The Jaguars defense played well most of the game, but a Jags turnover on downs with the ball inside the 10 yard line gave the Bengals the chance they needed to win.
CINCINNATI — The Jacksonville Jaguars looked primed for an early-season road upset Sunday in Cincinnati, but a sputtering offense inside the 10 yard line and a pivotal pass interference call against Jags rookie Travis Hunter led the way to a disappointing 31-27 loss.
The Jaguars offense started the game firing on all cylinders, taking a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on a nine-yard pass from quarterback Trevor Lawrence to veteran wideout Dyami Brown. Lawrence was the catalyst of the drive, moving the ball down the field with a series of deep passes.
After a three-and-out for Cincinnati, the Jags again drove the ball down the field thanks to chunk passes from Lawrence, but a poor throw in the endzone to an open receiver led to the first of two interceptions, eventually leading to the Bengals tying the game with a touchdown to Jamar Chase.
These would be the first of 17 points off turnovers for the Bengals, ultimately deciding the game.
The Jags took a 14-7 lead in the second quarter after another strong drive, and after a Bengals punt, another Trevor Lawrence interception on a pass attempt to Brian Thomas Jr. led to a Bengals field goal.
Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow left the game in the second quarter with a toe injury after a sack by Arik Armstead, bringing backup Jake Browning into the game. Browning has history against the Jaguars. In 2023, he came into a game where Joe Burrow was hurt, eventually leading a comeback win against the Jags at Everbank Stadium.
The two teams traded field goals to end the half, with the Jags up 17-10.
The Bengals opened up the second half with a seven-play, 76-yard drive, tying the game at 17 with an outstanding catch from Bengals tight end Mitchell Tinsley.
After the Jags punted, the Bengals started to drive down the field when Jake Browning threw a deep pass intended for Mike Gesicki. The pass was under-thrown and picked off by Jags safety Andrew Wingard, who then returned the ball 39 yards into Bengals territory.
The Jags would then take the lead on a touchdown pass to Travis Etienne, 24-17.
The lead wouldn’t last long as Jake Browning would tie the game on a deep pass to wideout Tee Higgins, helped in part by two Jaguars colliding when they attempted to tackle him in the open field.
Trevor Lawrence would lead the Jags down the field all the way to the Cincinnati seven yard line, but a series of contested pass attempts kept the Jags out of the endzone, settling for a field goal to take the 27-24 lead.
The teams traded punts as time began to wind down in the fourth quarter. The Bengals took the ball inside their own 20 yard line when Jake Browning throws a ball down the middle that gets picked off by the Jags’ Devin Lloyd with less than five minutes left.
With the ball in the redzone, the Jags were well-positioned to put the game away, but a series of offensive miscues, including a dropped pass by Brian Thomas Jr. on fourth down, led to the third Jags turnover of the game.
The Bengals took over on their own seven yard line, driving down the field thanks to two fourth-down conversions.
The second fourth-down conversion was thanks to a pass interference call against Jags rookie sensation Travis Hunter on a pass intended for tight end Andrei Iosivas. This put the ball in field goal range for the Bengals.
Browning continued to drive the ball down the field as the clock wound down, forcing the Jags to use all three timeouts to try to preserve some time for their offense.
A quarterback sneak on the one yard line scored the go-ahead touchdown for the Bengals with 18 seconds left. A Trevor Lawrence sack sealed the game for Cincinnati.
The Jaguars return to EverBank Stadium Sunday, Sept. 21 as they open AFC South play against the Houston Texans.