Bengals vs. Jaguars: 5 Halftime Adjustments Jacksonville Must Make

The Jaguars' defense has started to crack down on Andy Dalton and the Bengals. That's exactly what they need to do in order to win this big home game. 

Blaine Gabbert has looked comfortable for the most part today, and Maurice Jones-Drew is absolutely dominating the Cincy defense. But the Jags can really put this game away with a few adjustments at halftime.

Here are the five big adjustments Jacksonville needs to focus on at halftime:

1. Protect Gabbert

They have done a decent job so far, but the Bengals' front seven has started to get some regular pressure on the rookie QB. He looks much more skittish when he's pressured or on the run. And making a pass on a roll out is difficult for any quarterback. The line needs to start giving him a little more protection on passing plays.

If Gabbert has the time and protection he needs, he's been making good passes downfield. He is a good scrambler, but you don't want to rely on that to get yardage. Plus, it's a big-time injury risk if he was to get hit. If the line can give him the time to throw, the Jags are going to make plays down the field and put some more points on the board.

2. Blitz Dalton

On the flip side, Dalton is also a rookie QB and makes mistakes of his own when pressured. The Jaguars' defense finally started getting to him in the second quarter, but the more the better. He definitely forces throws, whether or not he's pressured. So blitzing him pretty regularly is going to be key to getting another big pick.

The first interception was a result of bad vision by Dalton, but he will be forced to make a throw like that if he's being blitzed. He will no doubt continue to throw the ball to A.J. Green as a primary target, so you can almost expect an errant throw to be headed to that side of the field. The more pressure they put on Dalton, the better their chances are of getting another turnover.

3. Get in the Red Zone

After the Jags got in the red zone for the first time today, CBS threw up an interesting stat. Formalities aside, it said Jacksonville just does not get in the red zone. They have a few times today, and it's resulted in 13 points. It's common knowledge that most offensive points come from being inside the opponent's 20-yard line.

So, the Jaguars need to continue to push the ball down field against this Bengal defense and get the ball into that zone. They seem to have pretty good success punching the ball into the end zone once they do get to that point. But it's the getting to that point that might take some work.

4. Avoid the Big Play

The 37-yard touchdown pass from Dalton to Green was a big play. The Jags need to make sure nothing like that happens for the rest of the game. A huge play is something that can completely change the momentum of a game, and the last thing Jacksonville wants at home is to lose the crowd and the confidence battle.

Green is the main guy they need to worry about, but Simpson has the ability to break off a big one, too. If they let one of those receivers free and Dalton has time to hit them, we could be looking at another big touchdown play that could completely change the landscape of this game.

5. Keep Pounding MJD

One thing we can definitively agree on right now is that Maurice Jones-Drew is a beast. He has had his way with the Bengals' defense so far. Every time he gets the ball he's racking up six or seven yards and making it much easier on the offense to get first downs. This seems to be the one constant on offense right now. 

Going away from the game plan that has gotten Mojo almost six yards per carry so far would be insanity. He's having a big game and running over defenders at will (see: touchdown run in the first quarter). Jones-Drew is the kind of back who will wear down a defense and completely take over the game. That's exactly what the Jags want to do in the second half.