Bengals Vs. Jets: 2010 NFL Thanksgiving TV Time & Predictions

The 2010 NFL Thanksgiving game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the New York Jets (host) is scheduled for Thursday November 25 (8:20 EST) at New Meadowlands Stadium. NFL Network will air this third and final game of the Thanksgiving tripleheader. This will be the only 2010 regular season meeting between the Bengals and Jets. New York currently ranks first in the AFC South with an 8-2 record; Cincinnati ranks last in the AFC North with a record of 2-8. This article offers predictions and TV time for the 2010 Bengals-Jets NFL Thanksgiving game.

1) Bengals-Jets Head to Head

Thursday's Thanksgiving game will be the 21st regular season meeting between Cincinnati and New York. Since 2001, the Bengals and Jets have encountered 6 times with the latter enjoying a 4-2 record. While New York has dominated the regular season meetings between the two teams (including last year's 37-0 victory), Cincinnati has won both its post-season games against NY.

2) Carson Palmer vs. Mark Sanchez

The final game of the Thanksgiving NFL tripleheader pits veteran quarterback Carson Palmer against sophomore QB Mark Sanchez. This will be the third head-to-head meeting between the two quarterbacks. Both QBs have posted similar offensive numbers this season. Palmer owns a mediocre rating of 82.1 with 13 interceptions; Sanchez has a QB rating of 82.8 and 7 interceptions. The key difference here is the number of interceptions. Sanchez has been able to limit turnovers to a minimum, giving his team a chance to win each outing.

3) Team Depth and Evaluation

As of this article, Carson Palmer's status for the Thanksgiving game is still in doubt. Nonetheless, Cincinnati's offense (even with Palmer) has not lived up to the hype generated by the addition of Terrell Owens. The team has only managed to score more than 21 points in 3 of 10 contested games. The Bengals' defense has not fared any better, ranking 18th in opposition passing yards and 23rd in opposition rush yards.

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Although the New York Jets is currently 8-2 for the season, the team has struggled in the last three games. The Jets needed overtime to beat two of NFL's worst teams in the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns. Additionally, the team also needed a big comeback to eke out a victory against Houston last weekend. New York will have to shrug off their recent struggles, if the team is to overcome the underachieving Bengals.

My prediction for the 2010 NFL Thanksgiving game between the Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets: Sanchez and the Jets beat the Bengals by the score of 28-23. Kickoff time for the game is 8:20 EST. The game will be broadcast by NFL Network.