The Jacksonville Jaguars had the best run defense in the league in 2025, and have proven to be just as dominant in 2026. The Jaguars walked away from Week 4 with a 22-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals and made the Bengals' run game completely non-existent.
Jacksonville exposed Cincinnati's offense as completely one-dimensional; while quarterback Joe Burrow was able to throw for over 400 yards, the team as a whole had just 23 rushing yards in total. According to ESPN's Michael DiRocco, that is the fourth-lowest in Jaguars franchise history. Jacksonville also has not allowed a 75-yard rusher in 21 consecutive games, the fourth-longest streak by any team in the Super Bowl era.
Jaguars held the Bengals to 23 rush yds, fourth-lowest in a game
in franchise history. Jags also haven't allowed a 75-yd rusher in 21 consecutive games, which is the fourth-longest streak by any team in the Super Bowl era. Per ESPN Research
— Michael DiRocco (@ESPNdirocco) October 4, 2026
The Bengals entered the game already struggling to establish the run, and the Jaguars made matters considerably worse. Cincinnati managed only 23 rushing yards, leaving Burrow to attempt 54 passes and throw for 428 yards. Yet at the end of the game, all that passing production translated into just 17 points.
That imbalance put even more pressure on Burrow to carry the offense, particularly once the Bengals reached scoring territory. The Jaguars could focus on defending the pass without having to respect a consistent rushing threat, and the Bengals repeatedly struggled to turn long drives into touchdowns.
That was especially important against an offense with receivers such as Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase. The Bengals still found plenty of success through the air, but Jacksonville’s ability to erase the run game kept Cincinnati from dictating the game terms offensively.
And with the Jaguars continuing to be among the top run defenses in the NFL through the early portion of 2026, opposing backs have continued to find little room to work. The Bengals' rushing attack never became a meaningful factor, forcing the offense to lean almost entirely on Burrow’s arm.
For Jacksonville, the formula remains simple: take away the run, make opposing offenses predictable, and force takeaways. Against Cincinnati, that approach once again worked.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jaguars’ run defense extends historic streak in win over Bengals
