Bengals WR Jermaine Burton a surprise inactive as a healthy scratch
2 mins read

Bengals WR Jermaine Burton a surprise inactive as a healthy scratch

Time may be running out for a handful of expected contenders, whose early-season struggles have spilled over into the second quarter of the schedule and now have these teams in holes that may soon prove insurmountable.

After showing a burst of life, winning two games to bounce back from a 1-4 start, the Cincinnati Bengals were blown out at home by the Philadelphia Eagles last week. Now 3-5, they hope a date with the hapless Las Vegas Raiders will allow them to take a step back in the right direction. Joe Burrow just can’t seem to get the support of a healthy arsenal or strong defense when he needs it most. Fortunately for the Bengals, who trail the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North, the Raiders are in even worse shape.

Meanwhile, division rival Cleveland is also in do-or-die mode. At 2-6, a season turnaround and playoff pressure seems like a long shot. However, Jameis Winston has taken over at quarterback and provided a spark last week in upset Baltimore. He’ll look to do it again on Sunday when the Browns host the Los Angeles Chargers as they go for their first two-game winning streak of the season.

In the AFC East, 6-2 Buffalo takes on Miami and looks to take another step toward closing out the division before the regular season even reaches its final month. However, the Dolphins have their guy Tua Tagovailoa back at quarterback and they hope he can build on last week’s promising showing in a heartbreaking 28-27 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Referring to the 2021 season, when the Dolphins rebounded from 1-7 to finish 9-8, Tagovailoa and his teammates refuse to give up hope. They believe that with a strong second half of the season, they can position themselves for a return to the playoffs. But without an upset of the host Bills on Sunday, such a mission will prove nearly impossible.

And then there’s Dallas. At 3-4, the Cowboys are certainly not out of it mathematically. But their warts abound, and solutions for their underperforming offense don’t seem readily available. Their defense could get some reinforcements soon, but Micah Parsons doesn’t appear healthy enough to return this week. So this week’s road trip to Atlanta, where the 5-3 Falcons aim to build on their lead in the NFC South, could prove to be the most challenging for Dallas. Another loss could put Mike McCarthy’s team too far behind Washington and Philadelphia in the NFC East.

GO FURTHER

NFL Week 9 top stories: Lions-Packers, Broncos-Ravens and Joe Flacco to the rescue