How to watch Cincinnati Bengals vs. Atlanta Falcons from Spain
Watch the Bengals take on the Falcons from Spain on NFL Network, Sunday, November 8 at 9:30 AM ET, with Sling Select, Blue, Essentials & Select, or Orange & Blue.
Football fans on both sides of the Atlantic should be in for a treat on Sunday, as the Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons square off live from Madrid, Spain at 9:30 AM ET on NFL Network. The 5-2 Bengals enter the game with the NFL’s best passing offense, averaging over 288 yards per game, and a pass rush that has sacked the QB 23 times. They’ll face a typically inconsistent Atlanta Falcons team that looked like one of the best offenses in the NFL in wins over the Packers and Saints, but completely flopped in losses to NFC South rivals like the Panthers and Buccaneers.
Here’s a full preview and how to watch the NFL international game between the Bengals and Falcons with Sling. To watch the game on NFL Network with Sling, subscribe to Sling Select or Blue.
Bengals vs. Falcons live from Madrid: How to watch with Sling
The NFL Network will be the exclusive home to this international game. NFL Network is available on Sling by subscribing to either Sling Select (best value) or Sling Blue (most channels). You can also combine these packages with Sling Orange or Essentials to watch NFL football on ESPN, including Super Bowl LXI on Valentine’s Day.
Bengals vs. Falcons from Madrid, Spain preview
https://youtu.be/y7hIzr8fgUI?si=-AsloPYwiWURAqP8
With one of the league’s best quarterbacks in Joe Burrow and elite, playmaking receivers on both sides of the field, the Bengals have long had one of the best passing attacks in football. This year has been no different, as Burrow has completed 73 percent of his passes for 2,115 yards, 20 TDs, 6 INTs, and 302 yards per game. Tee Higgins has been the explosive downfield threat, and is coming off back-to-back games where he averaged more than 150 receiving yards. Ja’Marr Chase catches nearly everything thrown to him in the end zone, and leads the team with six touchdown receptions. But it’s the tight ends who are secretly the biggest game-changers. Cincy’s tight ends have recorded 9 TDs; Mike Gesicki has 6 on just 17 catches and has scored in five straight games, the longest streak by a tight end in franchise history. Rookie Jack Endries caught his first career TD in Week 8.
The issue for the Bengals’ offense is that it’s one-dimensional. Lead back Chase Brown is averaging just 3.6 yards per touch, and the Bengals still haven’t had a rush go for more than 20 yards all year. And on defense, despite their 23 sacks on a league-low blitz rate, the run defense allows 5 yards per carry, 30th in league. The pass defense isn’t a lot better, as they give up about 238 yards per game (struggling Titans QB Cam Ward had his best game as a pro last week against the Bengals, throwing for 304 yards). But despite teams moving the ball against them, Cincinnati is in the top half of scoring defense, the classic shape of a bend-don’t-break defensive unit.
Meanwhile, and stop me if you’ve heard this before, Atlanta is still searching for their identity. RB Bijan Robinson is the motor, and he’s currently leading the league in both yards (780) and 20+ yard runs (8). But injuries at QB have crippled their pass game, with Michael Penix Jr.’s 1,282 pass yards sandwiched between Justin Herbert and Malik Willis, two players you don’t want to be compared to. Despite ranking fourth in average rush yards, Atlanta is bottom 10 in PPG, which means they haven’t been able to capitalize on their opportunities. That inconsistency has been a hallmark of the Falcons; a week after being named NFC Player of the Week for his performance in an upset win over the 49ers, Penix tossed four interceptions in a scoreless loss to Tampa Bay.
Atlanta’s erratic play makes this game difficult to predict, but they will be getting some relief on defense. After sitting out 8 games due to a personal conduct suspension, edge rusher James Pearce Jr. is back. While it’s unclear how much playing time he’ll get, Pearce led all rookies last year with 10.5 sacks. The Bengals are also dealing with a banged up secondary, so expect Atlanta to take some shots. But if Cincinnati can mitigate its recent slow starts (they scored 0 points in the first half against the Ravens, then exploded for 35 in the second), their potent passing attack could be too much for an overmatched Atlanta D.
X-Factors
Bengals: DE Boye Mafe
- Role: Edge rusher, signed in free agency to replace Trey Hendrickson.
- Stat case: Team-high 5.5 sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss and 2 forced fumbles, both on strip-sacks. His Week 8 strip-sack set up a TD on the next snap.
- Why this matchup: Atlanta lives in third-and-long and is -6 in turnover margin. Penix has 4 fumbles in six starts and Bijan has 3. A pass rusher who targets the ball is the worst possible matchup for this offense.
- What to watch for: Mafe on obvious passing downs. One strip-sack could flip field position and the game.
Falcons: WR Jahan Dotson
- Role: Field-stretching No. 2 receiver behind Drake London.
- Stat case: 14 catches for 337 yards (24.1 per catch) and 2 TDs, with a long of 76 yards.
- Why this matchup: Cincinnati’s secondary could be thin, with CB DJ Turner II and S Kyle Dugger sitting out and S Jordan Battle limited in practice. Golden’s four-man rush also leaves more one-on-one coverage behind it. With WR Zachariah Branch ruled out, Dotson should see more snaps.
- What to watch for: A deep play-action shot off Bijan run fakes. Atlanta needs explosive plays because it can’t sustain drives on third down.
Don’t miss the final NFL Network international game of the season. Set those alarms and subscribe to Sling Select & Essentials to catch the Bengals-Falcons live from Spain!