The Cincinnati Bengals don’t have an easy task in front of them on Monday night against the eight-win Jacksonville Jaguars.
Those Jaguars have won seven of their last eight and sit in a position to once again be a contender in the AFC.
As for the Bengals, they can play a blended role of season-salvager and spoiler by pulling off the primetime upset on the road. Easier said than done given the struggles of the defense since the season started and the fact it’s Jake Browning under center for the offense.
In order to make it happen, the Bengals need to hit on three keys.
Improve the run defense
More easier said than done again. But the Bengals bring a bottom-five rush defense into the game, capped off by several head-scratching allowances last week in which Steelers runners appeared stopped before breaking free for huge gains.
Simply put, even reliable players like linebackers Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt haven’t looked good in this respect. If it doesn’t improve, it won’t matter how good a younger, improving secondary happens to look against good Jacksonville receiving weapons.
Improve on the ground
Something went dramatically wrong for the Bengals in the running game this year, to the point it feels like it started over the summer during basic installs. There’s little reason for the team be averaging 3.8 yards per carry and ignoring guys like rookie Chase Brown. If the rushing attack can’t be effective, Jake Browning isn’t going to stand much of a chance.
Quick-hitters to weapons
This was clearly one of those years where the offense needed to carry the defense. In order to make that happen with Browning under center, the coaching needs to creatively get mismatches quickly for the likes of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. That will make the throws quick and simple, plus yet the team’s best players get chances at big yards after the catch.
