After defeating the Carolina Panthers in an easy Week 1 victory, the Jacksonville Jaguars are looking to continue their winning streak as they take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2. This will almost certainly be a more difficult game for the Jaguars, though Cincinnati isn't the most difficult opponent the team will face.
The Bengals are a good team that is likely up-and-coming, and could potentially be playoff contenders, but - like the Jaguars - they have their issues. While the Bengals have a lot of talent on the roster, the offense can be inconsistent and can become sluggish after a strong start.
Quarterback Joe Burrow is the team's most explosive weapon, and the question is whether or not Liam Coen and the new-look Jaguars can stop this rising star. While some say no, Coen is still optimistic that the Jaguars can handle him.
Can the Jaguars contain Joe Burrow?
At NFL SpinZone, Lou Scataglia predicted that Burrow would run roughshod over the Jaguars defense. "I actually feel sorry for the Jacksonville Jaguars," he wrote. "Joe Burrow is going to play like a man possessed and toss five touchdown passes against a below-average secondary in a massive Bengals' win."
But what does Coen himself think?
"His accuracy, the pinpoint of it, his ability to put balls in tight spaces, give those guys opportunities, he well," Coen said of why Burrow is such a great quarterback. "He knows them so well, and what they do well and how they want the ball thrown to him, it's clear that they have, you know, chemistry."
Coen continued, "Even when last week's output wasn't maybe as much as they've been used to, you can still see that there was some moments where, like, Whoa, that was pretty good. So we, it's a huge challenge for us. I got a ton of respect for Zach and what he's been able to do there over the years. And Joe's special player."
He further acknowledged that Burrow is able to avoid the blitz:
"You can get it out. You just, you gotta take some of the air out of the coverage. It's hard to give him a ton of space, but it's, you know, it's feast or famine. You go up, you go up and press them. You get too much on who knows what it could be. And, you know, it's just one of those combinations. He's a smart player. He knows how to get to zero audibles and checks and understands the game. So it's going to be a little bit of a chess match. He's on one side for the most part," Coen said.
"And yeah, it's a challenge. For sure, he's a player that can wreck the game. He can, you know, obviously last week he was more so getting back in and didn't play every snap. But anticipate him playing more as it continues to get comfortable and get more acclimated. But definitely somebody that can wreck the game on how to handle going into a real environment."
Yet that doesn't mean the Jaguars defense are hopeless against him. The defense was terrible last season, yes, but that was largely the work of Ryan Nielsen; Nielsen is now gone, and the defense is already rebounding. The defense will need to be aggressive and unpredictable to keep Burrow off his game. Foyesade Oluokun (and other members of the defense) forced numerous turnovers, a feat they will need to repeat in Week 2, and limit Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase as much as possible. And as talented as the Bengals are, their offense is - again - inconsistent. That's something the Jaguars defense must capitalize on.
The Bengals will be a tough opponent, but this game isn't nearly as lopsided as some would have fans believe. Remember, the Bengals just barely beat the Cleveland Browns in Week 1 (the Browns!!). They're not the powerhouse analysts like Scataglia make them sound like, even as talented as Burrow is.