CINCINNATI (AP) — Trevor Lawrence passed for 227 yards and a touchdown, Jacksonville's defense forced two critical turnovers and the Jaguars held off the Cincinnati Bengals 22-17 on Sunday.
Joe Burrow passed for 428 yards for the Bengals, who lost All-Pro wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase to a concussion in the second quarter. Tee Higgins had 11 receptions for 151 yards.
Burrow, who completed 39 of 54 passes, also had two interceptions — one that Jacksonville
converted into a touchdown and the other when the Bengals were in the red zone.
The Bengals had a final chance to rally and drove to the Jaguars 21, but Chase Brown was stopped 1 yard short at the 12 after a catch on fourth-and-10, allowing the Jaguars to go 3-1 for the second straight year.
For the second straight season, Cincinnati (2-2) has dropped two straight after winning its first two.
Lawrence completed 18 of 23 passes to beat the Bengals for the first time in four attempts. The sixth-year quarterback, the top pick in the 2021 NFL draft, has at least one win over every AFC opponent.
Brian Thomas Jr. and Chris Rodriguez scored for the Jaguars and Cam Little kicked three field goals.
After going three-and-out on their opening drive, the Jaguars scored on their next four, including the last three of the first half. A pair of field goals by Little gave Jacksonville a 6-3 advantage before Jourdan Lewis picked off Burrow's pass intended for Dohnte Meyers and returned it 45 yards up the left sideline to the Bengals 18.
It was the ninth straight game in which the Jaguars have recorded an interception, a franchise record and the NFL's longest active streak.
Four plays later, Lawrence found Thomas wide open in the back of the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown to make it 13-3 with 1:23 remaining in the first half.
The Bengals got the second-half kickoff and went on a 12-play drive, culminating in Mike Gesicki's 15-yard TD catch to get Cincinnati within a field goal.
Little booted a 55-yard field goal before Rodriguez went 25 yards off left guard to make it 22-10. The 2-point conversion failed.
The Bengals answered with a nine-play touchdown drive, capped by Burrow's 1-yard sneak off right guard.
Jacksonville got the ball and moved the ball to midfield. Parker Washington appeared to put it away for the Jaguars on third-and-10 when he caught a screen pass from Lawrence and went 39 yards to the Bengals 16. But replays showed Washington stepped out of bounds at the Bengals 48.
After a punt, the Bengals got the ball at their own 17 with 1:44 remaining. Burrow completed three straight passes and moved Cincinnati to the Jaguars 21, but then misfired on three straight passes.
Jaguars: Safety Caleb Ransaw went out with a knee injury in the first quarter and did not return. Safety Eric Murray was ruled out in the second half because of a concussion.
Jaguars: Face the Philadelphia Eagles in London next Sunday.
Bengals: At Miami next Sunday.
___
See AP’s full NFL coverage here
