Jets vs. Bengals: Preview, prediction, what to watch for in Week 8

Text with Brian Costello all season as he brings Sports+ subscribers the latest Jets intel from on the field and off.An inside look at Sunday’s Jets-Bengals NFL Week 8 matchup in Cincinnati: Bengals WRs Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins vs.

Jets CBs Brandon Stephens and Azareye’h ThomasThe Jets will be without star cornerback Sauce Gardner, who suffered a concussion last week.They never want to be missing Gardner, but it feels especially consequential this week against Chase and Higgins — perhaps the best receiving duo in the sport.Thomas, a third-round pick last spring, will start in place of Gardner.

Chances are the Jets will not have anyone follow Chase, but just have Thomas and Stephens play sides.“Listen, any time you lose a player of that caliber, it’s always concerning because he’s one of the best in this league,” Jets coach Aaron Glenn said.“But we have other guys that have to step up ,and that’s what this league is.

You saw [the Chargers on Thursday] night that had a ton of injuries that went out there and played.No one’s going to feel sorry for you, not going to feel sorry for us, so [Thomas] is going to step up, and he’s going to do a good job for us.”Chase has been rolling since Joe Flacco took over as the Bengals quarterback.

He has two straight games with double-digit receptions, including a franchise-record 16 for 161 yards and a touchdown last week against the Steelers.Joe cool: Though the Jets are going through another quarterback crisis, their former QB Joe Flacco will be leading the Bengals.This is Flacco’s third game for Cincinnati after being traded by the Browns.

Flacco, 40, had two stints with the Jets, in 2020 and 2021-22.Flacco passed for 342 yards and three touchdowns in the Bengals’ 33-31 victory over the Steelers last week as he tries to keep the Bengals afloat while awaiting the return of starting quarterback Joe Burrow.There were not many good memories with the Jets for Flacco, who went 1-8 as a starte...