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What's going on with Brian Thomas Jr.? Jaguars not worried after poor game vs. Bengals
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- What's going on with Brian Thomas Jr.? Jaguars not worried after poor game vs. Bengals
CINCINNATI — Brian Thomas Jr. has been here before, but perhaps not like this.
For a second-straight week, the standout second-year receiver wasn't able to make the most of his opportunities.
Here's the breakdown: 12 targets, four catches and 49 yards. Only this week, he didn't score on an end-around run play.
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This week, his team didn't overcome crucial mistakes.
The Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1) fell 31-27 to the Cincinnati Bengals (2-0) , a game they ought to have won, but didn't.
Thomas was part of the problem — his ~ three drops were not why the team lost. But that doesn't mean Thomas didn't shoulder some of it in the postgame locker room Sunday.
"Dropped the ball. Got to catch it," Thomas said succinctly when asked about his drop on fourth down with 3:47 left in the game. At that point, the Jaguars led 27-24. They didn't get the ball back until just 18 seconds remained.
Thomas' demeanor was one of frustration, not a lack of confidence.
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"I know what I'm capable of. I know what I can do," Thomas said before later saying it's "super frustrating" when circumstances like that occur, but that he needs to just put it behind him and move on to next week.
Last year, Thomas was one of the top receivers in the league. He caught 87 passes for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 14: Brian Thomas Jr. #7 of the Jacksonville Jaguars attempts to make a catch while being defended by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second half of the game at Paycor Stadium on September 14, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
Thomas had a couple of other situations where he couldn't haul in a catchable pass. One of the plays resulted in an interception after Trevor Lawrence threw the ball near the middle of the field, and Thomas failed to bring it in.
TAKEAWAYS: Jake Browning has Jaguars number, leads Bengals past Jacksonville 31-27
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"Just got to be better. Just go catch the ball. Just plain and simple. Just go catch the ball," he added.
Jaguars head coach Liam Coen didn't elaborate much when asked about the situation in the postgame, only that he needed to go back and see what happened. The question was whether it looked like Thomas shied away at times from catching the football.
"I got to go watch it and just go figure out what that was all about and what it looked like. Yeah, I got to go take a look at that," said Coen.
Lawrence explained that he and Thomas were a "little off" on the play.
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"I think me and BT ( Brian Thomas Jr. ) have a good relationship and we do communicate. That's just something where I've got to be better for him and vice versa — we have to help each other out," said Lawrence.
"There were a couple of plays today where I could have given him a chance down the field, where I didn't. I know there's obviously a couple of plays that he can make too. He would tell you the same thing. So, we're all in it together. It's a team sport," Lawrence said.
Lawrence threw two interceptions Sunday. Both picks came in situations outside of his control. Another pick was dropped after Thomas couldn't haul in a pass.
Jacksonville Jaguars defensive back Travis Hunter (12) breaks up a pass intended for Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Andrei Iosivas (80) before a pass interference penalty is called in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 2 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Jacksonville Jaguars at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025. The Bengals came back from a halftime deficit to win 31-27.
As for Thomas, he said he and Lawrence don't have chemistry issues; the two have to execute.
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"No, I've just got to make the plays. When the ball is thrown to you, just make the plays," he said.
Travis Hunter , Jaguars remain confident in Brian Thomas Jr.
Thomas hasn't had a good start to his season. Through two games, he's caught just five passes for 60 yards on 19 targets. His catch percentage is the worst on the team so far.
Still, his teammates remain confident in his abilities.
Jaguars rookie receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter said he just told Thomas to keep his head up.
"I'm going to always have his back no matter if he right or wrong or do something that we know is not his character, so I'm going to stand behind him and continue to push him to be great," said Hunter.
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Hunter has formed a close bond with Thomas since he arrived in Jacksonville following the draft. For Hunter's part, he continues to learn from Thomas and has seen what he's capable of.
"It is just how he go about his work. He's that man. I see it every day in practice, I've seen him through training camp and I've seen him in games, so I just know that he's going to bounce back and do his job," said Hunter.
Running back Travis Etienne also said he isn't concerned about Thomas.
"That's somebody I'm not worried about. I feel like he knows who he is and he's here for a reason. I feel like nobody in the locker room has trouble with confidence. We play football our whole life — we don't get to this point and lose ourselves. We have the utmost confidence in BTJ, and we ride with him until the wheels fall off," said Etienne.
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The same can be said for fellow wideout Dyami Brown , who had a drop similarly to Thomas, just a play prior. Brown spoke up about his drop without being asked.
Sep 14, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) runs with the ball against Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Dax Hill (23) in the second half at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
"I'll start with myself. I had a whole lot of mental errors out there, and it should've been a touchdown at the end that could've put us up by 10. That one right there hurt. Just got to go back and watch it, forget about it and move on," said Brown.
As for Thomas, Brown isn't worried about the second-year wideout and said there's no pressure being put on him.
"At the end of the day, I know what he's capable of, he knows what he's capable of, and we know what he's capable of. We know what he can do. We've just got to keep working, keep moving forward and the big game will come for him, and then be consistent. No pressure, and the time will come," said Brown.
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Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky @ Demetrius .
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars Brian Thomas Jr.: Bad game is 'super frustrating'
