The Jacksonville Jaguars are just days away from taking on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4. Both teams are currently 2-1, and it's expected to be a close game between two strong teams.
Cincinnati fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3, with a down-to-the-minute game that ended with the Steelers up by three points. Jacksonville, meanwhile, annihilated the New England Patriots, 35-6.
However, the Bengals are yet another test for the up-and-coming Jaguars, who are looking to claim the division title for the second year in a row and have back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time in over 20 years.
Here are five keys that can lead Jacksonville to victory.
Keep leaning on the run game
Jacksonville’s running backs have 323 rushing yards through three games at 4.4 yards per
carry, and the run game has helped keep quarterback Trevor Lawrence out of obvious passing situations. Against a Bengals front generating pressure on 39.7% of dropbacks despite blitzing less than any team in the league, staying balanced is one of the easiest ways to keep that front from simply teeing off.
Bhayshul Tuten will obviously lead this effort, but Chris Rodriguez has become a strong RB2, with LeQuint Allen contributing on passing downs, meaning the Jaguars won't have to rely on just one person to have a strong performance in the run game.
Pressure Joe Burrow without relying on the blitz
Jacksonville is getting pressure at a decent 37.8% rate, but its blitzes themselves have produced pressure at one of the league’s lower rates. Meanwhile, Burrow had a 115.8 passer rating against the blitz last season. That means Travon Walker, Josh Hines-Allen, and the front four have to affect him themselves.
If Jacksonville has to keep sending extra defenders, it becomes much harder to deal with Chase and Higgins on the back end. Every extra defender Jacksonville sends after Burrow is one fewer player available in coverage. Against receivers as dangerous as Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, that can leave the secondary in more one-on-one situations and make one missed assignment or lost matchup turn into a huge gain.
Don't let Chase and Higgins create explosive plays
Jacksonville has allowed 235.7 passing yards per game, ninth-most in the NFL, and explosive completions have been the one recurring problem, even as the defense has otherwise performed well. Cincinnati is probably the worst possible opponent for that weakness. Chase had 14 catches for 165 yards and a touchdown against Jacksonville last season.
It's unrealistic to think the Jaguars can completely erase them. But they cannot let routine completions become 30- and 40-yard gains.
Keep Trevor Lawrence out of long-yardage situations
Cincinnati’s ability to generate pressure without blitzing makes obvious passing downs especially dangerous. On third-and-long, the Bengals can let their defensive front attack Lawrence while still dropping plenty of defenders into coverage, leaving fewer easy options for him to get the ball out quickly.
Jacksonville can avoid putting Lawrence in those situations by limiting sacks, penalties, and other negative plays on early downs. Staying within manageable down-and-distance should give the offense more flexibility and keep Cincinnati from dictating how Lawrence has to play.
Turn takeaways into points
Anthony Campanile's defense has produced 37 takeaways in 20 games since the start of 2025, and Jacksonville has scored 141 points off those turnovers. They forced three against New England last week, and turned Jarrian Jones' interception into a touchdown almost immediately.
Against Burrow, opportunities may be harder to come by. So if the defense is able to create one, Jacksonville needs to cash it in. And considering the last four Jaguars-Bengals meetings have all been decided by one score, those possessions could be enormous.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 5 keys to a Jaguars victory over the Bengals in Week 4
