Welcome to Big Cat Country’s weekly roundtable, where our writers provide predictions and previews of every NFL game involving the Jacksonville Jaguars. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Jaguars are favored by 9 points against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13.
Dillon Appleman: The Jaguars’ rushing attack has quickly transformed from a strength to a weakness, with Travis Etienne failing to average more than 4 yards per carry in a game since Week 5. To relieve some of the pressure on Lawrence, he needs to get going during this stretch against three teams that are adept at pursuing the passer.
Justin Cross The offensive line, I shall say. Trevor’s success in big games against Tennessee and Houston has been largely attributed to his excellent protection over the past two weeks. The next three games will put them to the test, particularly Cleveland and Baltimore, who
v rank first in the league for overall defense and are just as adept at pressuring the quarterback as San Francisco. Walker Little has taken over at left tackle in Cam Robinson’s absence, and Ezra Cleveland will start at left guard. Cleveland performed admirably against Houston, and maybe Little can return to his peak performance from the previous campaign without Robinson.
Henry Joseph: Despite a few quarterback injuries, Jacksonville’s opponent’s offensive output over the next three weeks is still nothing to laugh at. Darious Williams, the cornerback, must play at the level exhibited in the first half of the season. Tyson Campbell is expected to return to the field shortly, possibly even on Monday, but not until he’s fully recovered. Williams needs to get ready for games against players like Amari Cooper, Zay Flowers, and Ja’Marr Chase.
Travis Holmes Because of the possible cascading effects on the rest of the offensive line, I’m going with Ezra Cleveland in this situation. There is a very real possibility that the lineup we see over the next four games could be the starting lineup in the playoffs if Ezra can effectively hold down the left guard position while Cam Robinson is on injured reserve. These matchups against elite defensive tackles like Justin Madubuike, Vita Vea, Michael Pierce, and DJ Reader should be very competitive.
Trevor, Gus Logue Lawrence needs to carry on with his work. He is the quarterback with the highest total Expected Points Added (EPA) over the last two weeks, and he is ranked second in passing yards, yards per attempt, and yards per game. Following the 49ers loss,
Lawrence’s average depth of target increased from 7.0 to 8.5, a full yard and a half. Anticipate that Lawrence will continue to be given free reigns by Jacksonville’s coaches in primetime against a weak Cincinnati team. Despite the fact that the Browns and Ravens, who lead the league in EPA allowed per dropback, will be more difficult opponents, the most important thing is to play well against Lou Anarumo’s defense on national television.
