(Sports Network) - Offensive fireworks should be featured prominently in the script for Monday night's game, which has the Cincinnati Bengals entertaining the unbeaten New England Patriots at Paul Brown Stadium.

The Bengals are not off to a strong start, having followed up an opening-night win over the Ravens with back-to-back losses to the Browns (51-45) and Seahawks (24-21).

Cincinnati has proven its ability to move the football, with quarterback Carson Palmer and wideouts Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh all on a record-setting offensive pace.

But the bigger story for the Bengals has been the deficiency of the team's defense, which has surrendered eight touchdown passes over the past two weeks to saddle Marvin Lewis' club with losses.

A fact which should have this week's opponent, the high-flying Patriots, positively salivating.

New England has looked unstoppable offensively in the first three weeks, with the duo of quarterback Tom Brady and wideout Randy Moss sparking blowout wins over the Jets (38-14), Chargers (38-14), and Bills (38-7).

Brady enters Week 4 with an NFL-leading 10 touchdown passes, and has thrown three or more TDs in three consecutive games for the first time in his illustrious career.

Moss, meanwhile, has gone over 100 receiving yards in each of his first three games of 2007, becoming the first player in NFL annals to achieve that feat in his initial trio of appearances for a new team.

SERIES HISTORY

New England holds a 12-8 lead in the all-time series with Cincinnati, including a 38-13 dismantling of the Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium in Week 4 of last season. Cincinnati is 0-2 against New England since scoring its last victory in the series, a 23-17 win at home in 2001.

New England head coach Bill Belichick is 11-3 in his career against the Bengals, including 3-1 while with the Patriots. Cincinnati's Lewis is 0-2 against both Belichick and the Patriots as a head coach.

WHEN THE PATRIOTS HAVE THE BALL

New England enters Week 4 ranked No. 1 in NFL total offense (441 yards per game), and has a league-high 15 touchdowns scored already in 2007. Brady (887 passing yards, 10 TD, 1 INT) is a very early front-runner for NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors, as he leads the league in passer rating (141.8), touchdown passes, and completion percentage (79.5) through three weeks. The perennial Pro Bowl quarterback's favorite target has been the indefensible Moss (22 receptions, 5 TD), though Brady has spread the football often to other targets such as tight end Ben Watson (9 receptions, 3 TD) and wideout Wes Welker (20 receptions, 1 TD). Watson has scored a touchdown in each of the team's first three games thus far, while Welker comes off a week in which he paced the Pats with six catches in a win over Buffalo. Perhaps overlooked amid the passing barrage has been the play of the running game, with Laurence Maroney (252 rushing yards) and Sammy Morris (151 rushing yards, 2 TD) both doing their share of damage thus far. Maroney carried 19 times for 103 yards against the Bills.

If Cincinnati has any hope of scoring an upset on Monday, it will need an otherworldly effort from a defense that has been among the worst in the league thus far. One week after allowing formerly anonymous Cleveland quarterback Derek Anderson to throw five touchdown passes in a 51-45 win, Seattle signal- caller Matt Hasselbeck was able to throw scoring strikes to three different wide receivers in last week's Cincinnati loss. A Bengals secondary led by cornerbacks Deltha O'Neal (11 tackles) and Johnathan Joseph (8 tackles) along with safety Madieu Williams (21 tackles, 1 INT) will have to grow up in a hurry on Monday, and must get some help from a pass rush that has been mostly nonexistent thus far. Cincinnati has just four sacks through three games, including one - by Robert Geathers (9 tackles) - from a defensive end. The front seven gave up 100 yards to Shaun Alexander last week, an improvement on the 200-plus game they gave the Browns' Jamal Lewis a one Sunday prior. Linebacker Landon Johnson (22 tackles) leads the club in stops as Week 4 begins.

WHEN THE BENGALS HAVE THE BALL

As if there was any doubt, you can expect Cincinnati to throw, throw, and throw some more on Sunday night. Any semblance of balance was thrown out the window when it was learned that running back Rudi Johnson (hamstring) was unlikely to be available, placing the burden of the ground game on usual third-down back Kenny Watson (60 rushing yards, 1 TD). That means you can expect to see a lot of connections between quarterback Carson Palmer (937 passing yards, 9 TD, 4 INT) and wideouts Chad Johnson (25 receptions, 3 TD) and T.J. Houshmandzadeh (29 receptions, 4 TD), the trio that has more or less represented the entire offense through the first three weeks. Johnson leads the NFL in receiving yards (442), and fellow Houshmandzadeh is tops in the league in catches as Week 4 commences. In addition to Johnson, wideout Tab Perry (groin) is unlikely to see action on Monday night.

For all the accolades that the offense is receiving, few might be aware that the Patriots are also tops in the league in total defense (207 yards per game) as Week 4 begins. The New England pass rush has already generated 10 sacks on the year, with outside linebacker Mike Vrabel (18 tackles, 3.5 sacks) and end Jarvis Green (10 tackles, 2.5 sacks) ranking among league leaders in that category. The Patriots have also stifled the running games of the Jets, Chargers, and Bills, with nose tackle Vince Wilfork (7 tackles) and Ty Warren (13 tackles, 1 sack) making plays in the trenches and linebackers Tedy Bruschi (12 tackles) and Adalius Thomas (17 tackles, 1 INT) making plays behind them. The secondary has played well but is looking for a few more big plays, as cornerback Asante Samuel's (6 tackles) interception of Trent Edwards last Sunday ranked as the secondary's first pick of the year.

FANTASY FOCUS

Many Week 4 fantasy results will be contingent on how a few key figures fare in this game. Brady and Palmer, both unquestioned fantasy starters, will both be looked to for huge outings, as will top receivers Moss, Johnson, and Houshmandzadeh. Other Patriots Maroney, Watson, and kicker Stephen Gostkowski, are also starting in most leagues, and even the backup running back Morris has been a worthy start! Cincinnati figures to put up some points in this game, so start the New England defense at your own risk, though the Patriots should pile up some sacks and turnovers no matter what the scoreboard says. The Cincinnati defense and the injured Rudi Johnson are must-not-starts at this stage.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

Cincinnati rode a great wave of emotion to a win the last time it appeared at home, and Monday night's crowd should be just as vocal as the one that lifted Lewis and company to that win over Baltimore. But emotion can only take a team so far before talent takes over, and New England has a decided talent advantage in this contest. Cincinnati is perhaps the worst candidate in the league to stop the New England passing attack, which should have the Patriots scoring points at will. The Bengals will give the New England secondary problems as well, but short of scoring on every drive, you can't expect Cincinnati to do enough to run with an elite Patriots team for four quarters.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Patriots 38, Bengals 17