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Travis Hunter Tracker vs. Bengals: Jacksonville Jaguars rookie puts in a busy day at the office
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- Travis Hunter Tracker vs. Bengals: Jacksonville Jaguars rookie puts in a busy day at the office
As Jacksonville Jaguars coach Liam Coen vowed , rookie Travis Hunter got more work on defense against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 14 in a 31-27 loss at Paycor Stadium.
He got nearly the same volume of snaps on offense as the previous week against Carolina.
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But the total workload did not translate into more production.
Hunter caught three passes for a modest 22 yards on offense against the Bengals (all three in the first half) and he had two unassisted tackles and a pass breakup on defense.
But the play Hunter was involved in that Jaguar fans will remember, and bitterly, was the borderline pass interference on fourth-and-five with 1:54 left in the game when he knocked down a Jake Browning pass intended for Andrei Iosivas .
Instead of getting the Jaguars getting a turnover on downs at the Cincinnati 33, the Bengals got a first down at the Jaguars' 37 and eventually scored the winning touchdown on Browning's quarterback sneak with 18 seconds left.
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Hunter didn't get into a debate after the game on the merits of the call.
"I can't leave it up to the ref," he said. "I just got to do my job and put myself in a better position."
Cincinnati Bengals defensive back Dax Hill steps in front of Jacksonville Jaguars wide recevier Travis Hunter for an interception during the first quarter of their game on Sept. 14 at Cincinnati's Paycor Stadium.
Hunter stayed with Iosivas step-for-step and knocked the ball away. There was minimal contact, but the flag came out and it was a crucial 25-yard gain for Cincinnati .
How many snaps did Travis Hunter play vs. the Bengals?
Offense:Per NFL's NextGen Stats , Hunter played 42 snaps. He was targeted six times. Hunter has also been targeted by Trevor Lawrence three times in two games when the pass resulted in an interception.
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Defense:Hunter's expected workload got even more of a boost when Jarrian Jones had to come out with an injury (Jones was able to return). Overall, Hunter played 39 defensive snaps. He was at left corner 35 times and on the right side four times. He played slot corner three times, twice on the left.
Total:Hunter played 81 snaps, after 48 the week before against Carolina.
How many snaps does Travis Hunter have for the season?
Hunter has 86 offensive snaps and 45 defensive snaps this season for a total of 131. He leads the Jaguars with nine receptions, but they've all been on short passes. He has 55 yards, for 6.1 yards per reception. Hunter has two tackles and one assist on defense.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Travis Hunter Tracker: Jaguars rookie gets a heavy load on defense
