Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict says his defense knows the key to beating the Jaguars on Sunday will be stopping the running game and forcing Jacksonville to pass.
Burfict said the Bengals’ focus will be stopping Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette, because he can beat them. Burfict said they’ll see it as a victory if Blake Bortles is throwing the ball a lot, because they’re not too worried about Bortles beating them.
“We’re not going to let the run game beat us,” Burfict said, via the Cincinnati Enquirer. “We’re going to at least let Blake throw the ball. … I think the film tells for itself that obviously Fournette can beat you and I’m not sure Blake can beat us. We want to put it in his hands and have him beat us, if he can.”
Fournette has only played six games in his NFL career, but he already has 130 carries for 596 yards and six touchdowns, and Burfict said the Bengals have to be ready for him.
“We can’t underestimate this back this week,” Burfict said. “He has a lot of moves and we just need to get all 11 to the ball and tackle him.”
And if having all 11 focusing on Fournette leads to Bortles throwing the ball, that’s a game the Bengals think they can win.