The Jacksonville Jaguars may have something cooking.
On a Sunday where the Jags had to beat not only the Cincinnati Bengals but the NFL Zebras, they did it anyway, beating Cincy on the road 22-17. It wasn’t pretty, but it was rough, proving that the Jags are not only capable of winning on the road but winning when things aren’t 100% going their way.
This defense is undeniably legit after four games this season. And this offense is very effective when given the opportunity. Losing to the Bengals doesn’t mean Jacksonville has an automatic path to the Super Bowl, but teams need to win those types of games if they’re going to have a legit chance to win it all. The Jags now seem like they have the guts to do it.
Sometimes you just have to get the monkey off your back.
For some reason, the Bengals have been a thorn in Jacksonville’s side for several years. Whenever these two teams meet, all hell breaks loose for some reason. While this match was no different, the score was in favor of the Jags this time.
Losing to the Broncos stung. It got even worse when the team came home and beat the Patriots. I think Jacksonville needs a little “proof” win on the road to really put a stamp on the front end of the year and get the word out about the far places this team can travel.
The Jags haven’t played in Jacksonville for a while as they prepare to be sent to London. Achieving a win like this can be a great help in their entry into another country. Just listen to how head coach Liam Coen talks about this one. You need wins like this to really pull it all together.
Travis Hunter, Jourdan Lewis and Jarrian Jones
It’s not often the cornerbacks excel when facing a Cincy offense featuring Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Despite what the stats might say, these guys played lights out.
Hunter is now putting together a string of great defensive games after getting ripped by his first pick last week. He had an athletic pick called back on Sunday, but allowed just three catches for 21 yards to go with two pass breakups and a big hit on the sideline. The second-year corner is the second-highest graded player on the team according to PFF.
For the rest, Jarrian Jones was second on the team in tackles (seven) and had a tackle for loss and this nice PBU. Jourdan Lewis dropped a pick and almost put it in.
This cornerback room is up for the challenge in a tough situation, especially considering Higgins and Chase carry a lot of the ball for a lot of yards. That never broke the confidence of the corners and was a huge reason why Jacksonville won.
A big shoutout also goes to safety Rayuan Lane, who not only led the team in tackles but made the game-ending field tackle to seal it.
On the offensive side, Jacksonville had a solid time running the rock against Cincy’s relatively solid defensive line. Jacksonville rushed for 111 total yards and a ground score from Chris Rodriguez. Bhayshul Tuten led the game in rushing with 73 yards on 17 carries.
Speaking of PFF grades, Tuten was the highest graded player when all was said and done. Tuten now has back to back games of over 70 yards rushing and three straight games with two catches. This running back core is coming together well after a bit of a quiet start.
Jacksonville needs to be able to run the ball effectively to set up its massive passing game. Conversely, the team has to stop the run for sale to stop the pass that…
Jacksonville did just that on Sunday!
Cincinnati was completely uneventful on the ground, finishing the game with just 23 combined yards rushing. Cincy was held to just one run for four yards, just the second time in franchise history the team was able to limit a rushing attack that way.
Arik Armstead had a big game. DaVon Hamilton had another bulldozer afternoon. Those guys were sold to stop the run and in turn were in Burrow’s lap all day. Again, the stats may not jump off the page because Burrow passed for over 400, but he needs to because the Jags won’t let any run game beat them. Bend but don’t break. Mission accomplished.
Obligatory Cam Small appreciation section. Little nailed three field goals with a long of 55. He is 4-6 on the year in kicks and is perfect under 50 yards. Little’s leg was crucial to Sunday’s victory and he deserves credit, as always.
For the second week in a row, the defense triggered the Al’s Pizza and Big Cat Country promo. Courtesy of Foye Oluokun and Lewis’ interceptions, customers can get 50% off their order at Al’s Pizza through Oct. 6. Grab a pizza and watch whatever happens between the Saints and the Falcons on Monday night.
In a game with some of the biggest wide receivers in football, it’s funny to me that Parker Washington didn’t have a bigger game.
Instead, Brenton Strange led the pass catchers. Strange had 95 yards on seven catches. It was a Strange catch that set up Rodriguez’s score and a Strange catch that extended Jacksonville’s final drive to eat more clock. Lo’ and behold, it was Josh Cameron who was second on the team in receiving with 42 yards, coming ever so close to scoring again.
Even Brian Thomas Jr. (yes, he!) scored on Sunday. It was an all-consuming kind of afternoon for the pass catchers and it was exactly what Jacksonville needed.
Holy shit is this a show from NFL referees.
There were 24 accepted penalties in that game, 13 of which were against the Jags. Many touchdowns were called back. A Hunter interception was called back. Years of our lives were taken back because of how many flags landed on the ground. And we weren’t the only game that had problems with the refs. The damning cover photo for this article features punishment. All of this is unreal to watch, even the penalties that are really penalties.
Good on Coen for being diplomatic after the game because it might have exploded. At least the Jags won. Imagine if we lost AND had 13 penalties.
The Rest Of The AFC South
There’s no reason to really pile on the rest of the AFC South after four weeks but I’m going anyway.
Houston is winless, losing three games at home. Fortunately for them, they have to play Tennessee next. Speaking of Tennessee, the Titans are also winless and won’t be able to win on the schedule for a while. Last week, Cam Ward said the Titans game was like an ass. He was absolutely right. They scored 55 points all year.
And then there are the Colts, who have two wins, but lost to Houston and the Commanders who played their third string quarterback. The Colts are the only other team in the AFC South with a win.
All of this is to say: it’s shaping up great for Jacksonville. While the rest of the division is taking on a life of its own, the Jags are currently healthy and pulling more and more each day. I almost feel bad for the rest of the division. But I don’t. Come on Jags. Success on Monday.
Enjoy Monday’s victory folks and some pizza, and we’ll see you back here next Sunday as the Jags take on the explosive Eagles in London. Who is your favorite Jags running back? How long until Ward gets benched? Is Hamilton really a good defensive tackle? Comment below and follow along for more Jags content as the Big Cats continue to roll.