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[Jacksonville Jaguars]

Jaguars vs Bengals Key Matchups: Two Veterans in Line of Scrimmage Combat

The Jacksonville Jaguars head to Paycor Stadium to face the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1. Fresh off a win last Sunday, here are three matchups to look out for in Week 2:

Arik Armstead vs Dalton Risner​

First two series for Dalton Risner pic.twitter.com/a9AEHNUmMj

— Bengals & Brews (@BengalsBrews) September 8, 2025

What a start for new Jaguars’ DC Anthony Campanile last weekend! The Jags’ defense suffocated a Panthers offense that had become dangerous under the leadership of Dave Canales towards the end of 2024, leaning on Chuba Hubbard and the run game to give Bryce Young time to operate from the pocket. Well, Young looked like the version that got benched last year last weekend as Jacksonville stuffed the run and forced Carolina into too many obvious passing situations. Interestingly, Campanile didn’t bring the heat like you would expect; Young faced the blitz on just over 20% of all dropbacks on Sunday and that only increased to 28% when looking at general pressure. Perhaps this was a designed idea to let the secondary blanket cover Young’s weapons & force him into mistakes. Against Joe Burrow this weekend, the plan may need to change…

I expect a much more aggressive attitude from the defensive line on Sunday. Burrow is one of the most lethal quarterbacks from the pocket, and whilst he’s adept at avoiding pressure you do need him off script to get him out of rhythm. Arik Armstead, who was likely played out of position somewhat during his early tenure with the Jaguars, looked much more comfortable back at defensive tackle in a four-man front. Campanile obviously values his presence on the field too; Armstead had the most snaps of any Jags d-lineman against the Panthers (49). This is a tackle that knows how to get interior pressure, with 71 QB hits and 22.5 sacks his last seven years with the 49ers. Hopefully Campanile loosens the leash.

With Bengals lineman Lucas Patrick headed to injured reserve (hamstring), new addition Dalton Risner is expected to continue at right guard. You might think his unfamiliarity with Cincinnati’s scheme would be an advantage for the Jags, but Risner was impeccable in his debut last weekend. PFF graded him out at 80.5 on pass blocking – only once did a Bengals lineman achieve that all of last season. On top of that, Risner only allowed one pressure across 24 pass blocking snaps. Considering he’s only been in the building ten days, that’s impressive. Armstead vs Risner is a trench matchup that could dictate the course of this game.

Travis Etienne vs Logan Wilson​

The demise of Travis Etienne has been grossly overstated pic.twitter.com/6qVy0LK9fm

— Anthony Amico (@amicsta) September 7, 2025

Even with Carolina’s sketchy run defense in 2024, not many would have anticipated Travis Etienne’s big day on Sunday. 143 yards from just 16 carries was the biggest difference maker in a contest where the Jags outmatched their opponents in multiple areas. For years we’ve been begging for a run game that allows Trevor Lawrence to maximize his potential; if Etienne is able to keep this up, then the franchise quarterback has everything he needs to be the guy we all thought he was coming out of Clemson 4 years ago.

It’s probably not a coincidence that Etienne’s performance was followed up with the team trading Tank Bigsby to the Philadelphia Eagles. Bigsby and Etienne were listed as 1A & 1B on the depth chart. Whilst there is obvious confidence in Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen picking up bigger roles if needed, Etienne is the clear workhorse in the backfield now – the Jags would never have made this move unless they had total confidence in him to be a leading running back in the NFL this year.

Etienne will go up against one of the most consistent run-stuffing linebackers in the league on Sunday. Logan Wilson has been a ball carriers’ worst nightmare since he was drafted out of Wyoming in 2019, with 495 career tackles in six years. If Etienne was offered the freedom of EverBank Stadium by the Panthers in Week 1, it should be a whole different story as the Jaguars are welcomed to the Jungle in Week 2.

Jourdan Lewis vs Noah Fant​

Former Cowboys CB Jourdan Lewis pic.twitter.com/n1rmcwYxpq

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) September 8, 2025

Back to the Jags’ defense now, and another standout from last weekend was Jourdan Lewis, who thrived as the nickel corner in a very frisky Jaguars secondary against the Panthers. Lewis pretty much erased Hunter Renfrow operating out of the slot, restricting the tricky receiver to just 11 yards from two catches. He had five tackles and also recorded his first turnover in black and teal to ice the game, sneaking up to anticipate a short pass to the ball carrier and reacting superbly to the tipped ball. Lewis looks like an excellent free agency addition to Jacksonville’s defense, and will want to follow up a good start with another strong performance in Week 2.

Andrei Iosivas is typically the in-line receiver in the Bengals offense. But the trade for Noah Fant this season means we’re going to see a lot more 12 personnel from the Bengals in 2025 – a throwback to offenses from the early years under Zac Taylor. I expect Drew Sample to operate shallow routes and be leaned on in the run game, with Fant doing what he does best – challenging defenses down the seam. He did just that on Sunday, helping Cincy get by the Browns with 26 yards and a touchdown in his first game.

