The Cincinnati Bengals head into their Week 5 matchup against the Detroit Lions facing some serious challenges.
Cincinnati has lost starting quarterback Joe Burrow indefinitely after he suffered a Grade 3 turf toe injury that required surgery. In his place, backup quarterback Jake Browning has taken over, but his performance has been far from encouraging.
Meanwhile, the Lions are rolling along with a 3-1 record and have lived up to the expectations of being a legitimate Super Bowl contender heading into the 2025 season.
Even though Detroit will be on the road for this matchup, FanDuel lists them as massive 10.5-point favorites over the Bengals this week.
According to Stathead.com, that marks the largest road-game spread for the Lions in 52 years (via Jeremy Reisman, Pride of Detroit). The last time Detroit was favored by 10.5 points on the road was way back in 1973.
.There’s still a bit of optimism for the Bengals, who remain 2-2 despite Browning’s struggles at quarterback. However, if his play doesn’t improve soon, Cincinnati could find itself in serious trouble.
“I’ve got full confidence in Jake,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “I’m unwavering in that belief. I’ve seen Jake at his best. We can support him in ways that help him win games for us. I feel extremely confident in Jake Browning.”
Since dropping their season opener, the Lions have responded impressively by winning three straight games. During that stretch, Detroit has averaged an astonishing 41.3 points per game.
The Lions’ explosive offense should create major problems for Cincinnati’s defense, which has surrendered the sixth-most points per game in the league this season.
