Before the 2023 NFL regular season even began, the Week 8 matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals was one that many were already looking forward to watching.
Well, now the importance of getting a win in this game seems to be high for both teams, but for completely different reasons.
The 49ers have lost each of their last two matchups, and they will be looking to avoid their first three-game losing streak since 2021.
As for the Bengals, they’ve clawed back after starting the season 1-3, and a win over San Francisco would provide them with a huge confidence boost for the rest of the 2023 campaign.
Former NFL wide receiver Plaxico Burress recently explained on FS1’s “The Carton Show” why this matchup is so big for both teams.
“The 49ers are in a must-win situation. They can’t lose three games in a row in the NFC… If [the Bengals] can go out there on the road and get a win in San Francisco, now we’re going to have to start talking about the Bengals being one of the top three teams in football.”
“The 49ers are in a must-win situation. They can’t lose 3 games in a row. If the Bengals can get a win, we’ll be talking about them being one of the top 3 teams in football.”
— @plaxicoburress pic.twitter.com/iDvd1qj7X0
— The Carton Show (@TheCartonShow) October 27, 2023
Just two weeks ago, the 49ers had a 5-0 record, and they looked like the absolute best team in the NFL.
But then they suffered a loss on the road to the Cleveland Browns in Week 6 and a loss on the road to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 7 and all of a sudden, they aren’t as unbeatable as it seemed they were earlier in the season.
Even though they were able to fight their way back to a 3-3 record, Cincinnati still doesn’t resemble the team that has appeared in back-to-back AFC Championships in the last two seasons.
So, the victor in this weekend’s matchup could be an indicator of things to come later in the year.
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