Thursday Night Football open thread: Jaguars at Bengals

The previous two first overall picks face off on Thursday Night Football.

Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals are in a three-way tie atop the AFC North thanks to victories over the Vikings and Steelers. The connection between Burrow and college teammate Ja’Marr Chase has been outstanding through three weeks, with Chase notching four touchdowns and 220 yards. However, the offensive line has been struggling to the tune of 10 sacks allowed, tied for third-most in the league. With Burrow coming off a serious leg injury, their protection needs improvement. On the bright side, the Bengals have the fourth-best defense by DVOA.

Very little has been bright for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Trevor Lawrence has had a disastrous start to his rookie season, throwing a whopping seven interceptions. The Jaguars have a talented running back in James Robinson, but whether due to the team falling behind or poor coaching decisions, he has been minimally involved for most of the season. Through three weeks, Urban Meyer looks like another college coach out of his element in the NFL. The only positive in Jacksonville has been Jamal Agnew, who earned the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month award thanks to two kick return touchdowns. Also, it gives me an excuse to link this call by Gus Johnson again:

Can Cincinnati pull ahead in the AFC North, or will Jacksonville collect its first win of the year?

Here’s how to watch:

Date: Thursday, September 30, 2021
Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
Location: Paul Brown Stadium—Cincinnati, OH
TV: NFL Network
Announcers: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews & Kristina Pink
Online Stream/Replay: NFL Gamepass