FIRST TAKE | Stephen A. Smith BOLD predicts to Bengals vs Bills: Joe Burrow or Josh Allen?

FIRST TAKE | Stephen A. Smith BOLD predicts to Bengals vs Bills: Joe Burrow or Josh Allen?

take for Dan O here yesterday. Mad Dog said that 9 and4 49ers are the scariest team in the NFC right now. Are you high on them as well? Do you agree? Well, that’s a dumb thing to say, Mad Dog. But, um, I will say this. Kyle Shanahan, who’s their head coach, has been to three Super Bowls. It’s his best coaching job. He’s had to play two quarterbacks. His star tight end missed significant amounts of time. Their number one, their number two, number three receiver, have all missed time. The number one receiver has not played this year. They lost their best defensive player, their second best defensive player, and their first round draft pick who was a defensive player. The fact that they are 9 and4 is an unbelievable coaching job by him and his staff. It’s also Christian McCaffrey uh reestablishing the importance that he is to his team and how great of a player is. I would have him fourth in my MVP right now. Um what Kyle Shanahan’s doing right now and the fact that this is a playoff contending football team, it feels like they will be in the playoffs as well is absolutely unbelievable. and they’ve won in Seattle, but they’re not one crazy. Uh I think that’s scary because of the coaching factor. Uh quarterback showdown we have in Buffalo Sunday. Joe Burrow and the Bengals are going to v visit Josh Allen and the Bills who are trying to keep pace with the Patriots in the AFC East. Meanwhile, Cincinnati will try to keep their slim but still have them playoff hopes alive. They are 3-0 in games Joe Burrow started this season. They have been 1-8 when he is out. He will play though this weekend. Which offense though do we think will ball out more in this one, Ryan Clark? Bengals or Bills? Well, I think the Bengals are the better offense and I think that’s the team that will play better this week. That doesn’t mean that the Bengals win the game. Yeah. Like like that’s the that’s the first thing I want to say. What I have loved about what we’ve seen in recent weeks from the Cincinnati Bengals is they’re starting to get Chase Brown going a little bit, right? We’re seeing some explosive runs. We’re seeing physicality in the run game. And when you watched Joe Burrow operate and you know it was something like you almost forgot, right? Cuz you saw Joe Flacco be able to create these yard this yardage and these explosive plays to Jamar Chase and T. Higgins and you almost forgot just how damn good Joe Burrow is. How he understands exactly what he’s getting offensively and where to go with the football right away. The way he can place the ball anywhere he wants it offensively. And when you think about the back end of the Buffalo Bills and also how susceptible the B Buffalo Bills are to teams who are willing to consistently call the run, I think the Cincinnati Bengals will have a day offensively. Hagen supposed to be back this weekend as well. What do you think? I think both offenses have a lot of success in this one. Um, but I’m in agreement with Ryan and I love that you highlighted the run game because it’s important given the matchup, right? This Bills defense has been somewhat better against the run last week. Played more base defense. Sha Thompson on the field. They put three linebackers on the field though against Cincinnati. They’ll throw on them. And I think that’s what I love watching, you know, about this offense right now with Joe Burrow back at quarterback is they can beat you a number of different ways. I also don’t think the Bills corners match up well with these. Nobody matches up well with So I I I think and maybe someone will make the case for Allen. I think he’ll have success as well. I just think this Bills Bengals offense can beat you in different ways right now, whereas the Bills offense is more onedimensional. Yeah. Who gets the 35 first is what how I feel about the game. If this game was in Cincinnati, I would say the Bengals. This game’s in Buffalo. I’m going to say Buffalo. Uh Buffalo at home, 25 touchdowns. This year, 15 punts. Buffalo on the road, 15 touchdowns, 21 punts. It’s just a completely different offensive unit at home. Uh will both tackles play? I I I think it’s like it’s funny to talk about the game. It’s like what defense that we saw from each team last week is more real. Yeah. You know, like Buffalo defensively was really good against not a great offense in Pittsburgh, but at least they were physical and stopped the run. And Cincinnati, I was like, what? Mhm. Why is Cincinnati’s defense playing so good? Barrett Carter at linebacker was all over the field. And so it’s like which one of those units is a little bit more reality, I guess. Um, and just because Buffalo’s home, I would take their offense. Okay. Yeah. I think the the the tough part about this is like for for Al Golden, they were still giving up explosive plays. Yeah. Right. Like Jordan Battle just makes an unbelievable play on the goal line on Isaiah Likely, right? Who who’s loose with the football. And so you you think to yourself, the the Bills are going to move the ball. It’s going to be about who makes the most important play in that game in the critical football moment in situational football. Can one of these