A marquee AFC vs. NFC matchup in Week 3 of the NFL season puts the Green Bay Packers on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals. Fox will have the broadcast of this game which is scheduled to kick off at 1 pm ET.
- When:
Sun., Sept. 22nd, 2013 @ 1:00pm ET
- Where:
Paul Brown Stadium, Cleveland, OH
- Who’s Favored?
Packers by 2.5 ~ 48.5 o/u @ BetOnline
- More Info:
The Packers and Bengals rebounded on Sunday in Week 2 after opening week losses. Green Bay got a great performance from quarterback Aaron Rodgers against the Redskins, while Cincinnati had a well-rounded effort to knock off the Steelers on Monday Night Football.
The player to watch in this matchup is all of a sudden Giovanni Bernard, the rookie running back for the Bengals out of the University of North Carolina. Bernard was the first running back taken in the draft, much to the surprise of some analysts.
Bernard proved why he might just be worth the pick though, scoring both touchdowns for Cincinnati on the night, one rushing, and one receiving. He was the biggest bright spot during a game in which otherwise would have been very defensively minded.
Bernard could be vital to the success of Cincinnati this season, including against Green Bay on Sunday. Success in the run game can help quarterback Andy Dalton in the passing game, for which he throws to arguably the best receiver in football in A.J. Green.
Of course if Rodgers plays like he did against Washington, then the Bengals defense could have their work cut out for them. Running back Eddie Lacy might miss this one after leaving the game early on Sunday with a concussion.