That brings Fant into Jourdan Lewis’ territory. The linebackers won’t be able to carry this tight end’s athleticism deep, so expect Lewis to pick up the role of covering him beyond ten yards from the line of scrimmage. Two veterans who have seen it all and have the numbers to prove it should make for a cracking matchup on Sunday.

Source: https://www.bigcatcountry.com/jacks...hups-two-veterans-in-line-of-scrimmage-combat

 

[Jacksonville Jaguars]

Jaguars Reacts Survey: Which free agent had the best Week 1 outing?

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Jaguars fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Jaguars fans — are you confident the team is headed in the right direction?

And which free agent signing was most impressive in Week 1?

Jacksonville’s Week 1 win over Carolina was a great performance around, especially for its 2025 free agent class.

Jourdan Lewis and Eric Murray were ballhawks on defense, totalling 5 pass breakups on the day; Dyami Brown had 52 receiving yards and a clutch block on Travis Etienne’s long run; and Robert Hainsey and Patrick Mekari won on 100% of their pass block reps (per ESPN).

They weren’t even the only free agent additions to make an impact.

Jaguars FA class w/major impact in Week 1:

OLs Mekari, Hainsey — Jags ran for 200 yds

WR Brown — 3 ctchs, 52 yards

S Murray — 7 tckl, 2 PBU, QB hit

CB Lewis — 5 tckl, 3 PBU, INT, FR, QB hit

TE Long — 1 ctch, 6 yards, TD

LB Gardeck — 2 tckl

DE Smoot — 2 tckl, sack

— Michael DiRocco (@ESPNdirocco) September 8, 2025

“For the new guys in the room,” Dawaune Smoot said Monday, “everybody’s looking at us like, ‘oh, are they going to make plays’ … I feel like we all showed up.”

“Everybody knows the contributions that we made this offseason, I feel like everyone’s coming together. We’re just doing a great job for sure.”

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Source: https://www.bigcatcountry.com/nfl-r...y-which-free-agent-had-the-best-week-2-outing

 

[Jacksonville Jaguars]

Jaguars vs Bengals: Staff roundtable and game picks for Week 2

JACKSONVILLE, FL – DECEMBER 04: Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) runs with the ball during the game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Cincinnati Bengals on December 4, 2023 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fl. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images0

Welcome to Big Cat Country’s staff roundtable!

Today, we’re previewing Week 2’s matchup between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium.

What is your biggest takeaway from the Tank Bigsby trade?

Dillon Appleman: This coaching staff values versatility at the running back position above all else. If you can’t consistently run, catch, and pass protect, then you’re expendable. Rookies Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen Jr. have clearly proven to Coen and company that they’re willing to do it all behind Travis Etienne.

Travis Holmes: The future starts today? With the trade of Bigsby to the Eagles, the Jaguars continue to make moves based on their scheme, their vision for the offense, and their evolving culture. While many this offseason thought there may be a possibility of Travis Etienne being the running back to be traded, primarily due to contract reasons, Bigsby always made some sense due to his struggles with pass protection and catching the ball in this Liam Coen offense that mandates versatility. With Bhayshul Tuten ramping up, LeQuint Allen in the wings, and a team willing to surrender two Day 3 draft picks, James Gladstone continues to retool with an eye on the 2026 draft. I also have a sneaking suspicion that this season won’t end without one of those fifth or sixth-round picks being traded for a promising veteran player by the November 4th trade deadline. Time will tell.

Gus Logue: Bhayshul Tuten is the Jaguars’ running back of the future. For now, Travis Etienne is the best and most experienced player in the backfield, so he will get the lion’s share of running back touches so long as he stays upright. But I wouldn’t be surprised if Jacksonville runs the fifth-year back into the ground before letting him walk in free agency. That would clear the runway for Tuten to take off in 2026.

Henry Zimmer: I think the Jags got a good return on the Tank Bigsby trade. Two picks, with the potential for one of them being a fourth, is a great deal for a backup running back. One of these running backs wasn’t going to make it through the year on the Jags, so better to get rid of him now and give him a chance elsewhere while also making up some losses.

What’s a matchup that you’re looking forward to watching this week?

Dillon: The thought of Travis Hunter getting some corner reps against Ja’Marr Chase is too fun a scenario not to highlight here. I’m not sure how many times we’ll actually see it, but seeing it at all should be one of those lean forward in your seats moments for fans.

