JACKSONVILLE – Team reporter Kainani Stevens each week during the 2025 regular season will speak with a media member covering the Jaguars' opponent.
Up this week:
Bengals team reporter and senior producer Marisa Contipelli on the Bengals’ Week 2 matchup against the Jaguars at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Question: The Bengals and Jaguars enter the game 1-0, but I think both teams feel they can play better than they played in Week 1. From your perspective, what did the Bengals do against the Cleveland Browns in Week 1 victory, and what are they looking to change in Week 2?
Answer: When you look at what the Bengals did in Week 1, the most important thing coming out of that game was that they won. It has been a struggle for Bengals Head Coach Zac Taylor since 2019 to get off to a fast start, and that was really stressed going into the week – just find a way to come away with the win. It wasn't the prettiest of wins. When you look at the offensive side of the ball, very uncharacteristic of what we've known Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow to do in the Joe Burrow era. The fact that wide receivers Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase each only had two and three receptions is also very uncharacteristic. The biggest takeaway was the defensive performance. All offseason we have heard how the Bengals want to improve defensively. They brought a new defensive coordinator, Al Golden. He got that group under his wing and it showed. They had two huge takeaways when it mattered in the second half and most importantly stopping the run. They held the Browns under 50 rushing yards, averaging two yards a carry. The defensive line played really well. With what the Jags did on the ground in their first game, I want to see how that Bengals defensive line holds up from Week 1 into Week 2.
Q: A lot of focus on the run game for both teams last week. One thing about Burrow is he always bounces back. He didn't play great in Week 1. Should we expect more out of him in Week 2? How is he able to kind of just flip the switch?
A: It's part of his "Joe Cool" swagger. It's just as if nothing fazes him. When you look at Joe over his career, he only gets better as the season goes along. He plays his best ball in November and December, and I know we have a long way to get to until that point. However, I'm expecting him to come out firing a little bit more on Sunday. Taylor said it was great to have the defense step up the way that they did, but now we're going to get the offense going. I expect to see a different Bengals team offensively than we did Week 1.
Q: Are there any injuries that you've been dealing with as a team? Any changes going forward with the Bengals?
A: The Bengals have been healthy for the most part. Right guard Lucas Patrick did leave the Cleveland game with a calf strain. He will be out for a handful of weeks, so they placed him on injured reserve. Dalton Risner is going to be sliding into that right guard spot, but he came in very early in that game and finished out.
Q: The Bengals have changed a bunch defensively since last season. What improvements have you seen with the new system they have in place on defense?
A: A big one is stopping the run. That was a huge point of emphasis in the offseason. They brought in T.J. Slaton to be the nose tackle and stuff the box. Shemar Stewart also getting in the mix a little bit there. He was pretty disruptive. He was the first-round draft pick for the Bengals in April. Seeing him on the edge creating a little disruption was definitely a good sign. The biggest area of improvement on the defensive side was the linebacker play. They brought in a handful of new guys. Oren Burks, a veteran who came over from Philadelphia, and then two rookies, Demetrius Knight and Barrett Carter. Knight played really well in his NFL debut, starting opposite Logan Wilson. A key going into this season was could they get strong linebacker play? They did a nice job in Week 1. Then you even look at the secondary, where Dax Hill and DJ Turner missed a lot of time with injuries last season. So having them back in the mix has been absolutely huge. It has made a huge difference in secondary so far. I'm eager to see how that rotation continues to evolve over the course of the season. Cam Taylor-Britt is on the outside. Josh "Fig" Newton stepping into his second season, looking for him to fill some spots. Between the four of those corners, we're expecting there to be much more consistent cornerback play.
Q: Any specific Bengals players who you think will be difference makers in this game?
A: Burrow is always going to be the first name and the big name. Even Chase gets roped into that category too. I'm keeping my eye on running back Chase Brown. He had a really strong first half in Cleveland and especially that opening drive. They went to him on not only the ground game, but also in the passing game. He's so instrumental to what the Bengals look to do on offense because of how versatile he is. He's just a playmaker with the ball in his hands. I would really focus on how the Bengals utilize him beyond just the ground game on Sunday.