defenses come up with a stop? And I think that’s who says or that’s what says who wins this game. And I’d also say this, the one of the reasons that Buffalo is in kind of the situation that they’ve been in this year is they’ve given the ball away. And even last week, they had two early turnovers as an offense. And you’re sitting there going, “Is it going to happen again?” If they do that, they won’t win because if you turn the ball over with an okay defense versus this offense, they’ll hang 40 on you even in Buffalo. Just out of curiosity, you like the Bengals or Bills in this one. I I know I just said I think the Bengals offense, but I am taking the Bills largely because it’s at home. I also think with Bills games, it always comes down to a civil thing for me. Can they stop them on the ground? I don’t think Cincinnati can. Yeah. What do you who you taking the Bills as well and that was the the difficult part about the question because I expect the Bengals to play extremely well offensively, but when you look at what James Cook does, especially at home and Joe Brady just understanding who this team has to be, there’s no way he watches the film from last week and goes, “Now I’m going to come out and get shotgun and throw this football 40 times.” Yeah, I say Buffalo. The Buffalo defense is flawed, but they’re built at least strengthwise to defend the pass more than they are the run. This isn’t a juggernaut run game, although they do it a little bit more. I say Buffalo again at home. Bills are 12-2 and James Cook rushes for over a 100 yards. Have to do that. Yeah, good player. Let’s give him the ball. I hope the ball give him the ball. Uh, with that being said, Cincinnati no wiggle room. They got to win this game if they want to make the postseason. Coming up on First Take, what will be the big with the game between the Texans and the Chiefs. Who do you like and show me some tape? I’m taking Houston. It’s the best defense in football. I think it’s going to be a challenge for Kansas City to score 20 points. But I would also say this, it’s the most improved offensive line in football because the interior of the pocket is solidified. This past game last weekend against Indie was the most CJ Strad looked like 2023 since 2023. The ability to react and reset, get the different parts of the progressions has always been the superpower for him. But it’s because the interior offensive line at this point last year have given up 53 less pressures and 11 less sacks. This was my favorite play of the game. This looks like vintage CJ Stout where he goes ball fake. Wants to throw the in route to the bottom of the field, bottom of the screen. It’s not there. Quickly reset and throw the ball before the receiver makes his cut to the sideline. If that’s the version of this offense and CJ that we will get this weekend on top of that defense, I think Houston goes into Kansas City and wins. My two quarterbacks both say you’re saying that and Alex is saying the same thing on Sundays that CJ Strad looks better than the numbers might suggest. He’s getting getting healthy and looking good and obviously the defense is devastating. Hawk, everyone is on the Texans. When’s the last time the Chiefs haven’t even been on the Chiefs are not on the screen? We we Will Compton is is wearing off on all of us. Like it’s it’s disgusting. It’s it’s starting to go cuz I’m I always pick the Chiefs because I’m like it’s Patrick Mahomes. They’re going to figure it out. I don’t feel like they’re going to figure it out now. Andy Andy Reed says they’re going to tickle their tonsils. I do. They’re going to be making out. That’s how that’s how confident Andy Reid is. They’re going to be making out when they get there. They’re still the Chiefs. And if you look at the schedule, there’s a path to the playoffs. And if they get to the playoffs, do you have any doubts that Patrick Mahomes can win in the postseason? And yes, they have issues. But whenever I see an entire screen of an opposite team in Kansas City in a prime time game, good luck with that one. Are you hearing it right now? Kansas City is going to win this game. They’re going to win out. They’re going to get into the playoffs. Taylor, you’re next. Steelers, Ravens, who you got? I’m going to take the Ravens. When you look at both of these teams, there’s a lot of question marks when you’re looking at the offense and the defense. I have you have to go up. What can you do? And what the Ravens can do if they choose to do is going to be run the football. And it’s going to be very uncomfortable, but get under center and run Derrick Henry more than 20 times. Everyone wants to remember the first three games of the season when he fumbled in the fourth quarter. That is later in the season. You have King Henry. You have a guy with a title king on your team. Give him the ball. Take the SG advantage. Make it a blood bath and the Ravens should win this game. King carried three times for 43 yards in the first quarter against the Bengals in a touchdown and two carries for zero yards in the second quarter. They stopped feeding him and so we’ll see if the Ravens go to that. Obviously the Steelers have had a very tumultuous week. We’ll see if they do. Last one is the first one. Hawk tonight. Cowboys.

FIRST TAKE | Stephen A. Smith BOLD predicts to Bengals vs Bills: Joe Burrow or Josh Allen?