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Jets, Bengals look to snap losing streaks

Oct 21, 2007 - 10:30 AM NY Jets (1-5) at Cincinnati (1-4) Sunday 4:05 pm EDT

CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- Somebody has to win.

A pair of AFC teams who have lost a combined seven straight games clash on Sunday when the Cincinnati Bengals host the New York Jets.

The Bengals have dropped four straight since a season-opening victory over the Baltimore Ravens to fall into last place in the AFC North.

The Jets extended their slide to three games with a 16-9 defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles. New York is not in last place in the AFC East only because they are in the same division with the winless Miami Dolphins (0-6).

Defense has been a huge problem for the Bengals, who have allowed a league-worst 31.2 points per game.

Cincinnati's defense has been on the field too much, as the Bengals are just 1-for-18 on third-down conversions in the last two weeks. They were 1-of-11 in Sunday's 27-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

"We're not doing what we need to do on third down," Cincinnati quarterback Carson Palmer said. "If you're 1-of-11 on third down, obviously your quarterback isn't playing well."

Palmer's play, however, isn't the Bengals' biggest concern as he has passed for 1,491 yards and 12 touchdowns.

The Jets have bigger quarterback issues as Chad Pennington continued to struggle against the Eagles.

Pennington completed just 11-of-21 passes for 128 yards and an interception as New York's offense consisted of three field goals by Mike Nugent.

Pennington has thrown only two touchdowns in the last three weeks and his continued poor will only intensity calls that he should be replaced by Kellen Clemens.

So far, second-year coach Eric Mangini has resisted the urge to make a quarterback change. But after making the playoffs in Mangini's rookie season, the Jets seemingly have fallen out of postseason contention this year.