The Good, Not So Good From Jaguars’ Loss to Bengals

The Jacksonville Jaguars had a heck of a chance to make a statement in Week 2. Instead, they looked a lot like the same old Jaguars.

So, what were the highest and lowest moments of the 31-27 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals? We break it down below.

Bhayshul Tuten

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Sep 14, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten (33) runs the ball during the first quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images / Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Bhayshul Tuten looked like an absolute star in the making for the Jaguars. He simply gets positive yardage each time he touches the ball, whether by making defenders miss in space in the passing game or by breaking tackles as a rusher.

Travis Etienne has played too well to take off the field for a large volume of snaps, but Tuten proved the Jaguars made the right decision to trade Tank Bigsby with the impressive performance he had: 74 yards and one touchdown on 10 touches.

Pass-Rush

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Sep 14, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Foyesade Oluokun (23) reacts after sacking Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (not pictured) in the first half at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

I know some fans will likely have been expecting more during the final stretch, but the Bengals were clearly getting the ball out of Browning’s hand as quickly as they could. Before that point, I thought the Jaguars’ front and pressure packages dominated for the second week in a row, especially when Burrow was in.

Yes, it was a bad offensive line, but that is the performance you should expect from a defensive line like the Jaguars against such a unit. The linebackers and defensive backs contributed as blitzers quite a bit, too.

Brian Thomas Jr.

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Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) comes out of the tunnel before the start of an NFL football game between the Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium Sunday September 7, 2025. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] / Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Over half of Trevor Lawrence’s incompletions were to Brian Thomas Jr. on Sunday, with the struggling second-year receiver catching four passes for 49 yards on 12 targets. That is just barely over four yards a target, and Thomas is officially in a slump after catching one pass on seven targets a week ago.

Last week, it felt more like a Trevor Lawrence issue. This week, Thomas played small and it resulted in a dropped potential touchdown, a drop on fourth-down, and a brutal interception. This might have been the worst game of his career.

Ja’Marr Chase Plan

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Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (1) celebrates after breaking away for a long run on a reception in the second quarter of the NFL Week 2 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Jacksonville Jaguars at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025. The Jaguars led 17-10 at halftime. / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ja’Marr Chase is one of the best receivers in football today and is well on his way to becoming a Hall of Famer. With that said, I do not subscribe to the idea that he will simply get his no matter what. A week ago with a healthy Burrow for four quarters, he only caught two passes for 26 yards. But despite Burrow being out for 2.5 quarters on Sunday, Chase had 14 catches for 165 yards and a touchdown.

I do not know what the solution is, but the Jaguars should have. Whatever plan they had for Chase, it did not work. At all.

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