty offensive line – Favre and receivers Laveraneus Coles and Jerricho Cotchery should put up big numbers.

But, again, all of this looks fine on the Internet. It all makes sense. The Jets should handle the Bengals and then turn their attention to the "Black Hole" out in Oakland.

But the NFL is an imperfect place where what's expected often takes detours on its way to becoming reality. Rest assured, there will be moments on Sunday where fans will wonder aloud if these Jets are truly different from those Jets.

How they handle themselves this week will speak volumes about what we can all expect going forward.

Good teams put their foot on the throats of the weak. The Jets will soon show us if they are wearing combat boots or ballet slippers.

 Send Jeff your thoughts

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