The Cincinnati Bengals are aware of the obvious star players in Jacksonville, like Josh Allen and Trevor Lawrence, as they get ready for Monday Night Football against the Jaguars. Darious Williams, a 2018 draft pick who was previously undrafted out of Alabama-Birmingham, is one player about whom they might not know as much.
Williams has played for the Los Angeles Rams for the majority of his career; in 2021, he won a Super Bowl with them. He has spent the last two years in Jacksonville, where he is doing very well this year. He has an impressive 84.4 PFF coverage grade and an overall PFF rating of 79.1.
I contacted Carlos Sanchez Hernandez of Black and Teal, FanSided’s website devoted to the Jacksonville Jaguars, to gain additional insight into the team. Carlos brought up Williams as a player that fans should be aware of but may not be familiar with.
This is the exchange I had with Carlos.
Carlos: Trevor Lawrence is the Jaguars’ greatest asset. Even though his stats don’t really stand out, he consistently puts the team in a winning position. His mobility was limited by a knee injury at the halfway point of the season, but over the last two games, he’s performed a lot better when navigating the pocket. With Zay Jones back in the receiving group and enhanced pass protection, Lawrence will be able to compete with the league’s top quarterbacks.
Their biggest weakness would be the interior offensive line. They’ve struggled to get the running game going this season. Their gains are minimal when they run to the right or inside. The biggest link is probably center Luke Fortner, who hasn’t improved as much as he was expected in Year 2. That said, Fortner has played much better the last two weeks, giving up two pressures.
Carlos: Williams, Darious. Tyson Campbell, a playmaker for the Jaguars the previous season, has been sidelined due to hamstring strains. Opposing teams have focused on Wiliams while he’s been out, but he’s held his own. With 16 passes defensed, he leads the league and has logged three picks this season. It’s likely that he will be tasked with covering Ja’Marr Chase, and if so, Monday’s game will be among the most intriguing to watch.
Carlos: Josh Allen, an outside linebacker who has shown exceptional talent in the past but has struggled with consistency, is my choice. In Week 12, he was outstanding against Houston, sacking C.J. Stroud twice during the final drive of the Texans. Along with setting a new career high for sacks (12.0), Allen also surpassed his own record of 10.5 set in 2019 as a rookie.
