Week 4 of the NFL season starts Thursday night as the 0-3 Jacksonville Jaguars travel to the 2-1 Cincinnati Bengals. The matchup features the last two top draft picks as Trevor Lawrence goes head-to-head with Joe Burrow.
Kickoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, and the game will be televised on NFL Network.
The Jaguars and Bengals have met 23 times in their history, with Jacksonville leading the series 13-10. The Bengals won the most recent matchup 33-20 on October 4, 2020, and are 5-2 over the last seven meetings. The Jaguars won in Ohio in 2019 and are 3-2 in their last five trips to Cincinnati.
Urban Meyer Returns to Ohio
First-year head coach Urban Meyer returns to his home state for the first time as an NFL coach. A native of Toledo, Meyer played at the University of Cincinnati and was a head coach in the state both at Bowling Green and at Ohio State. The transition to the NFL hasn’t been an easy one for Meyer or Lawrence as the duo are both looking for their first professional wins.
Jacksonville is averaging 17.7 points per game so far this season, and they have allowed 30.3 points per game. The Jaguars have 103 rushing yards per game and 223 passing yards while allowing nearly 450 yards per game on defense.
Lawrence has completed 55 percent of his passes through three games with a total of 669 yards. He is struggling to take care of the ball with seven interceptions and five touchdowns.
With Travis Etienne injured, second-year pro James Robinson is the main running back. He had his best ground game on Sunday with 88 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown. Robinson has been a factor in the passing game as well, with 12 catches for 92 yards in three games.
Marvin Jones Jr. is the top target for Lawrence with 17 catches for two touchdowns and 194 yards. D.J. Chark has been targeted 22 times but has just seven receptions. The good news for Chark is he has two touchdowns and 154 yards with a 22 yard per catch average.
Bengals Making Strides
The Bengals made noise last Sunday by pushing the Pittsburgh Steelers all over the field for a 24-10 road win. They opened the season with a 27-24 win over the favored Minnesota Vikings, and the lone loss was a three-point game in Chicago.
Burrow has returned from a knee injury and is playing well to start his second season. The former Heisman winner has completed 71 percent of his passes through three games with 640 yards, seven touchdowns, and four interceptions.
His top target is his former LSU teammate Ja’Marr Chase who is now the favorite to win the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Chase has 11 catches for 220 yards on the season with four touchdowns. Tyler Boyd has 14 catches for 141 yards with a touchdown, while Tee Higgins has hauled in 10 passes for 118 yards and two scores.
On the ground, Joe Mixon leads the way with 286 yards for a 4.3 average and one touchdown. He has picked up 11 first downs and gives the Bengals the balanced offense they have lacked in recent years.
On defense, B.J. Hill leads the Bengals with three sacks, while Logan Wilson has three interceptions and 30 tackles. Trey Hendrickson has 2.5 sacks while Sam Hubbard has 1.5, and the Bengals have ten as a team.
Betting Analysis
- Jacksonville Jaguars +7 (-105) .+250 Moneyline
- Cincinnati Bengals -7 (-115). -320 Moneyline
- Total Points: 46. Over -110. Under -110
The Bengals sacked Ben Roethlisberger four times and picked him off twice last Sunday. While Lawrence is much more mobile, the Jags offensive line has struggled, allowing three sacks last week, and Jacksonville turns the ball over at an alarming rate.
If they cannot establish the run against the Bengals, the Jags will be in for a long night on Thursday.
Free Pick: Bengals -7 (-115)
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