Hello my beautiful Revivalites,

Welcome to the AFC's first installment of GOTW for Revival. The first AFC big matchup of the year is going down this week in the Jaguars/Bengals game.

This is an intriguing battle because it is being held between the past two AFC Champs. Both teams are looking to make a fast start to the season. Sitting at 1-0, this could be a huge game for both teams and may actually end up deciding who claims the top seed in the AFC.

Looking to the Jaguars you see a team that prides itself on its run game and stopping the run. This was the recipe for success for the team on its superbowl run two years ago. But this scheme failed them last year as veterans began to slow down, leading to a 7-9 season and a missed playoff opportunity.

Jaguars Head Coach Dick Cheney had this to say on their hopes for the upcoming season "Looking forward to continuing this new season and making it to the playoffs; Starts with getting these early wins.". When asked about this matchup against the reining AFC Champs, he humorously replied "Last year he spanked me. So trying to change that."

The good news for Jaguars fans is that the running game started out hot this season. In week 1, the Jaguars led all of Revival in rushing yards, while limiting its opponents run game with the 9th best run defense. The Jags are going to need to slow down Bengals star running back TJ Yeldon who won Player of the Week honors for the AFC following his 150+ rushing yards, 90 receiving yards, and 3 total TDs performance against the Browns.

The Jaguars front seven will have its hands full with Yeldon and is likely to be one of the deciding factors on the game. Thankfully Jags' veteran linebacker Deandre Levy is an absolute animal against the run game. He's constantly in opponents backfields stopping running backs in both the run game and the pass game. He's even been getting a nickname from his teammates as the "Screen Killer".

Jaguars fans have to be extremely happy with Levy's leadership and health throughout his career. Could you imagine a world where a man this talented missed two full years with injury? I certainly cannot.

The other big matchup that should have a impact on the outcome of the game is the Bengals passing attack against a Jaguars defense that looked as hard as a wet paper bag against the Texans pass offense last week.

This should give the Bengals fans some confidence since not only is their running game potent, but their passing attack has been equally as talented as of late. When the Bengals offense gets rolling, they are a very hard unit to stop. As mentioned previously, TJ Yeldon will play a big factor in both roles in the offense, but there are rumors out of the Bengals camp that young wide receiver Farrington Ruff is poised for a breakout season. The matchup is there as the Jaguars pass defense was suspect week 1. This could very well be the game that launches Ruff to a household name.

I asked Bengals Head Coach DOF Harambe what his expectations were for the season, following their SB birth last year, to which he replied "after an injury plagued season last year, we are looking to get off to a strong start for a return trip to the super bowl.".

The Bengals certainly have an uphill battle this year as the AFC has slowly been getting stronger. Maybe someday the conference will earn more respect from the NFC provided they keep these great matchups going. This game could be one for the ages.

Prediction: 31-28 Bengals
The running back duel is likely to be a phenomenal one. My bold prediction for the game is a combined 5 TDs between the two. But the Bengals passing offense may prove to be too much for the Jaguars in the 4th quarter and will help the Bengals grab a W in a close game.

Last edited by iWarbz (1485533016)

Well done!