The time is now for Bengals and Cowboys - 5 NFL storylines
Michael McQuaid of Pro Football Ireland looks at some of the key storylines ahead of the ninth week of the 2024 NFL season, which gets underway tonight (1.15am Irish time) with the visit of the Houston Texans to the New York Jets.
Must win for Cincinnati
Through eight weeks, the Cincinnati Bengals are 3-5 and expectations are slipping. Last week, the Eagles defeated the Bengals by twenty points.
This week, Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow knows that while it's the halfway point of the regular season this weekend, the time to perform is now.
"This is a must-win game", he said.
"We're 3-5. You go to 3-6, you basically have to win out."
In that sense, every game is now a cup final for Burrow and his men. This weekend, they welcome the Raiders to Paycor Stadium.
Through eight weeks, the Raiders sit with six losses on their record book. The team are in the bottom half of the league in defensive stats as they are ranked 26th out of 32 teams on third down conversions, with a 29% success rate. It has been a difficult start to the season for the Raiders, who now enter a game in Ohio where the pressure will be notched up a gear. For the first time in years, their AFC West rival Denver Broncos have started hot - and the cracks in Las Vegas are showing.
For the Bengals, a must win game means that points need to be scored. They are struggling on the run game, resulting in the worst rushing offense in the NFL the last 4 weeks, averaging -0.36 EPA [Expected Points Added] per rush. In their first four home games this season, they have been outscored 132-98 - along with giving up an average of 33 points and 390 yards of offence at home.
Something needs to change for the Bengals - and fast.
Cowboys slipping
If the Bengals are in a bad spot,