Jaguars and Bengal Tigers are two of the most popular animals in the jungle because of their size and abilities. They are both known to be dangerous predators with fierce hunting skills and the ability to kill all sorts of prey. If a Bengal Tiger and a Jaguar were to hypothetically square off in a battle in the jungle, the Bengal would likely win that battle due to their size and weight advantage and stronger claws. The Jaguar does have good stamina and could escape the battle by climbing a tree or swimming away if they’re near water. We pretty much saw exactly this last night with the Cincinnati Bengals delivering some knockout blows in the second half and the Jacksonville Jaguars hopping in the water and swimming away in the 4th quarter.
In a battle of the last two number 1 picks of the NFL draft, Joe Burrow led the Bengals to a second-half comeback to defeat Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars. Both quarterbacks played well in a tight game and played smart and efficient football. Neither quarterback turned the ball over and both gave us a glimpse of why they are considered rising stars in the league.
In a game that Cincinnati was surprisingly playing from behind a lot, Burrow had to ramp up his passing volume more than we saw in the first 3 weeks of the season. He threw 32 times and completed 25 passes for 348 yards and 2 touchdowns. On the other side, Lawrence only threw 24 times and completed 17 passes for 204 yards but didn’t throw for a touchdown. He did show his running ability carrying 8 times for 36 yards and taking in a touchdown on the ground on a play where he put some nice moves on defenders to get into the endzone.
For the second week in a row, the fantasy football world was dealt a crushing blow with a notable player suffering an injury. Just a few plays into the game, Jaguars wide receiver DJ Chark got rolled up on while blocking and had to be carted off the field. It was confirmed that Chark suffered a fractured ankle, and he will likely be headed for season-ending surgery.
Laviska Shenault Jr stepped up in the absence of Chark, catching 6 passes on 7 targets for 99 yards including an exciting 52-yard reception. It was a beautiful play where Shenault got behind the defender and Lawrence got him the ball while rolling right out of the pocket. It was nice to see Laviska using his speed to get downfield instead of just running short routes. I expect that we will see more of this to come this season after losing Chark.
Marvin Jones Jr only received 3 targets and caught all 3 of them for 24 yards. I don’t believe we will see many more of these games with such few targets for Jones. Trevor Lawrence is going to have to rely on the veteran heavily moving forward and he will surely be a focal point of the offense. If you can land him in your fantasy leagues, I would suggest you try to do that now with him coming off a down game.
Tyler Boyd led the receiving corps for the Bengals catching 9 passes on 11 targets for 118 yards. With the Bengals missing Tee Higgins for the second consecutive game, it was Boyd who led the team in both targets and catches. He is certainly a reliable weapon for Burrow and he will continue to be a target monster for Cincinnati.
Ja’Marr Chase failed to find the endzone this game for the first time in his NFL career. He did play a big part in the passing game though, catching 6 passes for 77 yards on 9 targets. Chase had a couple of big catches in the 4th quarter drive that led to the game-tying touchdown. He is always going to be a trusted receiver for Joe Burrow with their long history of showering together.
CJ Uzomah was the man who caught both of Burrow’s touchdown passes last night. The big tight end was targeted 6 times and turned those targets into 5 catches and 95 yards with the 2 trips to the endzone. It was a great thing to see after Uzomah suffered a season-ending injury on Thursday Night Football last season, only to return to Thursday Night Football this season with a career game. I wouldn’t run out and spend all your FAAB money on Uzomah in fantasy football, but he is worth a speculative add to see if he stays involved in this offense. When he and Burrow are on the field together, they have showed us some nice chemistry.
James Robinson was relied upon heavily for the Jaguars and it was nice to see Urban Meyer making him a priority in the gameplan this week. Robinson carried the ball 18 times for 78 yards and punched in 2 touchdowns on the ground. With the loss of Chark and with a rookie quarterback, Meyer would be wise to continue to utilize Robinson like he did yesterday to keep defenses honest and take some pressure off the young quarterback.
Joe Mixon didn’t have the big game we all expected but that was largely due to the Jaguars jumping out to an early lead. Playing from behind, the Bengals had to throw more than expected and Mixon didn’t get a lot of work early. He did finish the game with 16 carries for 67 yards and salvaged his day with a short-yardage touchdown in the 3rd quarter. Mixon left the game with an ankle injury that head coach Zac Taylor is calling a “minor” injury. We will need to monitor this and see what the injury actually is and hope that it’s not a high ankle sprain, since we know those tend to linger.
Dan Arnold, who the Jaguars just traded for earlier this week, was active and on the field last night. In his 2nd Thursday Night Football game in 2 weeks, he contributed early with 2 catches for 29 yards. I expect that we will see more involvement in the offense for Arnold as he continues to learn the offense and steps in to help take some of the vacated targets that are now available with the loss of Chark.
That will do it for the week 4 Thursday Night Football Wrap Up. Make sure you head over to Razzball.com and check out Rudy Gamble’s Pigskinator as you get ready to set the rest of your week 4 lineup. You are always invited to follow me on Twitter @FantasyCoachJB and ask me any questions you may have. Good luck in your upcoming matchups!
