NFL
Giants will look for their first win of the season at home against the Bengals on Sunday night
Cincinnati (1-4) at New York Giants (2-3)
Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EDT, NBC
BetMGM NFL Odds: Giants by 3 1/2.
Against the spread: Bengals 2-3, Giants 3-2.
Series record: Bengals lead 6-5.
Last meeting: Giants beat Bengals 19-17 on Nov. 29. 2020, in Cincinnati.
Last week: Ravens beat Bengals 41-38, OT; Giants beat Seahawks 29-20.
Bengals offense: overall (9), rush (28), pass (5), scoring (T4)
Bengals defense: overall (26), rush (30), pass (19), scoring (31)
Giants offense: overall (20), rush (24), pass (13), scoring (27)
Giants defense: overall (12), rush (12), pass (15), scoring (11)
Turnover differential: Bengals: even, Giants minus-2.
Bengals player to watch
Quarterback Joe Burrow threw a career-high five touchdown passes against Baltimore to go with 392 passing yards and a 137.0 passer rating. His fifth scoring toss came via a quick screen to WR Ja’Marr Chase, who took it 70 yards for his second TD of the day. Burrow has thrown for 1,370 yards, 12 TDs and two interceptions this season.
Giants player to watch
Defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence is having his best season. The six-year veteran had a career-high three sacks against Seattle last weekend and has six for the season. He is tied for second in the league with Will McDonald of the Jets. In five games, Lawrence has 16 tackles, 10 quarterback hits, four tackles for loss and a pass defensed. He is also getting double-teamed most of the time.
Key matchup
The Giants’ front seven against the Bengals offensive line. New York leads the NFL with 22 sacks. That pressure has allowed a young secondary to settle down and it did a good job against Seahawks star DK Metcalf and company last week while sacking Geno Smith seven times. The Bengals have given up 11 sacks, including three last weekend.
Key injuries
Bengals: Starting CB Dax Hill tore his ACL last week and is out. DT Sheldon Rankins (hamstring), TE Mike Gesicki (hamstring), RB Zack Moss (foot), DE Joseph Ossai (shoulder) are on the injury report. … Giants WR Malik Nabers is in the concussion protocol. … OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (wrist) had surgery after returning from Seattle and is week to week. RB Devin Singletary (groin), CB Adoree Jackson (calf) and CB Dru Phillips (shoulder, calf) are on the injury report.
Series notes
The home team has won 10 of the 11 games. The first game between the team was played in 1972.
Stats and stuff
Cincinnati had a chance to win last week’s game in OT, but a mishandled snap and hold caused Evan McPherson to pull the kick wide left. … The Bengals rank fourth in the NFL in scoring, averaging 28.0 points. … They are fifth in the league in passing offense, averaging 263 yards. … Burrow’s 392 passing yards in Week 5 moved his career total to 15,453. That surpassed Jeff Blake for fifth place in franchise history. … Burrow has 21 games with 300 or more passing yards. … Cincinnati is 4-17 in regular-season Sunday night games. … The Bengals are 28-56 overall in regular-season games at night. …QB Daniel Jones threw two touchdowns and no interceptions against Seattle. He is one of four quarterbacks (Burrow, Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield) with two-plus TD passes and 100-plus rating in three or more games this season. Rookie RB Tyrone Tracy ran for 129 yards in his first start. … Nabors leads the league with 35 catches despite missing last weekend. … WR Darius Slayton led the team with eight catches for 122 yards and a TD this past weekend. … OLB Brian Burns had two passes defensed and a sack against Seattle. … New York had eight sacks in Week 3 and seven last weekend. It is the first team since the 2006 Eagles to have seven or more sacks in two of their first five games. … CB Deonte Banks had a career-high three PDs and his first forced fumble against the Seahawks. … ILB Micah McFadden leads New York with 31 tackles despite missing the opener.
Fantasy tip
Chase. He had 10 catches for 193 yards and two TDs against the Ravens. Now in his fourth season, he has 16 games with 100 or more yards receiving and 34 touchdown catches. The LSU product has 29 catches this season for 493 yards, five TDs and seven plays of 20 yards or more.
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