Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1) @ Cincinnati Bengals (2-1)
Sunday, October 4, 1:00 PM ET
The 1:00 ET window in Week 4 has a couple of absolute must-see matchups. The Red Zone channel vibes are going to be off the charts.
The Jacksonville Jaguars and Cincinnati Bengals have shown us in the first three weeks of the season that they are potential powerhouses on both sides of the ball, but that they’re also vulnerable.
The Jaguars lost in Week 2 on the road against the Denver Broncos, blowing a 13-3 lead and allowing the Broncos to score 17 unanswered points to end the game. They responded by taking it out in a big way on the New England Patriots in Week 3, absolutely annihilating Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye to the tune of 35-6.
Jacksonville was so dominant in that game that Trevor Lawrence thought they were already close to ending the game when he slid down at the 1-yard line with over 8 minutes left. It was a hilarious mistake, but an honest mistake given the beatdown they put on New England.
The Bengals’ defensive showing over the first two games of the season was much more encouraging than what we saw in Week 3 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The pass rush wasn’t getting home fast enough in the loss to the Steelers, as Aaron Rodgers had 3.19 seconds of time to throw, the most he’s had in his time with the Steelers.
If the Bengals are going to hold off this dynamic passing attack of the Jaguars in Week 4, the pass rush is going to have to pick it up and disrupt Trevor Lawrence.
We know both of these teams can win shootouts, but which of these two defenses is going to be able to come up with a key stop or turnover? That could be the difference in what will be expected to be one of the highest-scoring matchups of the week.
At home, the Bengals are just 2.5-point favorites. This game is a toss-up.
Prediction: Bengals win 34-31
Add us as a preferred source on Google