Bengals face tough choices, real challenge against Jaguars
The Cincinnati Bengals are coming off of a victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday but sitting at 3-4 entering week nine still does not feel like they’ve secured their season. They’ve suffered from inconsistency on both sides of the ball and face a 4-3 Jacksonville Jaguars team on the road that has been deadly to AFC North teams thus far.
Bengals defense has weaknesses they must overcome
The Bengals may have only given up 1,282 passing yards (third fewest in the NFL – Jacksonville ranks second), but they have a weakness that the Jaguars may try to exploit. Against the Colts, the Bengals held the receivers to just 57 yards and zero touchdowns. They were not as successful in shutting down the run game, however.
Where they got bitten most was when Indianapolis got tight end Jack Doyle involved. Doyle caught 12 passes (on 14 targets) for 122 yards and a touchdown – and the Bengals could not figure out how to handle him. Doyle was able to box out the safeties and expose the secondary.
Adam Jones, who has a transverse fracture in his back, started the game over William Jackson despite the fact that Jackson has shown a better ability to shut down top receivers, including limiting Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers. With Jones at corner, the Colts targeted him early and succeeded to come away with a 17-yard pass from Jacoby Brissett to T.Y. Hilton. Later in the game, Jones blew a tackle on receiver Kamar Aiken that helped set up a 33-yard field goal to give the Colts the lead at the half.
It was a quick-thinking Carlos Dunlap that saved the game for the Bengals. He intercepted a ball he tipped and was able to return it for a touchdown to give his team a 24-23 lead. Dunlap also added a sack. Dunlap, Geno Atkins and Nick Vigil should factor in big this week.
https://twitter.com/Bengals/status/924726564092121088
Colts rusher Frank Gore had 16 carries for 82 yards and averaged 5.1 yards per carry against the Bengals just one week after Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell rushed for 134 yards on 35 carries.
Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette got the rest he needed during the bye week and should be ready to go on Sunday. He has proven to be an elusive and athletic player. Fournette is averaging 21.7 carries and 99.3 yards per game, leading the league in rushing touchdowns (6) and has added 15 receptions for 136 yards and a touchdown. He has 596 total rushing yards.
The Bengals will need to utilize their defensive front to keep Blake Bortles pressured and forced to make throws that could become turnovers. They’ll also need to be able to trust their linebackers and defensive backs to cover the remainder of the field. Marqise Lee and Allen Hurns are reliable receivers (when Jacksonville chooses to go to the pass) and Chris Ivory has been somewhat successful out of the backfield as well.
We’re right in the thick of the season and we have to work hard at getting better … (we need to) all fit together the correct way, all the time. – Coach M. Lewis
Offense faces uphill battle – again
Where the Bengals squeaked out a win, barely, last week, the Jaguars had a ‘bye’ and some extra time to rest up and then prepare hard. As one of the most disruptive defenses in the league (sixth overall and second against the pass), Andy Dalton and the Bengals offense will need to have perhaps their best performance of the 2017 regular season.
It all starts with the offensive line, not Dalton. There has been some controversy over who should become the Bengals’ top running back – Joe Mixon, Giovani Bernard, or Jeremy Hill – but it won’t matter who is in the offensive backfield if the line does not step up this week. The trio were able to put together just 34 yards on 17 carries with 12 of those carries going for a gain of three yards or less. Mixon looked like he may be favored to get the most snaps, but Hill seems to get the nod week-to-week as the starter.
Jacksonville has two of the best defensive ends this year in Yannick Ngakoue and Calais Campbell (2.0). Against the Colts, the Jaguars recorded ten sacks. Campbell leads all AFC players with ten sacks in his first season with the Jaguars and has made an excellent adjustment in a new defense. Ngakoue has 6.5 sacks through seven games. Both will look to exploit the Bengals’ offensive line and make Dalton’s day a nightmare.
10 SACKS in one game!
Here's every @Jaguars sack from #JAXvsIND in Week 7. #Jaguars https://t.co/zzxyx6FjuK
— NFL (@NFL) October 22, 2017
In the passing game, the Bengals are still a bit of a mystery. When news broke that rookie John Ross would start last week, fans were excited to see what the young receiver could do since his first appearance in week two. Ross ended up logging just six snaps and was not utilized. After the game, head coach Marvin Lewis said, “John got to dress today because I chose to suit him up, and Cody (Core) couldn’t go…But (Ross) was not part of the plan going into the game.”
In his press conference ahead of the Jacksonville game, Lewis was asked about Ross again and whether Cody Core would come back. Lewis responded as follows:
We have 53 players, and 46 of them get to suit up. So, I’ll determine (who dresses)…It’s good for John to get opportunities to play as he can since he’s playing catch up … every snap he gets now is a snap we would’ve liked to have had in the offseason …the preseason when we were playing real football.
It seems strange, with the struggles this offense has had and the inconsistent play all around – not to mention the win/loss record – that Lewis would not want to get as many available players involved as possible, but he seems to be leaning away from Ross and focusing more on Josh Malone and Core.
Regardless of who gets the uniform on Sunday, one player wearing the teal uniform across from them will be Jacksonville’s free safety Tashaun Gipson who has recorded three interceptions, eight passes defensed and 31 tackles leading up to Sunday’s game.
Cornerback Jalen Ramsey has two interceptions on the season and has broken up 11 passes through week eight. His size, strength, and speed will be a real test for the Bengals receivers.
