The Cincinnati Bengals (2-1) host the Jacksonville Jaguars (0-3) on Thursday night for a primetime matchup at Paul Brown Stadium. After an impressive win over the Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2) in Week 3, the Bengals are hoping to continue stacking wins.
Cincinnati is undoubtedly the better team than on paper and record wise than Jacksonville. A dominant performance on Thursday Night Football from the Bengals in this game could go a long way in terms of national recognition. The Bengals want to contend in the AFC this year and winning games at home is part of it.
One of the main storylines heading into this game is the matchup between Bengals’ quarterback Joe Burrow and Jaguars’ quarterback Trevor Lawrence who faced off in the 2019 college football national championship game. Burrow has one up on Lawrence as his LSU Tigers defeated Clemson. Both Lawrence and Burrow were also No. 1 overall picks.
Here’s how Cincinnati can beat Jacksonville and improve to 3-1:
Keep the pocket clean and good things will happen
One of the main reasons the Bengals were able to beat the Steelers last week was their protection of Burrow. Cincinnati’s offensive line allowed zero sacks and hits on Burrow and it made a difference. Jacksonville’s defensive line is the least daunting of the teams the Bengals have faced so far. If Burrow can step up in the pocket and get through his progressions with time, the Bengals offense could pick apart this defense. The Jaguars are giving up 302.3 passing yards per game.
Jacksonville outside linebacker Josh Allen is a player Cincinnati’s offensive line will have to keep an eye on. Allen, a 2019 first-round pick, set an NFL record for most sacks by a rookie with 10.5 and has two sacks this year .
Pressure Trevor Lawrence, force him to turn the ball over
One of Lawrence’s best traits as a quarterback is his ability to dodge defenders in the pocket and make plays on the run. He’s tough to bring down at first and can extend plays. Cincinnati’s defense is on a roll right now and if they can continue to bring pressure in the way they have the first three games, Lawrence could be in for a long night. One of the more surprising things three weeks into the season is how many turnovers Lawrence is making. Lawrence has thrown an interception in each game he’s started in and has recorded two fumbles. The Bengals defense should be ready to make a play at all levels if they get to Lawrence.
Keep feeding the ball deep to Ja’Marr Chase
Cincinnati’s first-round pick is on a mission to prove he can be the best deep ball threat in the NFL. In three games, Chase has four touchdowns and is the player in the modern era to record touchdown receptions of 30-yards or more in each of his first three games. Burrow and his connection is as strong as it's ever been and the team feeds off the explosive plays they make. In the games the Bengals have targeted Chase deep, they’ve won. The Jaguars are likely to try and take Chase away in this game and if they do, expect Tyler Boyd and Joe Mixon to see increased production.
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