Sunday, January 02, 2000
Who's got the edge?
Geoff Hobson gives his analysis of how the Bengals match up position by position:
QUARTERBACKS
Bengals: Jeff Blake set for big day. He's 4-1 in his last starts of the season, has nine TD passes and 6.8 yards per 33 rushes vs. Jags and loves playing in home state
Jaguars: Bengals GM Mike Brown and Jacksonville's Jay Fiedler can compare notes on their reigns as Dartmouth quarterback
EDGE: Bengals
RUNNING BACKS
Bengals: Corey Dillon might not play, but 20 carries by Michael Basnight would be interesting since he's getting 4.3 yards per pop on 52 carries. Dillon may get nod at game time
Jaguars: Fred Taylor is sore hamstring from the Pro Bowl and Bengals almost got him there single-handedly when they gave him 128 yards on just 15 carries. James Stewart is healthy if Taylor's leg gives out
EDGE: Even
RECEIVERS
Bengals: Darnay Scott enjoying first 1,000-yard season and NFL-high five TD catches on third down. Partner Carl Pickens has sevenTDs vs. Jags
Jaguars: Jimmy Smith, set to make second straight Pro Bowl start, has eight 100-yard games this season and three in career vs. Bengals on way to ra cking up most receiver yards in NFL since 1996
EDGE: Jaguars
OFFENSIVE LINE
Bengals: Best player, RT Willie Anderson, is out and backup Jamain Stephen s false started twice and held once last week. LT Rod Jones has sore knee and backup Mike Goff hasn't played tackle since frosh at Iowa
Jaguars: LT Tony Boselli is Munoz of this generation and RT Leon Searcy is having best season. But inside people have struggled vs. top-flight fronts and they like to send NFL's second-best running game outside
EDGE: Jaguars
SPECIAL TEAMS
Bengals: Kicker Doug Pelfrey and punter Brad Costello looked more like Abbott and Costello last week, but they looked so good before Costello got hurt back in August
Jaguars: How big is kicking and punting? Mike Hollis, most accurate kicker of all time, has made 34 straight field goals from fewer than 40 yards. Punter Bryan Barker has been AFC special teams player of the week thrice
EDGE: Jaguars
DEFENSIVE LINE
Bengals: Salute them for shaving a yard off their per rush from last season, but pass rush comes and goes with 11 games of two sacks or less
Jaguars: Titans made hay last week double-teaming Pro Bowl end Tony Brackens and g oing 1-on-1 with tackle Gary Walker. But Brackens and Walker still combine for 21 sacks this season
EDGE: Jaguars
LINEBACKERS
Bengals: While strong side backer Steve Foley has improved, inside linebackers Brian Simmons (103) and Takeo Spikes (95) duel for team tackling title. This should be last season one of them isn't in Pro Bowl
Jaguars: Spikes and Simmons are having better years than middle backer Lonnie Marts and strong side backer Bryce Paup. But Pro Bowl weak-side backer Kevin Hardy gives Jaguars edge with 9.5 sacks
EDGE: Jaguars
SECONDARY
Bengals: Anybody notice they haven't looked so befuddled lately and cornerback Tom Carter may be best waiver wire pickup since Jeff Blake and Rich Braham in 1994?
Jaguars: As long as other teams get young, shut-down cornerbacks like rookie Fernando Bryant, Bengals will never get over hump. Their four starters have 11 interceptions, Bengals 3.
EDGE: Jaguars
COACHING
Bengals: Even if he gets rid of Carl Pickens, Bruce Coslet still has to prove to some key players in the locker room he can win in the NFL
Jaguars: Can anyone imagine Tom Coughlin NOT sending Pickens home for the last game of the season if Pickens ripped Coughlin publicly?
EDGE: Jaguars
THE PICK
Arthur Fiedler could take on the Bengals with his baton at quarterback and with the Pops of Smith, Taylor, Boselli, Brackens, Hardy and Lake, the Jaguars would still hit right note.
Jaguars 23, Bengals 14
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