Week Eight: Seahawks Versus Bengals

Let's make a deal. Let's pretend last week's 6-3 bomb didn't happen, and instead let's look to the Seahawks game today. Kickoff against the Cincinnati Bengals is in T minus two hours, so how will Seattle fare in this matchup?

We'll start with the quarterbacks. For Seattle, it will be a game-time decision about who will start: Tavaris Jackson (bouncing back from an injury) or Charlie Whitehurst (bouncing back from a bad loss). While we debate who is the lesser of two evils in this position, we can also look across the field at Andy Dalton, the former TCU standout who we could have drafted last year, but didn't. Dalton is enjoying some success in his rookie year as starting quarterback for the Bengals. With a passer rating of 84.3 and seven touchdowns on the season, Dalton has already led Cincinnati to four wins this season, matching last year's total wins. That's more than either of our QBs can offer at this point.

Verdict: Cincinnati. The constant questioning about who will start for the Seahawks looks even worse in the face of Dalton's general consistency.

Now on to the run game. Marshawn Lynch was a non-factor last week after back spasms kept him sidelined, but to be perfectly honest, he hasn't really been a make-or-break figure all season for the Seahawks. However, it looks good for him to be back on the field today, and it would help alleviate some of the pressure on the quarterback if Lynch could get his game going. On the Bengals side of the ball, their running back Cedric Benson is serving a one-game suspension and they will have to look to Bernard Scott to jumpstart the run game in Benson's absence. The most carries Scott has had in a single game this season is 11, which means being the No. 1 back could possibly be more than he is prepared to handle.

Verdict: Toss up. A runningback to runningback comparison would probably come up even, so we would normally point to Seattle's run defense as the tipping point in favor of our team. But, while Seattle is good enough to cause Scott some issues in his third career start, the Bengals' fifth-ranked run defense is quite capable of doing the same to Lynch.

Speaking of defense, some key players are back for the Seahawks. Robert Gallery will continue to be a welcome presence on the line following his return from injury last week. Also, safety Kam Chancellor, a vital member of the Seattle secondary, is probable to play . As for the Bengals, they are strong in both stopping the run game and limiting the passing game, ranked fifth in both categories out of all NFL teams.

Verdict: Cincinnati. On paper, they're the clear favorite. However, the Seahawks defense has been known to step up at the strangest of times.

Other contributing factors in today's game...

- The 12th Man. The Seahawks are home after two tough road games, and the notorious noise of CenturyLink field could be a test for Cincinnati's rookie QB Dalton.

- Special teams. Leon Washington is a threat as a punt returner, and the Seahawks were able to block two field goals last week, so it would be foolish to bet against the notion that Seattle's special teams will be a factor in today's game.

- Rest. The Bengals are coming off a bye week, which means they are well rested, but the Seahawks enjoyed their bye week two weeks ago, so they're not looking too haggard themselves. We'll see who comes out looking fresher.

Final Verdict: We're going to give the edge to the Bengals in this one, but we are optimistic that the Seahawks will put on a better show this week.