Cincinnati Bengals: What We Learned From 30-20 Win Over Jacksonville

Following a windswept afternoon in Jacksonville, the Bengals will return to Cincinnati at 3-2 after a 30-20 victory over the topsy-turvy Jaguars.

So, one game removed from a last-minute win over Buffalo, how did the Bengals progress or regress in Week 5?

Here's what we learned from the Bengals win at EverBank Field. 

The Defense Is Maturing

I have to say that following a pretty impressive opening drive from the Jaguars, I thought my prediction had been proven right.

The Bengals are a team that has struggled to put together strong performances week in and week out. With a big game usually being followed by a letdown, followed by a statement game, followed by a letdown—you get the idea.

However, for the most part, the Bengals defense brought a big performance to Jacksonville this week, with big goal-line stands to support their rookie QB.

With three sacks for the day and a last-minute forced fumble and a TD to put the dagger into Jacksonville, the defense more than made up for some busted coverages amongst other mistakes.

The defense put on a mature performance in Jacksonville, and the rotation system seems to be clicking. Whether or not the Bengals remain atop the defensive rankings come Monday night is yet to be seen, but they certainly turned in a performance to inspire confidence going forward. 

Jermaine Gresham Is One of the League's Best Tight Ends

Jermaine Gresham had five receptions for 21 yards and one TD in the Bengals' toppling of the Jags, and his contribution was much bigger than those numbers suggest. 

Gresham was clutch when the Bengals needed him to be, coming up with a big catch for nine yards on fourth down that contributed to a scoring drive.

He also proved that he can be just as talented a receiver as he can be a blocker, hauling in a TD pass from Andy Dalton that looked as though it was originally intended to find the hands of A.J. Green.

Gresham's size and strength make him a really tough guy for defenses to handle, and with his ability to go up and get it, he really can be one of the league's best tight ends for a long time to come.

We all know tight ends are often the preferred targets of rookie QBs, and with someone of Gresham's caliber there for Dalton to lean on, the Bengals offense has yet another reason to be confident going forward.

Andy Dalton Is Gaining Confidence

For the second straight week, Andy Dalton led the Bengals offense on a game-winning, come-from-behind drive to seal the victory, and this time he didn't have to settle for a field goal, with Bernard Scott punching it in from two yards out.

Dalton did throw a ghastly interception in Sunday's matchup, but in doing so he showed just how driven, tough and committed he is by saving the TD with a solid hit on Dwight Lowery at the 2-yard line.

If we attribute that floater of a pass to Dalton getting used to the wind that persisted throughout the day, he put in a good performance overall.

Dalton was 21-of-33 for 179 yards and two TDs on the day,and spoke of his progress following the game's conclusion.

"The more experience I have going out and seeing different looks, I feel like I'm becoming comfortable...definitely getting easier," he said.

With Indianapolis heading to Cincinnati next week, giving Dalton the opportunity to bring Bengals their fourth win of the year (equaling Carson Palmer's amount of victories in 2010) the Cincinnati crowd may well start to return to the stands and cheer for their new QB.  

Rey Maualuga Is Beginning to Live Up to the Hype

Following a solid performance against Buffalo in Week 4, Rey Maualuga turned in a gutsy performance in Jacksonville that has started to give justification to the hype that his return to MLB garnered during the offseason.

With six tackles for the day, Maualuga played with an intensity and consistency that he has aspired to since his drafting in 2009, registering a note-worthy end zone breakup of a Blaine Gabbert pass intended for Marcedes Lewis and contributing to shutting out Maurice Jones-Drew in the game's latter stages.

Whether or not you buy into the Maualuga hype, he has put in back-to-back solid performances and has looked like a leader on defense—whether or not he continues this run of form is something we will have to watch.

He has thrived off the Bengals' naysayers in the season's early stages, but with the league and media starting to take notice of Maualuga and the Bengals defense, it will be interesting to see if they continue to play with such a level of intensity now that people are taking them seriously.

Kevin Huber Is Integral to the Team's Success

Yes, Kevin Huber. 

Huber averaged 44.4 yards per punt on Sunday with a long of a whopping 71 yards.

That number will come as no surprise to Bengals fans who have watched the Cincinnati native quietly become an integral part of the Bengals special teams.

With a job that is all about damage control, Huber has provided a solid leg on which for Andy Dalton and the offense to fall back on when they can't get the job done. 

He continues to get the Bengals out of sticky situations, as is needed when punting for a rookie QB, and has made it look easy on many occasions.

There's no doubting that Huber's punting was not only a safety net for the offense, but a provider of relief for the defense, which is called upon all too often close to the Bengals' goal line.  

For once in my life, I will give a punter the credit he deserves: You da man, Kevin Huber.

The Run Game Needs a Re-Think

If the Bengals want the run game to continue to be fruitful as the season continues, it needs some sort of a re-think.

While Jacksonville does boast a fairly strong run defense, the Bengals running game sputtered to an average of 2.5 yards for 31 carries, with Cedric Benson notching only 53 yards and Bernard Scott stealing a TD from two yards out.

It certainly wasn't pretty and you have to wonder how the Bengals will fare when they come up against the likes of Pittsburgh later in the year, because if defenses have sussed out Benson already, running sure won't be easy come November.

With uncertainty surrounding Benson dragging on, the Bengals seem to be trying to explore their aerial game in case his suspension is upheld, but this re-focusing is meaning the carries Benson does receive are often predictable for the defense and do not fully utilise Benson's skill set.

It is worth keeping an eye on how much more Benson is given to do if his suspension is overturned, because right now Jay Gruden seems to be preparing for the worst, and if that's the case things might get ugly.