Travis: This seems like one of those matchups where Arik Armstead (and hopefully Maason Smith) can dominate inside. With Jacksonville initially struggling against Carolina’s run game, it will be imperative for them not to allow Cincinnati to produce a balanced attack. Fortunately for the Jaguars, Bengals starting right guard Lucas Patrick was placed on IR on Tuesday. Due to that injury, Dalton Risner — who was just signed in late August — is projected to start on Sunday after finishing last week’s matchup in Patrick’s absence. While PFF graded Risner out at a very good 80.5 on pass blocking, his 36.4 run blocking grade ranked near the worst in the league at 74th out of 78 qualifying guards. That’s good news for Armstead and the Jaguars’ linebacker core.

Gus: Anthony Campanile against Joe Burrow. The former passed his first test with flying colors — Bryce Young completed 51.5% of passes for 4.4 yards per attempt and a 49.0 passer rating in Week 1 — but Burrow is a different beast. He’s in the class of quarterbacks that you do not want to blitz against. Campanile will have to find ways to pressure the pocket without sending extra bodies, or else Burrow will make them pay.

Henry: Obviously, the Bengals have great receivers. But can this Jags defense stop them? The Browns absolutely stymied the passing attack from Joe Burrow and company, so let’s see if the Jags can replicate that. As the Burrow to Ja’Marr Chase connection goes, so often do the Bengals as a whole.

Who will be the biggest X-factor on Sunday?

Dillon: After a quiet game in Week 1, Ja’Marr Chase is likely to be peppered with targets in front of the home crowd in Cincinnati. Tyson Campbell and Jarrian Jones (and hopefully a little Travis Hunter) could be in for a busy afternoon.

Travis: Jarrian Jones. While Travis Hunter will have an uptick in defensive snaps, I expect Jones to continue to draw the third-most snaps of the cornerback group and to get multiple opportunities in coverage against Tee Higgins. While his Week 1 performance is primarily remembered for the 26-yard pass interference penalty against 6’5” Tetairoa McMillan, I expect a bounce-back game as the second-year defensive back matches up against another big-body receiver in Higgins (6’4”). Jones and Higgins are physical at the line of scrimmage and have a history of playing the ball well in the air. This will be the red zone and third down matchup to watch in my book, even more than Tyson Campbell and Jourdan Lewis against Ja’Marr Chase.

Gus: Brian Thomas Jr. has to get going. He was able to find the endzone in Week 1 on a well-blocked end-around, but he caught just 1 of 7 targets from Trevor Lawrence. As cool as it was to see the Jaguars win by double digits without needing those two to ball out, Thomas and Lawrence must improve their chemistry if they’re going to win games against better opponents.

Henry: The X-Factor this week must be Burrow. He is known for getting his Bengals teams off to slow starts and last week was an indication of that. He shredded the Jags the last time the teams faced off, but this is an entirely new defense. If the Jags can keep him contained like they did with Bryce Young (wishful thinking), and like how the Browns did to Burrow last week, Jacksonville could start 2-0 under this new regime.

Final score prediction?

Dillon: Jaguars 26, Bengals 31

Travis: Jaguars 31, Bengals 23

Gus: Jaguars 27, Bengals 23

Henry: Jaguars 24, Bengals 31

What are your Week 2 predictions, Jaguars fans? Let us know in the comments!

Source: https://www.bigcatcountry.com/jacks...ls-staff-roundtable-and-game-picks-for-week-2

 

[Jacksonville Jaguars]

5 Questions with Cincy Jungle: What we learned about the Bengals

As the Jacksonville Jaguars prepare to play the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2, we sat down with Anthony Cosenza of Cincy Jungle to learn more about the opposing side.

Question 1: What does a successful 2025 season look like for the Bengals? Would you expect any significant changes to be made if the team misses the playoffs for a third consecutive year?

Anything less than a Championship would be a disappointing campaign. I know that seems laughable coming from someone covering this particular franchise, but the Bengals have too much talent–particularly on offense–to not make a deep run in 2025. They’ve re-signed all of their major stars and the defense looked much better in Week 1 from what we saw from the unit last year.

If the Bengals miss the playoffs again this year, Zac Taylor’s job is definitely in jeopardy, save for major injuries (Cincinnati is currently very healthy). He purged many of the defensive assistants from last year, as they were denoted as the scapegoats. If they fail to get in again, this traditionally slow-moving franchise will likely be forced to make changes at the top.

Question 2: Cincinnati recorded its worst offensive output (141 yards) of the Joe Burrow era in Week 1. Would you mostly chalk that up to the opponent, as Burrow has historically struggled against Cleveland, or is it a cause for genuine concern?

A little bit of both, sprinkled in with their usual sluggish starts to seasons. The Browns’ defense has given this team fits, for sure, but Cincinnati actually had a decent first half on offense, with possession amounts being minimal for both teams because they sustained long drives.

