The Jacksonville Jaguars have likely already gotten over the excitement of their beatdown of the Carolina Panthers in Week 1. After all, it's a week-to-week league, and I expect the team to have forgotten about Carolina by Monday morning.
Next up is the Cincinnati Bengals. While the Jags were favored against the Panthers, that's not the case against the Joe Burrow-led Bengals. While not massive underdogs, they're still not expected to come out on top—though fan favorite Maurice Jones-Drew has the Jags walking away with a win.
A ton of factors play into this, including the play of rookie wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter, how well the Jaguars' secondary can handle the dual threats of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and whether or not running back Travis Etienne Jr. can have another breakout game. But probably the biggest matchup that I'll have my eyes on is in the trenches.
Related: Jaguars vs. Bengals is the kind of game Travis Hunter can use to silence critics
Week 2 key matchup—Jaguars offensive line vs. Bengals defensive line
The Jaguars' offensive line was a sore spot last year. They couldn't run the ball, and whichever quarterback sat under center—whether it was starter Trevor Lawrence or then-backup Mac Jones—was constantly running for their life. This year? The big guys up front put up a convincing performance in their Week 1 showing against the Panthers.
Head coach Liam Coen spent some time praising the offensive line after their Week 1 victory. While he spoke highly of Anton Harrison specifically, he later echoed that he gave "the whole O-line" game balls after their performance.
But the Bengals also had a decent showing in their Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns—though, like the Jags, they played a team that no one really expected to win. They generated a stunning 38 percent pressure rate—which is tied for 13th— this is impressive considering they only blitz on 13 percent of snaps. And Trey Hendrickson alone accounted for eight quarterback pressures.
Related:Jaguars voice gives Trevor Lawrence massive vote of confidence ahead of Week 2
Final thoughts
It's early in the season, so there are still a lot of unknowns going into Week 2: Will the Jacksonville Jaguars' offensive line stand up to the pressure? Will Bengals' defensive coordinator Al Golden bring more heat? Can Lawrence deliver with Hendrickson in his face?
Time will tell. My focus will be on the trenches, as that's where this week's victory seems to lie.
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