Cincy Jungle
Even though the Bengals are still under .500 at 3-4, there is tangible, genuine hope. A fan had a sign in the stands last Thursday night that read “In Joe 2.0 we trust.” What times we are living in.
The Bengals have momentum again after beating the Pittsburgh Steelers last Thursday night. It’s a win that got their season back on track and got them to 2-0 in the AFC North.
But with this momentum, the Bengals cannot afford to come close to stubbing their toes against the New York Jets. They’re playing at home this week with Dave Lapham and Lemar Parrish getting enshrined in the Bengals Ring of Honor. There is no reason not to go out and keep the momentum rolling by rolling a New York Jets team that is simply awful.
Let’s take a look at the Jets and the keys to the game Sunday afternoon at Paycor Stadium.
It’s been well-documented this week that Jets head coach Aaron Glenn isn’t naming his starting quarterback for Sunday’s game.
That is, until Saturday came when the Jets announced Justin Fields would start and Tyrod Taylor would be out due to a knee injury.
Fields will pose a threat to run the ball. The Bengals have struggled with running quarterbacks in recent seasons, and tackling in space has been a major issue for their defense so far this season.
Normally, we highlight four players to watch in this section each week. But because wide receiver Garrett Wilson and cornerback Sauce Gardner are out for the Jets this week, and they were the two biggest players to watch before being ruled out for Sunday, we’ll highlight the other two players that are worth watching on Sunday on the New York Jets.
1. No. 20: Running Back, Breece Hall — 5-11, 217 lbs. 4th Season (Iowa State)
Even though Hall is still searching for his first touchdown of the season, he still has 448 rushing yards through seven games. Hall has crossed 100 yards twice this season, but he’s only had 20+ carries one time this season.
Still, though, the Bengals need to put the Jets behind early so that Hall cannot make his presence felt. If the Jets are behind, they won’t run the ball and will go to their shaky passing game. That’s an advantage, Bengals.
2. No. 95: Defensive Tackle, Quinnen Williams — 6-3, 303 lbs. 7th Season (Alabama)
A behemoth in the middle of the Jets defense, Williams hasn’t had the numbers this season he’s used to putting up. He has only 1 sack and 7 tackles for loss, and 31 total tackles this season.
Still, though, it’s important for the Bengals’ interior offensive line to keep him from wrecking the Bengals’ rushing attack and Joe Flacco.
Head Coach: Aaron Glenn (1st season, 0-7) — 53 years old
To be fair, there was some optimism surrounding the Jets when Glenn was hired to be their head...
