3 Intriguing Storylines To Watch In Jaguars Vs. Bengals
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A sneaky AFC matchup with potential playoff implications later in the season is the Jacksonville Jaguars traveling to take on the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. Both teams are 2-1 but are coming off vastly different performances.
Jacksonville is fresh off a dominant home 35-6 victory over the New England Patriots, while the Bengals are reeling after a 30-27 divisional loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road. It will be a battle of two former No. 1 overall picks and two high-powered offenses.
Jacksonville has won 10 of its last 12 regular-season games, averaging 27.3 points per game, while Cincinnati is averaging 26.7. There are plenty of storylines entering this game, but here are three storylines to watch:
Trevor Lawrence Vs. Joe Burrow
A rivalry that dates back to the 2020 College Football National Championship between the Clemson Tigers and the LSU Tigers. Lawrence, a sophomore at Clemson, entered the game as the defending national champion, while LSU was led by senior quarterback Joe Burrow and its explosive offense.
Burrow and the Tigers defeated Lawrence, 42-25, with Burrow throwing for 463 yards and five touchdowns. It kicked off a storyline that would follow both quarterbacks into the NFL.
The two quarterbacks met again last season in Week 2, but the matchup was cut short. Burrow left the game after a toe injury, finishing with 76 passing yards and a touchdown, while Lawrence threw for three touchdowns and two interceptions in Jacksonville's 31-27 loss.
Since their first matchup in the NFL in 2021, Lawrence is 0-3 against the Bengals and 0-1 versus Burrow. In his career against Cincinnati, Lawrence has passed for 733 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions with a 98.3 passer rating, along with a rushing touchdown. So far this season, Lawrence has completed 66.7% of his passes for 616 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions.
Burrow, on the flip side, has played Jacksonville three times, finishing only one of those games. In his career against Jacksonville, he's thrown for 724 yards, four touchdowns and one interception with a passer rating of 109.3. This season, he has passed for 743 yards, six touchdowns and one interception with a 70.9% completion rate.
When the two quarterbacks were asked about one another, both players spoke highly of each other.
"A great player, a guy I have a lot of respect for who makes good decisions," Lawrence said. "He’s been playing well for a really long time. We cross paths a lot. He hasn't played in a lot of the games we've played, but I always see him after the game."
"Whenever you play a good quarterback like Trevor Lawrence, you have to be ready to change your mindset about the game," Burrow said. "I think he's a good quarterback. He can make some great throws and can make plays with his legs, and they have a lot of weapons around him."
Travis Hunter And Jacksonville DBs Vs. Ja’Marr Chase And Bengals WRs
If there's one thing fans should keep an eye on, it's the matchup between Jacksonville's defensive backs and the Bengals' wide receivers. The Jaguars have the No. 1 scoring defense, allowing a league-low 12 points per game and six total turnovers. Led by Travis Hunter, Jacksonville's corners, Jarrian Jones, Montaric Brown and Jourdan Lewis make plays on the football, currently tied for first in the league with four interceptions.
Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins will be the focal point of Cincinnati’s passing attack. Since 2021, the duo has combined for 12,707 receiving yards and 103 touchdowns. This season, the pair ranks in the top 25 in receiving yards, with Higgins ranking No. 9 with 244 yards and a touchdown, while Chase is No. 25 at 185 yards and three touchdowns. Last season, Chase and Higgins combined for 17 receptions, 221 yards and two touchdowns against Jacksonville.
Jaguars defensive back Jarrian Jones and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile spoke on the challenge Ja'Marr Chase and the Bengals offense bring to a secondary.
"Ja'Marr Chase is a great receiver, and he's paired with a great quarterback and has a good partner on the other side. He's a receiver with great contact balance, great yards after the catch and ball skills. It's going to be a challenge, but I'm excited for it," Jones said.
"Everything about Ja'Marr Chase is great," Campanile said. "He's a great athlete, has great hands and is super elusive on the line of scrimmage. What he does on an elite level is that when he catches the ball, his bursts after the catch are so noticeable on tape that he's a hard guy to tackle."
Brian Thomas Jr. Resurgence
It will be a homecoming for Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., but one that comes with an unwanted reminder. Paycor Stadium is where it all started for Thomas in Week 2: the drops. In that matchup, he had four receptions for 49 yards on 12 targets, highlighted by a key fourth-down drop in the fourth quarter that could have sealed the game for Jacksonville.
After Jacksonville’s win over New England, rumors circulated that teams are interested in Thomas, making him a name to watch during the trade deadline. This comes after sixth-round draft pick Josh Cameron played 23 offensive snaps, the same number as Thomas. Through three weeks, Thomas has posted seven receptions for 88 yards and no touchdowns.
When asked about his snap count, Thomas said he is focused on making the most of every snap.
"I go out there and give everything I got and try to play to my best ability and just play," Thomas said.
End Of My Jaguars Rant
In a game of this magnitude, my eyes will be glued to two storylines: Jacksonville's DBs against the Bengals' receivers and the resurgence of Brian Thomas Jr.
This is the time for Jacksonville to show fans and the NFL why they traded up to draft Travis Hunter. Let's not forget, when these two teams played last season, a controversial 25-yard pass interference call on Hunter extended the Bengals’ game-winning drive.
For Brian Thomas Jr., it's time he lives up to the expectations set by his rookie season. This is the same stadium where Jacksonville questioned his toughness. If he wants to change the narrative around him, this is the game he shows Jacksonville he can be its No. 1 wide receiver.
The post 3 Intriguing Storylines To Watch In Jaguars Vs. Bengals appeared first on Stadium Rant.
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