***MNF IN THE SWAMP - CIN @ NYG***

***CINCINNATI BENGALS @ NEW YORK GIANTS***

An interesting AFC vs NFC battle headlines the MNF stage tonight when the Cincinnati Bengals head into MetLife Stadium to take on the New York Giants. The Bengals have struggled with their tough schedule so far this season and are currently sitting with a mediocre 3-4-1 record. We last saw them in London, where the game ended in a frustrating tie against the Washington Redskins. A game I personally believe they gave away and should've won. However what is done is done and now they face an uphill climb if Head Coach Marvin Lewis and his team want to keep their playoff hopes alive. Lucky for them, the AFC North is now wide open and is there for the taking, but they need to start winning tonight. That being said, they should be fresh off their extended bye week and ready for war tonight against a Giants team that I believe they can totally hang with. The Giants are 5-3, and every other team in the NFC East won a huge game yesterday. That being said, the Giants know they need to execute and win to make sure they keep pace with the others in their division. Call me crazy but this is the kind of spot where the Giants should win but it isn't necessarily a "must-win" and up against a little bit of a lesser team, and will some how squander the opportunity and drop the game. It is just how they operate and with the Cowboys now seeming to be running away with the division title, I foresee NYG making their fans sweat out a possible Wildcard birth with a late run to end the season. Even this late in the season, the Bengals still somehow seem to be searching for their identity and I don't believe the Giants will take advantage. Big Blue has now won three straight after losing three straight and I feel as though this is a prime spot for them to trip up.

The Bengals are starting to finally get fully healthy on offense with TE Tyler Eifert now back after being out with an injury for most of the season. He is QB Andy Dalton's comfort blanket and now with another option next to his top target WR A.J. Green AKA Inspector Gadget, I expect this offense to finally start clicking like we've seen them do in the past. It is now obvious that the departure of WRs Marvin Jones and Mohammad Sanu this offseason along with Eifert's injury had crushed this offense's production. The Giants defense has been really coming together and playing well, especially Safety Landon Collins who is playing at a Pro Bowl caliber level. However, the Giants are pretty weak at Linebacker and I think the Bengals will take advantage with Eifert over the middle and dumping off to RBs Jeremy Hill and Giovanni Bernard out of the backfield. The Giants have also struggled to really get the pass rush going and I think the Red Rifle will have no problem slinging deep to Green tonight. On the other side of things, I think the Bengals defense will play it's best game of the season tonight. This is because I believe NYG has zero running game, and I think a feisty CB like PacMan Jones will trash talk his way into WR Odell Beckham's head tonight to frustrate him and get him off of his game a bit. Odell will get his touches, there is no way to fully stop him, only hope to contain him. However I do feel like he will struggle against Jones and that the Bengals will have a strong game-plan to cover Beckham after two weeks to prepare for it, and they will try to make the Rookie WR Sterling Shepard be the one to beat them with WR Victor Cruz also being out with an injury. Sidenote, the Giants will also be honroing their former Coach Tom Coughlin and DE Justin Tuck tonight. Since neither departed on good terms really, especially Coughlin, my superstitious self thinks that tonight will be clear skies with a chance of some bad juju in the air. It amazes me how whenever the Packers honor Brett Favre, they lose. Just some food for thought. In a nutshell, I think the Bengals defensive weaknesses (run) the Giants aren't really built to take advantage of and that Eli will be under fire tonight and we will see a defensive game from both teams with the Bungs leaving MetLife with a W when it's all said and done. BENGALS PK