The Jacksonville Jaguars might have something cooking.
On a Sunday where the Jags had to not only beat the Cincinnati Bengals but the NFL Zebras, they did so anyway, defeating Cincy on the road 22-17. It wasn’t pretty, but it was gritty, proving the Jags aren’t only capable of winning on the road but winning when things are not going 100% their way.
There is no denying that this defense is legit after four games this season. And this offense is extremely effective when given the chance. Beating the Bengals
doesn’t mean Jacksonville has the automatic path to the Super Bowl, but teams have to win those types of games if they are to have a legit chance at winning it all. The Jags now seem like they have the mettle to do it.
WINNERS
Mentality
Sometimes you just need to get the monkey off your back.
For some reason, the Bengals have been a thorn in the side of Jacksonville for a handful of years. Whenever these two teams meet all hell just breaks loose for some reason. While this matchup was no different, the score was in favor of the Jags this time.
Losing to the Broncos stung. It stung even more when the team came home and pummeled the Patriots. I think Jacksonville needed a bit of a “prove it” road win to really put a stamp on the front part of the year and make it known far and wide this team can travel.
The Jags don’t play in Jacksonville for quite some time now as they prepare to ship off to London. Earning a win like that could be an excellent boost as they embark overseas. Just listen to how head coach Liam Coen talks about this one. You need wins like this to really bring it all together.
Travis Hunter, Jourdan Lewis and Jarrian Jones
It’s not often cornerbacks are winners when facing a Cincy offense featuring Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Despite what the stats may say, these guys played lights out.
Hunter is now stacking consecutive great games on defense after ripping down his first pick last week. He had an athletic pick called back Sunday, but did only allow three catches for 21 yards to go with two pass breakups and a huge hit along the sideline. The second-year corner was the second highest graded player on the team according to PFF.
As for the others, Jarrian Jones was second on the team in tackles (seven) and had a tackle for loss and this nice PBU. Jourdan Lewis took down a pick and almost housed it.
This cornerback room rose to the challenge in a difficult circumstance, especially considering Higgins and Chase were catching a lot of balls for a lot of yards. That never broke the confidence in the corners and it was a humongous factor in 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 over field tackle to seal it.
Running The ball
On the offensive side, Jacksonville had a solid time running the rock against Cincy’s pretty solid defensive line. Jacksonville rushed for 111 total yards and one ground score from Chris Rodriguez. Bhayshul Tuten led the game in rushing with 73 yards on 17 carries.
Speaking of PFF grades, Tuten ended up being the highest graded player when all was said and done. Tuten now has back to back games over 70 yards rushing and three straight games with two catches. This running back core is coming together quite nicely after a bit of a quiet start.
Jacksonville needs to be able to run the ball effectively to set up its huge passing game. Conversely, the team needs to be able to stop the run in order to sell out to stop the pass which…
Stopping The Run
Jacksonville did that on Sunday!
Cincinnati had absolutely nothing going on the ground, finishing the game with just 23 combined yards rushing. Cincy had just one run over four yards, the second time in franchise history the team was able to limit a rushing attack in such a manner.
Arik Armstead had a big game. DaVon Hamilton had another bulldozing afternoon. Those guys sold out to stop the run and in turn were in the lap of Burrow all day. Again, the stats may not jump off the page because Burrow passed for over 400, but he had to because the Jags were not going to allow any run game to beat them. Bend but don’t break. Mission accomplished.
Cam Little
Obligatory Cam Little appreciation section. Little nailed three field goals with a long of 55. He is 4-6 on the year on kicks and perfect under 50 yards. Little’s leg was integral to victory on Sunday and he deserves a little bit of praise, like always.
Al’s Pizza
For the second straight week, the defense triggered the Al’s Pizza and Big Cat Country promo. Courtesy of interceptions by both Foye Oluokun and Lewis, customers can get 50% off their Al’s Pizza order through Oct. 6. Get some pizza and watch whatever the hell unfolds between the Saints and the Falcons on Monday night.
The Pass Catchers
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, it was Brenton Strange who 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 last drive to eat up 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 yet again.
Even Brian Thomas Jr. (yes, him!) scored on Sunday. It was an everybody eats type of afternoon for the pass catchers and it was exactly what Jacksonville needed.
LOSERS
Penalties
Holy shit was a showing from the NFL referees.
There were 24 accepted penalties in that game, 13 of which going against the Jags. Multiple touchdowns were called back. A Hunter interception was called back. Years of our lives were taken away because of how many flags made it to the ground. And we were not even the only game to have trouble with the refs. The damn cover photo for this article features a penalty by the way. It was all just so unreal to watch, even the penalties that actually were really penalties.
Good on Coen for being diplomatic after the game because he could have exploded. At least the Jags won. Imagine if we lost AND had 13 penalties.
The Rest Of The AFC South
There is no reason to really pile on the rest of the AFC South after four weeks but I’m going to anyway.
Houston is winless, losing three games at home already. Thankfully for them, they have to play Tennessee next. Speaking of Tennessee, the Titans too are winless and don’t have a feasible win on the schedule for a while. Last week, Cam Ward said the Titans play like ass. He’s absolutely right. They’ve scored 55 points all year.
Then there’s the Colts, who do have two wins, but have beaten 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: this is shaping up great for Jacksonville. As the rest of the division eats itself alive, the Jags are currently healthy and pulling away more and more every day. I almost feel bad for the rest of the division. But I don’t. Go Jags. Go victory Monday.
Enjoy victory Monday folks and some pizza, and we will see you back here next Sunday as the Jags take on the also imploding Eagles in London. Who is your favorite Jags running back? How long before Ward gets benched? Is Hamilton actually a really good defensive tackle? Comment down below and follow along for more Jags content as the Big Cats keep rolling.
