The Jacksonville Jaguars have won seven of their last eight to surge into the race for the No. 1 seed in the AFC after starting the year with a disappointing 1-2 September.
Similarly, the Cincinnati Bengals turned around a 1-3 start to the year with four straight wins. The two teams’ paths diverged after that streak, though. While Jacksonville kept winning, the Bengals have now lost three straight and lost quarterback Joe Burrow to a season-ending injury.
Instead of a clash of AFC powerhouses on Monday Night Football, the Jaguars will be a heavy favorite against the Jake Browning-led Bengals.
What does Jacksonville need to do to take care of business and get another tally in the win column. These five keys are a good place to start:
Limit the YAC yards
There’s really not much that’s scary about the Bengals offense. Cincinnati is 32nd in rushing yards and 27th in yards per carry. The team is also without starting quarterback Joe Burrow and will instead start Jake Browning on Monday night.
In three appearances and one start, Browning has yet to complete a pass on a target more than 20 yards downfield.
The danger Monday will be the Bengals’ talented receiving corps creating big plays on its own. Despite having the 27th ranked offense, the Bengals enter Week 13 with the eighth most YAC yards. Short passes to Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd won’t beat the Jaguars unless they’re allowed to turn into long plays.
No turnovers
Despite all their offensive struggles, the Bengals have done well not to give away possessions. They’ve lost only two fumbles and turned the ball over just nine times, both the fewest in the NFL.
Jacksonville can’t say the same. The Jaguars have turned the ball over 18 times and have lost 11 fumbles.
On a night where the Jaguars should be the better team in just about every facet, being careless with the ball could afford the Bengals opportunities to spring the upset.
Attack the middle of the field
In the Steelers’ 16-10 win against the Bengals last week, tight end Pat Freiermuth had a career-best 120 receiving yards on nine receptions. Four weeks before that, the 49ers’ George Kittle had 149 yards against Cincinnati.
The middle of the field is ripe for exploiting against a Bengals defense that no longer has Jessie Bates III on patrol.
Keep Trevor Lawrence clean
Even though Cam Robinson went down early last week, the Jaguars offensive line still managed to keep the Texans from recording any sacks. With Walker Little back at left tackle and Ezra Cleveland set to make his first start in Jacksonville, the Jaguars need another strong showing.
The Bengals defensive line has one of the NFL’s best pass rushers in Trey Henrickson and plenty of other talented players like Sam Hubbard, B.J. Hill, Myles Murphy, and D.J. Reader. Jacksonville can’t allow that front to dictate things.
Show up on the big stage
It’s been 12 years since Monday Night Football was in Jacksonville. In the time since the Jaguars last played on a Monday, every other team in the NFL has done so at least seven times. It’s a long overdue return to ESPN and it would embarrassing for the Jaguars and their fans if the team laid an egg in the national spotlight.
Jacksonville has won seven of its last eight to emerge as a legitimate contender for the top seed in the AFC. Cincinnati is without its franchise quarterback and on a three-game losing streak.
Losing to this Bengals team on this kind of stage would be a massive setback.