While the team got the much-needed win, some familiar offensive line issues popped up in the second half (though Myles Garrett did Myles Garrett things), and Chase Brown was completely stymied after a solid first two quarters. Play-calling was spotty and Cincinnati should have used more quick-hitters and confidence-building throws throughout the game, especially because of potential rust and it being Week 1. I expect a much better output at home this week, though.

Question 3: What does the other side of the ball look like now with Al Golden replacing Lou Anarumo as defensive coordinator?

They’re fast and tenacious. There were still some mistakes (missed first tackles), but they were opportunistic (two very athletic interceptions netted) and if they are going to make a mistake, it’s going to be at 120 MPH. What was seen was more creative blitzing, which is what Golden is known for and it proved effective last week. Other than Trey Hendrickson, it’s a bit of a no-name defense, but they seemed to have collectively played well as a unit. I’m particularly interested in seeing how first-round pick Shemar Stewart performs once again, as he was a major irritant to the Browns’ offense.

Question 4: How does Cincinnati’s trench play look through 60 minutes of action this season? It seems that first-round rookie Shemar Stewart had an impressive debut.

Overall, pretty good. The offensive line was borderline dominant in the first half, but the loss of Lucas Patrick at right guard threw some wonkiness into the mix and Orlando Brown, Jr. struggled with Garrett, but that comes with the territory. The Patrick injury may prove to be beneficial (I hate phrasing things that way and never wish injury on anyone), as veteran Dalton Risner will step in, which may have been the team’s plan in a few weeks in any way.

The defensive line looked solid, as well. Stewart didn’t show up much in the stat columns, but he had a couple of batted passes (one was negated by a penalty), and was a presence in the backfield. Hendrickson had a timely sack and B.J. Hill had one from the interior as well–the latter is back at his best position inside and has true nose tackle help this year in T.J. Slayton, which helps free him up. I am curious to see how the EDGEs opposite Hendrickson set the edge against the run going forward, as the recently retired Sam Hubbard was very effective in that regard.

Question 5: Do you expect the Bengals to cover as 3.5-point favorites, and do you have a favorite player prop for the game?

Normally, I’m pretty diplomatic on these, but I think the Bengals’ offense is pissed off. I’m not saying that the Jags will get blown out and/or won’t make their fair share of plays, but I think Cincinnati will come out inspired in their home-opener. However, I will also say that I’m going way out on a limb, as Cincinnati is winless in Week 2 under Zac Taylor.

I’d put money on a Travis Hunter anytime touchdown and the over on Ja’Marr Chase’s receiving yards line, with FanDuel having it set at 97.

Thanks to Anthony for taking the time to answer our questions!

What are your thoughts on Week 2’s matchup, Jaguars fans? Let us know in the comments!

Source: https://www.bigcatcountry.com/jacks...incy-jungle-what-we-learned-about-the-bengals

 

[Jacksonville Jaguars]

Reacts Survey Results: Jaguars CB Jourdan Lewis is the new fan favorite

This week, we asked Jacksonville Jaguars fans which free agent signing they were most impressed by in Week 1.

A whopping 68% of respondents chose Jourdan Lewis. Dyami Brown was the next highest vote-getter at 12%

As for the confidence survey, 94% of fans are confident in the direction of the team — up from 84% last week.

It may have been against a weak opponent but nobody can argue that Jacksonville didn’t look good in its first game under coach Liam Coen.

Last year, that figure was at 91% entering the season but dropped to 63% after Week 1. It was never higher than 35% from that point forward.

This week’s game against Cincinnati is sure to leave a lasting impression. Though the Bengals have missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons and had a sloppy Week 1 outing, they can hang with anybody so long as Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase are on the field. An away victory against the AFC North’s big cat team would be huge for Jacksonville and its young coaching staff.

“Going on the road,” Coen said Wednesday, “playing a team that plays in a physical division, that has played in a lot of physical football games over the course of their last four years or so. That has to be our style of play, needs to show up this week.”

Top comments from Tuesday’s post:

Jaguardian
So far, so good. However, the true test begins against Joe Cool. Let’s hope that the defense is up to the task at hand. This is a winnable game, because Cleveland’s kicker failed them miserably. Cincinnati will not have that luxury this week. LETS GO!

Source: https://www.bigcatcountry.com/nfl-r...uars-cb-jourdan-lewis-is-the-new-fan-favorite

 

[Jacksonville Jaguars]

Jaguars rise in NFL power rankings entering Week 2

To get a feel for how the Jacksonville Jaguars are viewed around the league, here’s a look at a handful of national media power rankings.

Yahoo Sports: 15 (last week: 15)​

From Frank Schwab:

All the talk has been about head coach Liam Coen helping Trevor Lawrence. The biggest help might be that Coen will fix the Jags’ run game. Jacksonville rushed for 200 yards on 6.3 yards per carry in a decisive win over the Panthers. Suddenly, the entire offense isn’t on Lawrence’s shoulders.

