NFL Week 13: Bengals vs. Chargers Preview

With just five weeks left in the NFL regular season, the Cincinnati Bengals (7-4) are in firm control of their own destiny in the AFC North, but after seeing the Baltimore Ravens improve to 6-6 on Thanksgiving, Cincy knows it needs a win today against the San Diego Chargers (5-6) to keep a comfortable two-game distance from the defending Super Bowl champs.

With the way Cincinnati was playing earlier in the season, a victory against the inconsistent Bolts would have seemed like a foregone conclusion, but after struggling on offense in their past few games, the Bengals may be short on confidence as they travel to Qualcomm Stadium today.

Even though the Bengals managed to put up 41 points in a win over the Browns last week, quarterback Andy Dalton tossed two more interceptions, which makes eight in the last three games. In that same span, the offense has failed to produce more than 270 yards in a single game.

Fortunately, they’ll be up against a Chargers team that has allowed an average of more than 270 passing yards alone. However, San Diego has shown it can compete with the best teams in the league, as it’s coming off an impressive 41-38 win over the Chiefs, who had entered that contest as the NFL’s last remaining unbeaten club. Of course, the Chargers have also failed to even show up against some of the league’s worst teams in losses to the Raiders, Redskins and Texans earlier this year.

Both teams have suffered from a lack of sustained consistency this season, but the main issue behind the Bengals’ woes has been injuries and with linebacker Rey Maualuga expected to return from a three-week absence today, Cincinnati could get a much-needed boost in defending San Diego’s balanced attack.

The knowledge that the Bengals have shut Phillip Rivers and Co. down in recent years should also give them a mental boost in going on the road today. Cincinnati has won the last two meetings in the series – including one at home last year – and has held the Chargers to just 33 combined points in those games.

It’s certainly easy to see this game going either way, but with Maualuga back and with Dalton getting a shot at one of the league’s worst pass defenses, the Bengals seem like the safer pick today, especially when you consider that San Diego is only 5-7 at home since 2012.

Take the Bengals to cover -1 in the win today.