This Week VS Next Week

Last Week, the Bengals must have eaten a huge thanksgiving dinner in the locker room before the game and the tryptophan from the turkey made them sleepy. Looking back now, I wish that the tryptophan would have hit me harder. I would have rather slept through that game than watched it.

This Week, the kick-to-the-groin-machine that is the Bengals schedule puts on some steel-toed boots. The Saints are marching in and just in time to find the Bengals defense, especially their secondary, in shambles. If you have Drew Brees on your fantasy team, I suggest you start him.

How do the Saints match up against the Bengals compared to how the Jets did?

Drew Brees VS Mark Sanchez:

Brees' 92.7 percent quarterback rating may not be quite as good as last year's 109.6 percent but it's still really good. He's still in the top 15 in the NFL. It's safe to say that Brees didn't reach his full potential until he was working with Sean Payton for the Saints.

Mark Sanchez has surprised me with his ability to lead the Jets offense so far in his young career but he still has a long way to go.

Winner: Drew Brees

What the Bengals need to do:

The usual stuff that teams do when they win: pressure the quarterback, stop the run, play good defense in the secondary. Who knows which Bengals defense will show up but what I do know is that if they let Brees sit in the pocket for a while, somebody will get open and he will find them. He won't hesitate to throw to the open receiver whether that is Marques Colston, Devery Henderson, Robert Meachem or Lance Moore - all of which have the ability to get open against the Bengals banged up secondary - and if he has the time to find them, he'll get the ball to them.

Saints Running Game VS Jets Running Game:

LaDainian Tomlinson will be in the hall of fame without question and Shonn Greene is a powerful running back. There isn't one running back on the Saints roster than can run the ball like Tomlinson or Greene can but, the Saints really don't need a running back like that. They make due just fine with Chris Ivory, Julius Jones and the extremely dangerous (he is whether you like him or not) Reggie Bush.

Winner: Jets Running Game

The Jets may not have a running back as versatile as Reggie Bush but there is no question that their running backs pose the bigger threat to opposing defenses. The biggest threat that the Saints running backs pose is probably in the passing game.

What the Bengals need to do:

Play good football. The Saints aren't known for running the ball very much and if they do it, it's probably just because they are trying to keep the defense honest. The Bengals need to be aware of the running backs at all times. Just because they stay in and block for a second doesn't mean that they're not going out for a pass. If they're open, Brees will not hesitate to throw to them, especially Bush.

Saints Receivers VS Jets Receivers:

This is a tough one and here's why: The jets have two very good receivers in Santonio Holmes, Jerricho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards are all extremely talented and physical receivers and Brad Smith proved his worth against the Bengals. They also have a very talented young tight end in Dustin Keller.

The Saints receivers are a little lesser known because Brees does a good job spreading the ball around. If you had to pick one dominant receiver on the Saints team, it would probably be Colston but Henderson and Moore are just as good.

Winner: Jets Receivers

I'm choosing the Jets receivers here on the basis that Drew Brees makes his receivers better. Without him, I think that the receivers on the Jets would stand out as being much better.

What the Bengals need to do:

Hope. With the Bengals' secondary as banged up as it is, they couldn't have a tougher match up. Every single receiver on the Saints roster is a threat and that includes their running backs. If one player in the Bengals secondary fails to do their job, Brees will make them pay for it.

Saints Defense VS Jets Defense:

The Jets have the third best overall defense in yards per game allowed and the Saints have the seventh. However, the Saints have the third best passing defense, allowing less than 200 yards a game. The Jets have the No. 12 best passing defense allowing 210 passing yards per game. The Jets have the fourth best defense against the run allowing less than 90 yards per game while the Saints allow 108.9 yards per game and are ranked No. 15 in the NFL against the run.

Winner: Jets Defense

The Saints may have a better pass defense but not by much.

What the Bengals need to do:

Bring it all together, just once - the way it was supposed to be in the beginning of the season. Show us just once what should have and could have been. Please.