CBS Sports: 15 (17)​

From Pete Prisco:

They ran the ball, the defense took it away and Trevor Lawrence looked comfortable in beating Carolina. It was a good first game for new coach Liam Coen.

Sports Illustrated: 16 (24)​

From Conor Orr:

O.K. Time to admit I was wrong, which I will do about 300 times this season. On the initial watch, I did not get the Travis Hunter Week 1 hype and I thought that manufacturing some of those touches slowed the offense down—especially a really well-designed running game. Upon further review, he’s dynamic and has defenses very curious. Even having Hunter flash hands at the line of scrimmage draws defenders away from a run and helps Travis Etienne at the second level. Liam Coen is a next-level play designer.

USA Today: 18 (20)​

From Nate Davis:

WR/CB Travis Hunter is and will be a fine player. But we’re going on record now to opine that surrendering a future first- and second-rounder to get him is a deal that won’t age well.

The Athletic: 19 (25)​

From Josh Kendall and Chad Graff:

The expectation is that Liam Coen unlocks something more from Lawrence, the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft. On Sunday, Lawrence was the NFL’s least-pressured quarterback. He has a No. 1 wide receiver in Brian Thomas. The Jags ran it well, too. But Lawrence was still just 19-of-31 for 178 yards with a touchdown and an interception. That’s not the ‘something more’ Jags fans were hoping for.

The Ringer: 21 (23)​

From Diante Lee:

Lawrence never stopped being talented, even when the wheels were falling off in Jacksonville the past couple of years. Injuries and awful decision-making under pressure previously kept him from maximizing his skill set. But on Sunday, Lawrence was sharp—he delivered the ball with accuracy at every level of the field and got it out of his hands before pressure could affect him.

Throwing darts against the Panthers secondary isn’t a mind-blowing achievement, but I needed to see that Lawrence could execute head coach Liam Coen’s offense. Now the question is whether he can build on that success.

NFL.com: 22 (23)​

From Eric Edholm:

The 2024 Jaguars held the lowly Titans to six points and somehow kept the Vikings out of the end zone, but last season’s defensive highlight reel doesn’t extend too far beyond that. Even if it came against a Panthers team with a host of questions, Jacksonville’s defensive effort was strong on Sunday. The D had three takeaways and forced two turnovers on downs. The Jaguars’ offense also had plenty of high notes, scoring on four first-half drives. Travis Etienne had his best game in recent memory, and Trevor Lawrence was mostly sharp, even while throwing one pick. The Jags will want to be more efficient throwing to Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter (combined for 44 receiving yards on 15 targets), but they were never threatened. A suddenly-intriguing matchup against the Bengals will be a good measuring stick for Liam Coen’s team.

ESPN: 22 (27)​

From Mike DiRocco:

[Jourdan Lewis] was responsible for two turnovers (an interception and fumble recovery), five tackles and a QB hit. The fumble recovery — after linebacker Foyesade Oluokun knocked the ball away from QB Bryce Young — came with 48 seconds remaining in the first half. The Jaguars turned it into a 47-yard field goal with one second remaining. The interception came with 48 seconds left in the game. Lewis set the tone for a defense that forced three turnovers after forcing a league-low nine last season.

Bleacher Report: 23 (24)​

From Maurice Moton:

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be the surprise playoff team in the AFC after going 4-13 last season. That’s not an overreaction to a win over the Carolina Panthers, but it recognizes how much of an impact head coach and offensive play-caller Liam Coen will have on the team. Running back Travis Etienne Jr. already looks rejuvenated in Coen’s offense. He ran for 143 yards against the Panthers, the second-highest game rushing total of his career. It’s not too early to hop on the Jaguars bandwagon.

Pro Football Talk: 25 (28)​

From Mike Florio:

It’s going to be hard for Travis Hunter to compete for defensive player of the year with only six snaps on defense.

Where would you rank the team, Jaguars fans? Let us know in the comments!

Source: https://www.bigcatcountry.com/jacks...rs-rise-in-nfl-power-rankings-entering-week-2

 

[Jacksonville Jaguars]

Déjà Vu: Jake Browning Stuns Jaguars (Again)

The Jacksonville Jaguars went on the road for the first time under Liam Coen, traveling to Ohio to face the Cincinnati Bengals. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence falls to 0-3 in the state with Doug Pederson and Urban Meyer both going 0-1 with a 2021 loss to the Bengals in Cincinnati and the 2023 loss to the Browns in Cleveland. Similar to the 2023 loss to the Bengals, Jacksonville was unable to hold onto a late lead, losing in the final moments to Bengals backup QB Jake Browning, with Joe Burrow leaving the game early.

Here’s everything you need to know from Jacksonville’s Week 2 31-27 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Live blog:

Catch up on all the big plays and best moments from tonight’s game in our live blog!

