Oakland Raiders Week 11 X-Factors against the Cincinnati Bengals
By Matt Holder
Gabe Jackson
When it comes to Cincinnati’s defense, there isn’t much to fear, however, Geno Atkins will keep any offensive lineman up at night. The three-time All-Pro has made a name for himself as one of the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL. Since 2015, Atkins has accumulated 42 sacks and 56 tackles for loss which is good enough for third-best among defensive tackles.
The veteran lineman spends time on both the left and right sides, so both of Oakland guards, Richie Incognito and Gabe Jackson, will have their hands full. Of those two, Jackson is in need of a bounce-back performance. Against the Chargers, the former Mississippi State Bulldog looked amiss as he allowed a couple sacks and recorded one of the lowest PFF run-blocking grades at the position (min 17 snaps).
A short week is tough for any player to overcome and Jackson has fared well since returning from injury, so there’s no reason to panic. This week will bring a significant challenge for the big man, but it’s also an opportunity for him to show last week was a fluke and he can hang with the best of them.