Bengals Come Up Short Against Jaguars, Drop to 2-2

The Cincinnati Bengals welcomed the Jacksonville Jaguars to Paycor Stadium on Sunday in a heavyweight battle between two of the top teams in the AFC. Cincinnati fell 22-17 after another late drive came up short in the closing minutes.

Joe Burrow had a game full of ups and downs. He went 39-for-54 for 428 yards and a touchdown but threw two costly interceptions. One came when the Bengals had first-and-goal while trailing 16-10 early in the fourth quarter.

The offense played the entire second half without Ja’Marr Chase, who entered concussion protocol. Tee Higgins led the way with 11 receptions for 157 yards, and Dohnte Meyers stepped up in a big way with seven receptions for 82 yards. Mike Gesicki caught the lone touchdown through the air.

Jacksonville completely took away Cincinnati’s running game and dominated at the line of scrimmage. The Bengals had just 15 carries for 23 yards, and the Jaguars recorded five tackles for loss.

On the other side of the ball, Cincinnati’s defense came to play against one of the better offenses it will face all season. Trevor Lawrence was an efficient 18-for-23 for 227 yards and a touchdown, and Bhayshul Tuten compiled 73 yards on the ground. However, the Bengals found ways to keep the Jaguars out of the end zone and force them to settle for field goals.

Boye Mafe was all over the place, recording five total tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack, while Dexter Lawrence was a force on the inside. Myles Murphy and Kris Jenkins Jr. also recorded sacks.

Cincinnati's defense gave Burrow and the offense a chance, but Chase Brown was brought down short of the sticks on fourth down to ice the game. 

The loss drops Cincinnati to 2-2 on the season, and the Bengals will have plenty to clean up as they look to get back on track. While the defense showed it can compete against a talented Jacksonville offense, the struggles on the ground and Burrow’s costly interceptions ultimately proved too much to overcome.

The absence of Chase in the second half certainly hurt Cincinnati’s ability to move the ball, but Higgins and Meyers stepped up to keep the passing game productive. Still, the Bengals cannot afford to become one-dimensional offensively, especially against teams capable of controlling the line of scrimmage.

The offense simply hasn’t been good enough for this team to compete for a Super Bowl through four weeks. The defense has been solid, but moral victories will only go so far for a team with postseason aspirations in a crowded AFC playoff race.

The Bengals will look to get back in the win column next week in Miami against the Dolphins.