Pregame Notes:

The following Cincinnati players did not participate in this one: Bengals RG Patrick Lucas was placed on IR on Tuesday due to a calf injury suffered last week. Otherwise, Cincinnati was reasonably healthy on Sunday with WR Jermaine Burton a healthy scratch for the second consecutive week, with CB Marco Wilson, TE Cam Grandy, DT McKinnley Jackson, and DT Howard Cross III.

For Jacksonville, second-year defensive tackle Maason Smith was active for the first time this season after being inactive in week 1 while continuing to ramp up his conditioning. He spent much of the preseason out due to an undisclosed training injury. Additionally, the team was without CB Montaric Brown, who continues to work his way back from his training camp ankle injury. Rookie OL Wyatt Milum was ruled out on Friday due to his training camp knee injury. DL Danny Striggow, DL B.J. Green III, DT Khalen Saunders Sr, and the recently signed RB Cody Schrader were all healthy scratches this week.

1st Quarter

Jacksonville opened with the ball first, with Dyami Brown converting the opening drive third-and-three with an 18-yard gain. Brian Thomas then secured his second catch of the drive with an 18-yard first down reception. Jacksonville wrapped up the 11-play, 69-yard, 4:09 touchdown drive with a Dyami Brown 9-yard touchdown catch from Lawrence. (Jaguars 7, Bengals 0)

Trevor Lawrence to Dyami Brown in the end zone!

JAXvsCIN on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/E1UQwGdXUq

— NFL (@NFL) September 14, 2025

The Jacksonville defense opened up a dominant first series, nearly causing a second down fumble of Bengals QB Joe Burrow, which was reviewed by Liam Coen unsuccessfully. The Jacksonville defense then forced a punt on the following play via an Andrew Wingard pressure, resulting in a Foye Oluokun sack of Burrow.

Jaguars show…basically their entire defense… bring 5. Safety and LB and Jaguars get the sack on Joe Burrow pic.twitter.com/926K1qHFhW

— Fitz (@LaurieFitzptrck) September 14, 2025

The Jacksonville offense continued having success on the following series with multiple quality rushes by RB Bhayshul Tuten, who later completed a 24-yard reception to get Jacksonville in scoring range. Parker Washington then completed an incredible jump-ball 20-yard contested completion, before Lawrence was hit on a third-and-goal attempt from the 8-yard line resulting in an interception. The Bengals offense then woke up, putting together a 12-play, 80-yard, 4:45 drive off the turnover, capped by a third-down four-yard Jamar Chase touchdown on Tyson Campbell. (Jaguars 7, Bengals 7)

2nd Quarter

Jacksonville would answer the turnover with their own touchdown on a 10-play, 75-yard, 4:13 drive buoyed by a 30-yard Travis Etienne rush to get Jacksonville into the Cincinnati red zone. Bhayshul Tuten then closed out the drive with an 8-yard touchdown catch to retake the lead. (Jaguars 14, Bengals 7)

Bhayshul Tuten scores his first NFL TD!

JAXvsCIN on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/B4EmYon3L8

— NFL (@NFL) September 14, 2025

The Jacksonville defense came out on fire the following series, with Arik Armstead sacking Burrow on second down to force a third-and-25. Burrow left the game, never to return. After the punt, the Jaguars offense then gave the ball right back with Brian Thomas Jr stopping on the Lawrence crossing route, also tipping the ball up into the hands of Bengals safety Jordan Battle at their own 34-yard line. The Jaguars defense held Cincinnati to a field goal, however, with DE Travon Walker collecting his first sack of the season on Bengals backup QB Jake Browning. (Jaguars 14, Bengals 10)

The Jaguars then put together an 8-play, 46-yard, 1:53 field goal drive with a near-interception off of a Travis Hunter target from Lawrence. The play was reviewed and called an incompletion, in what was nearly Lawrence’s third interception of the half. Cam Little then drilled the 42-yard field goal to extend the lead back to seven. (Jaguars 17, Bengals 10)

Jacksonville safety Eric Murray intercepted Jake Browning on the following series on an overthrown pass. However, the Jaguars were unable to answer with points before the half.

Halftime Stat Update:

• Score: Jaguars 17, Bengals 10
• Time of possession: Jaguars 15:57, Bengals 14:03
• Turnovers forced: Jaguars 1, Bengals 2
• Sacks: Jaguars 3, Bengals 0
• Rushing yards: Jaguars 76, Bengals 25
• Yards per rush: Jaguars 6.3, Bengals 3.6
• Passing yards: Jaguars 191, Bengals 106
• Passing yards per attempt: Jaguars 8.0, Bengals 4.6
• Redzone: Jaguars 2/3 (66.6%), Bengals 1/2 (50%)
• Penalties: Jaguars 2 for 10 yards, Bengals 1 for 10 yards (However, 5 total first-half illegal shift penalties, with multiple declined)
• Points off turnovers: Jaguars 0, Bengals 10)

