Sunday, November 11, 2001
Key to today's game
Keep Brunell on the run
By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Jacksonville's Mark Brunell is the best quarterback the Bengals have faced so far this season, says coach Dick LeBeau, and beating the Jaguars starts with containing Brunell.
He has thrown for 1,417 yards and eight touchdowns and run 20 times for 130 yards with a long of 38 yards.
With star tailback Fred Taylor out, Brunell doesn't have a running game. With injured left tackle Tony Boselli lost for the season and longtime right tackle Leon Searcy gone to free agency, Brunell has been scrambling all season.
He has been sacked 20 times, and the Jaguars are in danger of another season like 2000, when he was sacked 54 times.
LeBeau would like to see the Bengals get a lot of pressure on Brunell, because he sees Brunell running as better than Brunell passing to wide receivers Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell.
The Bengals should get a boost on the defensive line with the return of starting tackle Tony Williams. He and fellow tackle Oliver Gibson should get penetration in the middle of the line and open lanes for speed-rushing ends Justin Smith and Reinard Wilson on passing downs.
If the Bengals fail to pressure Brunell, he will exploit the Bengals' patchwork secondary. Smith has 50 receptions for 659 yards and three touchdowns. McCardell has 33 catches for 386 yards and one touchdown.
The Bengals are tied for 14th in pass defense at 201.4 yards a game, but the coverage has been helped by consistent pressure from the front seven.
The Bengals have to be ready to defend the no-huddle offense, which Jacksonville will run in many situations.
WHAT A RUSH: The Bengals also can contain Brunell, Smith and McCardell by keeping the ball away from them and taking advantage of Jacksonville's weak rush defense.
The Jaguars are rated 21st in rush defense at 120 yards a game. If the Bengals run the ball well, they win. In their four victories, the Bengals have averaged 162 yards on the ground. In their three losses, they've averaged 70.
“We're committed to the running game,” Bengals quarterback Jon Kitna said. “Even when things aren't working, we're going to continue running it.”
Corey Dillon is averaging 89.3 yards a game, more than 9 yards better than his career average.
LAST CHANCE? Struggling kicker Neil Rackers will probably get at least one more chance to keep his job.
Even if the Bengals play well on the road, this game could come down to the late fourth quarter and be settled by fewer than three points.
Rackers, who has made just seven of 14 field goal attempts this season, experienced a high and low last season against the Jaguars. He missed attempts from 44 and 47 yards in the 13-0 Game 2 loss; he made a field goal at the gun to beat Jacksonville 17-14 in December at Paul Brown Stadium.
LeBeau had considered using practice-squad kicker Jaret Holmes on field goals, but LeBeau said Friday he likely would go with Rackers.
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Key to today's game
