CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals fell 22-17 to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, their second consecutive defeat that returned the team to .500 after opening the season 2-0. Coach Zac Taylor’s postgame remarks could be heard from the locker room, and he said the message was intended as encouragement as the team prepares for a critical stretch of the schedule.
The Bengals rallied from a 22-10 deficit with 6:35 left in the fourth quarter and reached Jacksonville’s red zone, but a fourth-down catch by running back Chase Brown was stopped at the 12-yard line — one yard short of a new set of downs — ending the comeback bid and leaving Cincinnati to regroup.
Defensively, the Bengals struggled to contain short passing and tackle attempts. According to Next Gen Stats, Cincinnati missed 12 tackles while the Jaguars missed six, and Jacksonville produced 143 yards after the catch. Linebacker Barrett Carter pointed to checkdowns as a problem, saying those plays were converting on downs they should not have.
Offense also undercut the Bengals. Cincinnati ran 15 times for 23 yards, and quarterback Joe Burrow logged 58 dropbacks, a total tied for the fourth-most of his career, according to ESPN Research. Burrow threw an interception deep in Jacksonville territory in the fourth quarter when he was pressured and did not see Jaguars linebacker Foyesade Oluokun, who intercepted the ball in zone coverage. Since the start of the 2024 season, Burrow leads the NFL in turnovers in the fourth quarter or overtime, according to ESPN Research.
After the game Burrow said the situation was “not Armageddon” and that the team still felt good about its position. Taylor defended his quarterback, saying, “In no way, shape or form am I concerned,” and that he would “go to battle” with Burrow every day. The loss leaves Cincinnati tasked with restoring momentum and demonstrating that the early-season optimism was warranted, while the franchise faces higher stakes this year as it attempts to end a recent playoff drought.