3rd Quarter

Jake Browning then led Cincinnati on a 7-play, 76-yard, 3:55 touchdown drive where the Jacksonville defense struggled to limit Jamar Chase with receptions of 25, 12, and 12 yards. CB Jarrian Jones then surrendered the game-tying touchdown to Bengals WR Mitchell Tinsley on his first career NFL catch. (Jaguars 17, Bengals 17)

TINSLEY TOUCHDOWN

: #JAXvsCIN on CBS/Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/d3HmpClMcc

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) September 14, 2025

Jacksonville then began to pressure the backup QB on the following drive, consistently pressuring Browning with five or six defenders until the dam broke via a Josh Hines-Allen pressure resulting in an Andrew Wingard interception.

Wingard interception! pic.twitter.com/MC9yEIiue0

— Fitz (@LaurieFitzptrck) September 14, 2025

The Jaguars offense then capitalized on the turnover, with a 7-play, 35-yard, 3:02 drive capped by an 11-yard Travis Etienne screen pass for a touchdown. (Jaguars 24, Bengals 17)

Travis Etienne Jr. gives the Jags the lead!

JAXvsCIN on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/N3nOctvHw7

— NFL (@NFL) September 14, 2025

After a 33-yard kickoff return and a questionable unnecessary roughness penalty on Yasir Abdullah, the Bengals then immediately answered with a touchdown of their own, a 42-yard Tee Higgins deep ball over Tyson Campbell and Andrew Wingard. (Jaguars 24, Bengals 24)

Tee Higgins! Bengals tie it up!

JAXvsCIN on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/gWaC6astUJ

— NFL (@NFL) September 14, 2025

4th Quarter

Jacksonville’s offense opened the quarter with a 14-play, 53-yard, 5:56 field goal drive, where it looked to be a Dyami Brown touchdown on second down. However, the throw was dropped by Brown. (Jaguars 27, Bengals 24)

The Bengals offense then went three and out, punting the ball back to Jacksonville after two consecutive incompletions. However, Cincinnati also forced Jacksonville to trade punts, after forcing a Lawrence to Thomas Jr incompletion on third-and-two where BTJ was doubled. The Jaguars defense stole the ball back from Cincinnati with a Devin Lloyd interception.

Heck of an interception.
(Devin Lloyd wasnt down. haha) pic.twitter.com/Hua0ufQ15q

— Fitz (@LaurieFitzptrck) September 14, 2025

However, the offense was unable to turn the drive into points as Liam Coen decided to go for it on fourth-and-five from the Cincinnati seven. On the play, Brian Thomas Jr dropped the 4-yard pass that seemed likely to convert the attempt. The Jaguars defense seemed to stop Cincinnati on fourth-and-five. However, CB Travis Hunter was called for a questionable 25-yard pass interference penalty to continue the drive. The Bengals offense wrapped up the 15-play, 92-yard, 3:24 drive with a Jake Browning game-winning QB sneak. (Jaguars 31, Bengals 27)

Best highlight:

The biggest play of the game was undoubtedly the fourth-and-five Travis Hunter pass interference penalty to keep the Cincinnati drive going.

Travis Hunter flagged for pass interference pic.twitter.com/hIZJqPQ9GD

— Rate the Refs (@Rate_the_Refs) September 14, 2025

Biggest play(s) of the game:

According to rbsdm.com, the biggest play of the game by Expected Points Added (EPA) and win probability was Trevor Lawrence’s first quarter interception (-5.1 EPA and -24% win probability).

Another intercepted ball that was intended for Hunter. pic.twitter.com/ArJJTqcjOV

— Fitz (@LaurieFitzptrck) September 14, 2025

Key stats (traditional):

• QB Trevor Lawrence: 25/43 for 294 yards (6.8 YPA), 3 TDs, 2 ints, sacked once (82.9 QB rating)
• RB Travis Etienne: 14 carries for 71 yards (5.1 YPC), 2 catches for 36 yards (18.0 YPR) on 3 targets
• RB Bhayshul Tuten: 8 carries for 42 yards (5.3 YPC), 2 catches for 32 yards (16.0 YPR) on 2 targets
• WR Parker Washington: 6 catches for 81 yards (13.5 YPR) on 6 targets
• WR Dyami Brown: 5 catches for 57 yards (11.4 YPR) and 1 TD on 7 targets
• WR Brian Thomas Jr: 4 catches for 49 yards (12.3 YPR) on 12 targets
• CB Jourdan Lewis: 8 tackles (5 solo), 2 tackles for loss, and 1 pass deflection
• LB Foye Oluokun: 7 tackles (3 solo), 1 sack, 2 tackles for loss, 1 QB hit
• S Eric Murray: 7 tackles (6 solo), 1 pass defensed, 1 interception
• Additional interceptions by LB Devin Lloyd and S Andrew Wingard)
• Additional sacks by DE Travon Walker and DT Arik Armstead

View the full box score here

Game balls:

• Special Teams: Cam Little: 2/2 on fieldgoals with a long of 42-yards; 3/3 on extra points
• Defense: S Eric Murray: 7 tackles (6 solo), 1 pass defensed, 1 interception
• Offense: Shared game ball for the Jacksonville offensive line via Travis Etienne and Bhayshul Tuten. When all ball carriers average 5.1 YPC on the day, the big guys deserve some love, no matter the outcome.

