Week 7 JaguarMaven Staff Predictions: Jaguars vs. Bengals

How does the JaguarMaven staff see Sunday's game taking shape?

With the Jacksonville Jaguars slated to travel to Ohio to take on the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Field on Sunday, the JaguarMaven staff has come together to bring you the predictions on the game's most important storylines of Sunday's game.

From Gardner Minshew, to Leonard Fournette to Tre Herndon: how do we think this week will play out? 

1. The Jaguars pass rush has been the epitome of inconsistent this season -- does that change this Sunday against the Bengals?

John Shipley: Simply put, it has to change Sunday. If the Jaguars' defensive line can't get it done against what is probably the worst blocking unit they will face all season, it will be major cause for concern. 

My gut tells me the pass rush will finally tee off this weekend, with Yannick Ngakoue and Josh Allen both set to play against offensive tackles who wouldn't start for many other teams. But if they don't, there is a problem.

Andrew DiCecco: The Jaguars should feast on a porous Cincinnati offensive line. John Jerry (LT) & Bobby Hart (RT) are both below-average starters at their respective positions. My gut tells me Josh Allen picks up a pair of sacks on Sunday.

2. The Bengals will be down their top two cornerbacks due to injury. Do you expect the Jaguars passing offense to take advantage or struggle again like it did last week against the Saints?

John Shipley: The Jaguars' offensive issues last week stemmed from Marshon Lattimore, an elite cornerback, and a New Orleans Saints safety taking away DJ Chark. No other receivers were able to win consistently one-on-one, leading to a horrid passing offense in Week 6. 

Luckily for the Jaguars, this shouldn't be the case on Sunday. Not only do the Bengals not have a lockdown corner available to shadow Chark, but their other corners will also be made of strictly depth pieces. Dede Westbrook and Chris Conley will need to be able to win those matchups.

Andrew DiCecco: The Bengals top cornerback, William Jackson, is a stud. He likely would have drawn D.J. Chark in coverage and limited his output. That said, there will be opportunities to attempt some deep passes against Darqueze Dennard and B.W. Webb.

Webb is a journeyman that is best suited to play the slot and Dennard is a longer, more physical cornerback that doesn’t run very well. The tandem should struggle against the likes of Chark and Dede Westbrook. Minshew and the aerial attack should return to form this week.

Trevan Pixley: I think the Jags will continue to try and establish the run game with Fournette this week. Westbrook might not play this week, so the Bengals are going to be really clued into DJ Chark this week. 

So I expect that Chris Conley will be a big part of the offense this week and he'll finally have the breakout game everyone's been waiting for. Hopefully, Josh Oliver contributes as well in his first game of the season.

3. Tre Herndon will likely see his fair share of both Auden Tate and Tyler Boyd. How do you think he will fare on Sunday?

John Shipley: Tyler Boyd is a solid receiver who wins with route running and quickness in and out of his breaks. These two traits are things Herndon has struggled within his time as a starter, so while A.J. Green won't be suiting up, I still think Herndon will be drawing a matchup that has the potential to once again make him an obvious target for the opposing offense. 

Andrew DiCecco: Herndon will have a target on his back this week. I expect Dalton to throw his way early and often, to test the second-year cornerback. He’ll likely draw Boyd in coverage. Boyd is a nuanced route runner with tremendous balance, who always seems to find the openings in zone. Herndon could be in for a long afternoon if the pass rush is unable to capitalize on the Bengals shaky offensive line.

Trevan Pixley: I think that the strategy will still be test Herndon early and often - however he showed flashes of potential in the Saints game last week. I think he takes what he's learned in the last couple of weeks and apply it to a below-average football squad.

4. Which player do you think the Jaguars need to have a big game the most to win on Sunday?

John Shipley: I am going to go with Yannick Ngakoue. Ngakoue has only two sacks in his contract year, largely due to a hamstring injury that restricted him through the first five games of the season. If Ngakoue wants to prove he is "the guy" and is deserving of a massive contract extension, he needs to demonstrate that he can take over games. On Sunday, the Jaguars will need him to take over.

Andrew DiCecco: For me, it’s Leonard Fournette. Fournette will have a chance to get back on track after facing a stingy Saints defense. If he is able to pick up some big yards early, it will allow offensive coordinator John DeFilippo to open up the playbook – and keep Dalton & Co on the sideline.

Trevan Pixley: I think Fournette and the offensive line need to play well this week against the Bengals. The Jaguars are finally finding its identity and Fournette has a lot to prove to this organization and himself.

5. Final score prediction, and why?

John Shipley: 23-16 Jaguars. On paper, the Jaguars should win this game by much, much more. But I think Tyler Boyd will be able to find his way to the end zone and at least make things interesting, though the Bengals are too injury-riddled to pull off the win.

Andrew DiCecco: I’m going to say 27-17, Jaguars. I think the Jaguars get out to an early lead, forcing Dalton to drop back and go to the air earlier than they’d like. The defensive line will be the catalyst to the victory.

Trevan Pixley: 24-10 Jaguars. I think the Bengals manage to score twice, but I think the Jaguars run game and defense will be too much for the Bengals this week. I also predict one of the touchdowns scored will be on the defensive side of the ball.