3 keys to beating the Bengals: Jaguars must make Cincinnati offense one-dimensional
• They'll next welcome the Jake Browning-led Bengals
• Here are three keys for the Jags to get their 3rd win in a row
1. Travon Walker and Josh Allen must wreak havoc, take Jake Browning down
As noted before, the Jaguars' top priority is shutting down the running back. Once they do it, they'll put the burden of beating them on Jake Browning's shoulders. The Bengals won't try to put too much on his plate though. Expect Browning to make short, quick passes in an attempt to get the ball into Ja'Marr Chase's hands. Having Tee Higgins back after not playing in nearly a month should give the Bengals' offense a boost, especially if cornerback Tyson Campbell doesn't suit up for the Jaguars.
Going back to Browning, the key to stopping him lies in Travon Walker and Josh Allen disrupting the Bengals' passing game. Working in the Jaguars' favor is that the Cincinnati offensive line has struggled in pass protection. In Week 12, they gave up 12 total pressures — left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. was responsible for four of them — and two sacks.
Meanwhile, Josh Allen is coming off a monster game, one where he played a huge role in kicker Matt Amendonal missing a 58-yard field goal by sacking C.J. Stroud twice (Travon Walker got credited with 0.5) in the Texans' last drive.
Allen is playing at a high level. If he and Walker can bring the heat early and often, the Jaguars should be able to effectively stymie the Bengals' passing game, which would in turn lead to a win, the ninth of the season.
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