NFL Picks Week 5: 3 Reasons Why Bengals Will Breeze Past Jaguars

Am I missing something here?

Why does Vegas have the Cincinnati Bengals favored to lose against the Jacksonville Jaguars? The current line is 1.5 in favor of the Jaguars despite their looking like one of the more inept teams in the NFL. The Bengals are coming off a shocking upset of the Bills and are sitting at a frisky 2-2.

Here are three reasons the Bengals will go into Jacksonville and come out with a comfortable win.

(Lines courtesy of Covers.com)

1. The Bengals Defense is Great

How good? Try No. 1 in the NFL good.

Most assumed the overall unit would take a hit with the loss of CB Jonathan Joseph. Yet the underrated acquisitions of linebackers Thomas Howard and Manny Lawson and the switch to middle linebacker for Rey Maualuga have paid off big dividends.

Their speed has been incredible and they aren’t missing tackles. The unit is only allowing 32 percent of third downs to be converted.

The secondary has thus far stayed healthy for the first time in years and it has led the unit to allow a stingy 188 passing yards a game, which is third in the NFL.

Which leaves me to my next point…

2. The Jaguars Have Absolutely No Passing Game

Once they cut David Garrard right before the season started, you knew it was going to be a long year in Jacksonville. Right now the team is dead last when it comes to passing yards per game.

Rookie Blaine Gabbert will be making his second career start and hasn’t exactly shined thus far. Gabbert has completed 33 of 69 passes for 387 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions and a passer rating of 62.9.

The craziest part about Gabbert is the fact he’s still only 21. Some college QBs aren’t starting at 21 yet.

This guy was likely the least prepared of his rookie class to play right away and it’s going to be evident all season.

That means the Bengals can key in on the run and stack the box.

3. Bengals Confidence is Growing

Sure the Bengals have a rookie QB too, but Andy Dalton is improving every week and has already notched his first come-from-behind win.

All of the young players are embracing the new culture forming around this team and the confidence level is skyrocketing.

The Bengals enter this game knowing they should be the favorites and will once again adopt the “us against the world” mentality that has been their mentality thus far.

Prediction: Bengals 23 Jags 16