Bengals' 3 keys to beating Jaguars on Monday Night Football
The last primetime game of the 2023 season for the Cincinnati Bengals gives them a chance to play spoiler for a Jacksonville Jaguars team with high ambition. A win for the Jags tonight puts them in the driver's seat for the No. 1 seed in the AFC Playoffs. A win for the Bengals simply means […]
The last primetime game of the 2023 season for the Cincinnati Bengals gives them a chance to play spoiler for a Jacksonville Jaguars team with high ambition.
A win for the Jags tonight puts them in the driver's seat for the No. 1 seed in the AFC Playoffs. A win for the Bengals simply means they get to stay a part of the playoff hunt on the outside looking in.
We know the deal with the Bengals and what they have to work with. Here's how they can overcome the issues plaguing them against a contender on the road.
Keep pressure off Jake Browning
This comes in multiple forms. The figurative pressure of Browning commanding an offense that’s usually ran by Joe Burrow proved to be a lot during Browning's first start, and that was at home. A gap that wide in mental processing, and in-game experience in general, needs to be accounted for in rolling out an offensive plan.
The literal pressure is obvious. Browning faced the music 11 times in his debut start and took a sack on four occasions. That rate is far too high to run a sustainable offense. Browning has more than enough willingness to extend plays and escape the pocket, but he needs to pull the trigger far earlier at times as well. Ensuring that his internal clock isn't muddied with quick pressure is a must.
Finish pressures on Trevor Lawrence
Sacking the opposing quarterback? What an obvious revelation! Lawrence is an interesting case in this regard. Entering his third season, the former first-overall pick took sacks on 14.7% of his pressured drop backs. He's been sacked on 21% of his pressured drop backs this season alone, and he's already scrambled more times in 11 games than in 19 games last year.
Lawrence is taking more sacks and escaping the pocket more frequently, which is an odd development for a third-year quarterback with clear ability and promise. He's only been sacked once in the past two weeks, but he won't have his starting left tackle in Cam Robinson tonight. Trey Hendrickson and Co. must take advantage.
Keep Travis Etienne Jr. dormant
Lawrence's former college teammate turned NFL teammate has had a rough go of things this year. He's only had one week with over 90 rushing yards and is averaging 3.7 yards per carry. His two biggest weeks have had a commonality: Missed tackles. He forced eight of them the week he ran for 88 yards against the Houston Texans in Week 3, and made 11 Buffalo Bills defenders miss when he racked up 136 yards in Week 5.
Etienne has been struggling behind an offensive line that ranks 31st in run blocking grade per Pro Football Focus, but his ability to keep runs alive and make the most out of a middling situation is a potential recipe for disaster against this Bengals' defense that has allowed six 150-yard rushing performances in 11 games. A seventh would ensure their demise tonight.
Bengals DC Lou Anarumo leaving no stone unturned to fix struggling run defense
Drastic measures are being taken by Anarumo to fix the glaring issue.
