The Jacksonville Jaguars faced a must-win game last Sunday when they traveled to play the Houston Texans. While they didn’t win by 20 points like Houston did in Week 3, Jacksonville pulled out a win to get a strong hold of the AFC South.
Now the Jaguars will host the Bengals on Monday Night Football. The Week 13 matchup was supposed to be one of Jacksonville’s biggest games of the season; however, with superstar quarterback Joe Burrow out for the season, Jacksonville is a clear favorite.
Here are five Jaguars players to watch when they try to take care of business against the Bengals in Week 13:
G Ezra Cleveland
Not often is the most important player to watch in a football game the left guard, but here we are. Jaguars offensive lineman Ezra Cleveland is slated to fill in at left guard this week.
Jaguars tackle Cam Robinson went to the injured reserve list after he sustained a knee injury against the Texans. Cleveland was inserted into the lineup in his absence, as fellow offensive lineman Walker Little slid over to left tackle.
Cleveland’s first start since being acquired by the Jaguars could give the team an idea of what it got just before the trade deadline. And for a unit that has been underwhelming, he could provide a needed boost.
OT Walker Little
Nearly as important as Cleveland is Little. The guard-tackle combo player hasn’t played as well as the team hoped on the inside of the offensive line.
While he’s shown solid play on the outside in the past, it’ll be important for him to prove himself as a reliable starter. Little has played better in the tackle spot than he has in the guard position, and this week could give him the opportunity to revive his season.
Cincinnati’s defensive front is one of the strongest in the league, so Little and Cleveland will both need to step up to keep the Bengals from reaching quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
WR Christian Kirk
The Bengals secondary isn’t as stout as their defensive line, so Jaguars receivers could be in for a big day. Christian Kirk has the best shot out of that group to show out.
Calvin Ridley is likely to draw a lot of Cam Taylor-Britt assignments, which could give the veteran receiver some trouble. Taylor-Britt has been a standout in the unit, so Kirk might be able to make the most of the attention Ridley is likely to receive.
Kirk has been one of the most reliable players on the team and all signs point to a strong outing.
LB Foye Oluokun
Jaguars fans should watch linebacker Foye Oluokun every week, but his play against the Bengals will be especially important.
Oluokun’s job will be to make fill-in starter Jake Browning’s job as difficult as possible.
Browning isn’t a proven quarterback and he’s a clear step down from Burrow, so the Cincinnati offense will likely try to create as many easy looks for him as possible.
If Oluokun can make it difficult to create big plays across the shallow middle portion of the field, Browning could have trouble getting started. If the Bengals turn to running back Joe Mixon to alleviate the pressure on Browning, Oluokun could have an opportunity to wreck the game.
CB Tyson Campbell/Montaric Brown
Despite being without Burrow, the Bengals’ offense is still no joke. Cincinnati has debatably the best wide receiver core in the league with Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd.
While Darious Williams has been great this season, the Jaguars have been missing cornerback Tyson Campbell on the other side. Stopping the Bengals’ weapons will certainly take a team effort, but it’d be a huge boost if Campbell is healthy enough to return after missing Weeks 11 and 12.
If Campbell can’t go again, it’ll be a tall ask for Montaric Brown to shut down the Bengals’ talented group of playmakers.
