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Jaguars’ Defense Bends, Doesn’t Break in Huge Win Over Bengals
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- Jaguars’ Defense Bends, Doesn’t Break in Huge Win Over Bengals
(USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
Since the beginning of the 2025 season, the calling card of the Jacksonville Jaguars ' defense has been its ability to create turnovers.
Sure, Jacksonville had the NFL's top run defense last year, but it was the consistent takeaways that made the unit feared by opposing offenses. The Jaguars forced 31 turnovers last season (22 interceptions, 9 fumble recoveries), which were the second-most in the league.
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The Jaguars' propensity for taking the ball away has carried over into this season. Jacksonville forced six turnovers in its first three games. It is no coincidence that five of them came in the team's two wins heading into Sunday.
Against the Cincinnati Bengals , Jacksonville added two more takeaways to its total. Without them, the team would be making the long trip back home at 2-2, after letting another hard-fought road win against a top opponent slip through its fingers.
Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow diced up the Jaguars' defense for 428 passing yards, but it was his two interceptions that propelled Jacksonville to a nail-biting victory.
Interceptions Changed The Game
Despite losing superstar wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase in the first half with a concussion, Cincinnati was able to throw the ball almost at will on Sunday.
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Tee Higgins, the Bengals' other star WR, stepped up with 11 catches for 157 yards. Running back Chase Brown also had 11 grabs, which he turned into 71 yards.
26-year-old rookie Dohnte Meyers, who came to the Bengals from the CFL, stepped up big in Chase's absence. Meyers had by far the biggest game of his career with seven catches for 82 yards.
However easy it was for Burrow to rack up yards, Jacksonville's defense made the huge play when it needed one most.
Late in the first half, with Jacksonville up 6-3, the Bengals were driving in Jacksonville territory when cornerback Jourdan Lewis picked off a pass intended for Meyers and returned it all the way back to Cincinnati 18
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Four plays later, Trevor Lawrence hit Brian Thomas Jr. in the back of the end zone to give the Jaguars a 13-3 lead right before halftime.
Early in the fourth quarter, with Jacksonville up 16-10, Burrow and the Bengals had driven 64 yards in eight plays and a first-and-goal at the Jacksonville 10.
The drive included huge passing plays of 29 yards to Meyers and 26 yards to Higgins.
With the crowd going wild, it looked inevitable that Cincinnati would get in the end zone and take a 17-16 lead with less than a quarter to play.
Instead, linebacker Foye Oluokun, who has been such a consistent, underrated player for the Jaguars for years, jumped in front of a Burrow pass for the interception, preserving Jacksonville's lead.
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While the Jaguars would eventually punt, they were able to gain 44 yards to completely flip field position.
However, Jacksonville would need one more absolutely stellar play from its defense to finish the job.
With only 1:56 left in the game, the Jaguars thought they had won the game when WR Parker Washington grabbed his first catch of the game and threaded the sideline for a 39-yard gain on third-and-10. With no timeouts left for the Bengals, Jacksonville was set to end the game in victory formation.
Unfortunately for the Jaguars, a review showed Washington just barely stepped out of bounds three yards short of the first down, forcing the team to punt and putting the game in the hands of the defense.
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The Bengals took over at their 17 with 1:44 left and no timeouts.
As he had done all game, Burrow passed the Bengals down the field with ease. The drive started with passes of 29, 18, and 15 yards.
In the blink of an eye, Cincinnati was down to Jacksonville's 21 with still over a minute left to go.
That's when the defense dug deep and won the game.
After three straight incompletions, safety Rayuan Lane III, who was playing after Caleb Ransaw was injured earlier in the game, made the game-saving play.
On fourth-and-10, Burrow hit Brown in-stride over the middle. With a full head of steam, it looked like Brown would be able to move the chains.
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Until Lane made an outstanding play to upend Brown, who landed a half-yard short of the first down.
Game over.
Final Thoughts
The defense may have given up a ton of passing yards, but made the huge plays at huge moments.
Travis Hunter also had a beautiful interception and an unbelievable return after breaking Higgins' ankles. But it was wiped out on a roughing-the-passer penalty, one of the 10 the Jaguars had called on them in the first half.
Not only did the defense get the two clutch interceptions, but it also held Cincinnati to only 23 rushing yards all game.
Without the game-changing plays by the defense, the Jaguars would be sitting at 2-2 and tied with the Indianapolis Colts instead of having first place to themselves at 3-1.
Jacksonville now has back-to-back "home" games in London against the Eagles and Texans to conclude the team's brutal early-season schedule before the Week 7 bye.
