Jacksonville Jaguars Week 13 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals will be a special game for the AFC South team, as the Jags play on Monday Night Football for the first time since 2011. This welcome return to primetime makes the Jaguars-Bengals game one of the must-watch NFL tussles this weekend.
Both teams were among the favorites to win the AFC but have experienced vastly different seasons. The Jaguars started slowly but have won seven of their last eight games to climb to the #3 Seed in the AFC. As for the Bengals, early offensive struggles put them in a hole, but Joe Burrow's recent season-ending injury could mean a lost year for Cincy.
With this exciting contest coming up, here are our Jaguars Week 13 predictions.
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Evan Engram will have his first big game of the season
Evan Engram has hardly produced a bad week this season, recording at least four catches in every game, but he has rarely managed a breakout performance either — surpassing 60 yards on just two occasions without breaking the century mark. Engram is also still waiting on his first touchdown of the year.
Jacksonville faces the Bengals in Week 13 — a team that gave up nine catches and 121 yards to Pittsburgh tight end Pat Freiermuth last week. Cincy has allowed the second-most receiving yards to opposing tight ends this year, giving Engram the opportunity for a big showing on Monday Night Football.
Jaguars running back Travis Etienne continues to struggle on the ground despite the Bengals weak run defense
After a strong rookie campaign that included 1,125 rushing yards on 5.1 yards per carry, Jaguars running back Travis Etienne has not been as efficient in his second NFL season. The Jacksonville man is averaging just 3.7 yards per attempt and only has one 100-yard rushing game on the year. Over the last six weeks, the second-year back has been even less productive, averaging 3.3 yards per carry while managing just one game of more than 60 yards on the ground.
Some of these struggles can be chalked up to an increased workload. Etienne went from 15 touches a game in 2022 to nearly 21 touches per contest this season — an increase of 40%. Through 11 games this year, Etienne has nearly equaled the number of total touches he had in 17 contests a season ago.
As the season wears on, don't expect that efficiency to improve, regardless of the opponent. The Jaguars already had their bye week and Jacksonville rarely uses its other running backs. Etienne's snap count is up from 60% to 76% and he leads all NFL running backs in snaps. Even with a Bengals rushing defense that is the fourth-worst in the NFL, Travis Etienne's heavy workload means his best football is already behind him this season.
Trevor Lawrence throws multiple interceptions
Much of Jacksonville's improved offensive performance in the last two weeks can be chalked up to better showings from Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence has a passer rating of 103.6 in his last two contests (vs. 92.0 on the year), contributing three passing touchdowns while also scoring three times with his legs.
Still, interceptions are an issue. Lawrence has thrown a pick in more than half of the Jaguars' games this year and has four across his last four contests. The Bengals are tied for fourth in the league this year with 12 interceptions, and while they are allowing considerable yardage, they will take advantage of Trevor Lawrence's questionable decision-making in Week 13.
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