Jaguars @ Bengals Week 2 Preview

Game: Jaguars @ Bengals

Location: Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, OH

Time: 1pm ET

Forecast: 87 Degrees, Partly Cloudy, Winds 5 to 10mph, 15% chance of rain or thunderstorm

Injury Report

This is the latest injury report available as of Friday morning at the time the article is written and isn't an official injury report for the game.

Jaguars

CB Montaric Brown - Questionable

RT Anton Harrison - Probable

G Wyatt Milum- Doubtful

G Cole Van Lanen - Probable

LB Foyesade Oluokon - Probable

Bengals

DT BJ Hill - Probable

OT Amarius Mims - Probable

LS William Wagner - Probable

The Bengals will come into this game remarkably healthy. All three guys listed on their injury report were full participants in practice according to the Bengals website. The two highlights on the Jaguars injury report are obviously starting RT Anton Harrison and starting LB Foyesade Oluokon. It looks like both should be good to go for game time on Sunday. Oluokon missed practice on Thursday do to an illness after practicing in full on Wednesday. Liam Coen said in his press conference that he expects Oluokon to play on Sunday. Harrison was just dealing with some back soreness and should be ready to go after practicing in full all week. I doubt Montaric Brown will be back for this gam after being limited in practice 3 days straight. Coen said earlier in the week that Travis Hunter will see more defensive snaps this week and the absence of Brown against a pass heavy Bengals team could be a reason why. Milum will miss his 2nd straight game but the Jags should have Van Lanen ready to go again this week.

Team's Breakdown

The Bengals are coming off a very ugly, 17-16 win against the Browns. The Bengals only managed to put up 7 yards of offense in the 2nd half of the game but managed to pull out a rare early season win after the Browns missed an extra point and two field goals, had two INTs, and turned the ball over on downs after scoring a go ahead touchdown on their first drive of the second half. Joe Burrow only managed to throw for 113 yards going 14/23 on passing attempts. Jamar Chase, who was the NFL's best receiver last season, was held to just two receptions and 26 yards on Sunday. The Bengals leading receiver was Tee Higgins who managed just 33 yards receiving. The run game was somehow even worse managing only 43 yards on 21 carries, all by starting back Chase Brown.

The Jaguars are coming off a rare opening day win, beating the Carolina Panthers 26-10 at home. The Jags offense was up and down in a weird game that included a weather delay a few minutes before halftime. They opened the game needing a 4th down conversion on their own side of the field to continue the drive their first drive, then moved the ball well before having multiple penalties slow down their momentum and ended up with a field goal. That drive pretty much summed up the entire day for the offense as they had a couple really good drives where they looked like a top NFL offense, but then a couple drives that left you scratching your head. Travis Ettiene and the run blocking were the obvious positives for the offense. Ettiene looks like he has his explosiveness back rushing for 143 yards on just 16 yards. The bad for the Jags was Brian Thomas Jr only having 1 reception for 11 yards while being targeted 7 times. Thomas Jr did take an end around 9 yards for a rushing touchdown. Lawrence didn't have an amazing day from a stats standpoint going 19/31 passing for 178 yards with a TD and an INT. While the stats weren't electric he looked in command of the offense and mostly avoided the costly turnovers that typically kept teams in games in the past. His lone interception was less of a bad decision and more of an insane play by Jaycee Horn.

The biggest question for each team is centered around the Offensive Lines. The Jaguars O-line was projected to be one of the worst in the league but finished week 1 as the 2nd best line in NFL. They also managed to keep Lawrence clean in week 1 not allowing a single sack. Are they finally putting it all together or was that just a product of playing with a lead and the Panthers being that bad? The Bengals D did hold the Browns to just 49 yards on 24 carries so it could be a much tougher run defense that the Jags face this week. The Bengals also have edge rusher Trey Hendrickson who led the league in sacks last year so it might be a much tougher task keeping Lawrence protected as well.

The Bengals O-line will have to answer the opposite of that question. Was they're struggle against the Browns more about how bad they are as a unit, or is the Brown's defense simply that good. The Bengal's O-line did have to deal with Myles Garrett all day which is a tough task for any team in the league. As good as the combo of Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker has been, neither of those guys are Myles Garrett. Can they hold up better against a Jaguars defense that applied a lot of pressure but only came away with 1 sack?

While neither offense really shined last Sunday, both teams should come away impressed with defenses that were both projected to be bottom 10 units in the NFL this year. The Bengals defense allowed just 6 points in the 2nd half and forced 3 crucial TO's (2 INTs and a turnover on downs). The Jaguars held the Panthers to 10 points total on he day and forced 3 turnovers in a decisive win. Both defenses will face much tougher tests this time around.

Game Predictions

Final Score: Jaguars 24 Bengals 27

DISCLAIMER: I'd like to start off by saying this prediction has nothing to do with who I'm rooting for. I'm a die hard Jags fan and if I was picking these games with my heart we would go 17-0 and win a super bowl every year.

However, if I'm just simply going with what I know about these teams and the tape from last week I still think the edge goes to the Bengals. I will say its about 55/45 on who I think will win right now. When I did my preseason predictions I had this game 37-34 Bengals win with both offenses coming out hot. The defenses look much better than last year for both teams. If Burrow holds the ball like he did last week and their O-line looks like it did against the Browns the Jaguars will get multiple sacks and force a turnover or two. This simply won't be the shootout everyone thought it could be. The problem with the Bengals is that Burrow and the receivers can get hot at any moment. If the Jags pass rush lets Burrow get out of the pocket, like they did multiple times with Bryce Young, those scrambles will go from first down runs to huge completions down the field. Nobody in the league does that better than Joe Burrow and if you don't believe me go check the tape.

The advantage that Jacksonville might have that probably no one say coming is their O-line and run game. If the Jags line is for real and the defense can keep them in it I like the Jags in a more physical game (something never once said under Doug Pedersen). I truly do like the things happening in Jacksonville I just don't know if they can match a Bengals team this early in the season that has a lot more continuity than the Jaguars. Going on the road and playing a top 5 QB, the best receiving duo in football, and an offensive minded HC after a tough game offensively is a big ask for this young Jags team.

Cool Thing that will Happen:

We're 0-1 in this segment after taking JHA to get 3 sacks and break the franchise record for career sacks. Actually couldn't have been more wrong here after a 0 sack game from Hines-Allen so we'll have to do better this week. Give me Travis Hunter's first NFL touchdown this week. I know that's a bit chalky so I'll spice it up for you and say that it'll be on a play that goes for more than 40 yards. I think the attention will be on Brian Thomas Jr and Travis Ettiene leading to a big Travis Hunter play.