PFF notables:

• While Travis Hunter remained the Jaguars’ primary slot receiver, he lined up in the slot less frequently this week, while all four other wide receivers for Jacksonville received a higher slot rate this week.
• There were reports throughout the week that Jacksonville planned on using Hunter more often. That was amplified once Jarrian Jones suffered a back injury. Hunter only played in one of 14 snaps in the first quarter, but that increased to 12 out of 18 in the second quarter while Jones dealt with his injury. Jones played six plays early in the third quarter, but then he didn’t return to the game. This left Hunter playing in the final 30 snaps in the game, resulting in 43 total snaps on defense to go along with his 42 snaps on offense.
• Tight end Brenton Strange’s playing time jumped to 90.1% of Jacksonville’s offensive snaps, which is a new career high, and a mark that Evan Engram only hit twice during his time with the Jaguars.

Notable absences:

The following Jacksonville players did not participate in Sunday’s matchup due to noted injuries throughout the week:

• OL Wyatt Milum (knee)
• CB Montaric Brown (ankle)

Healthy Scratches:

• DL Danny Striggow
• DL B.J. Green III
• DT Khaulen Saunders
• RB Cody Schrager

The following players left Sunday’s game due to injury:

• CB Jarrian Jones temporarily left the matchup, but later returned for a few plays, then again left the matchup.

Full highlights:

• You can watch the top plays of the Week 2 matchup on the NFL’s YouTube channel here.

Post-game lingering questions:

1. The miscues continue to hurt this Jaguars team.

Jacksonville lost a winnable game on Sunday, primarily due to miscues (6 penalties for 55 yards with another 5 declined flags). While multiple calls against the secondary may have arguably been questionable, the biggest opponent for Jacksonville on Sunday was itself. Multiple dropped passes, including Dyami Drown’s dropped touchdown and Brian Thomas Jr’s dropped fourth down conversion doomed the offense.

2. Defensive struggles in the passing game creep up

A worrying scene emerged on Sunday, with the Jaguars secondary struggling to stop a backup QB from playing pitch and catch with Bengals receivers, as the Jacksonville defensive backs failed to get eyes on the ball consistently throughout the game. While normally in great position to make a play on the ball, Cincinnati receivers simply made the plays, where Jacksonville’s corners were unable to. While most teams do not have a one-two punch such as Chase and Higgins, both players had their day with multiple players in the cornerback room.

3. Turnovers continue for the defense

Despite the noted opportunities within the secondary, the Jaguars backend was pretty opportunistic in Sunday’s matchup, adding three interceptions to their three turnovers from week one. With six turnovers forced in two weeks, they continue to provide the offense extra opportunities to score with short fields. However, Jacksonville’s own offensive turnovers resulted in a significant hurdle for the defense, as the Bengals scored 17 points off turnovers on Sunday (including the final touchdown after the turnover on downs). Meanwhile, Jacksonville scored just seven points off their three turnovers, opting to skip the chip shot field goal on fourth down.

What are your thoughts from tonight’s game, Jaguars fans? Who surprised you most or disappointed you with their play tonight? Let us know in the comments.

Source: https://www.bigcatcountry.com/game-day-threads/76998/deja-vu-jake-browning-stuns-jaguars-again

 

[Jacksonville Jaguars]

Travis Hunter Tested in First Full Both-Ways Game

The Jacksonville Jaguars are officially two games into the Travis Hunter experiment with plenty to consider heading into the young star’s third game this coming weekend.

Sunday’s 31-27 slopfest loss to the Cincinnati Bengals was Hunter’s biggest showing, playing 85 total snaps. His offense to defense split was almost dead even, with 43 snaps at corner and 42 as a wide receiver.

Unfortunately for Hunter, while he played largely fine defense, his day will forever be remembered by the pivotal pass interference call he was flagged for on fourth down. Hunter’s flag extended Cincy’s final drive which resulted in a touchdown and a shocking loss for the Jags. While that one play wasn’t the sole reason for the defeat, it was certainly Hunter’s ‘Welcome to the NFL’ moment early in his young career.

“I can’t leave it up to the refs,” Hunter said postgame Sunday of his play on the ball. “I have to do my job and put myself in a better position.”

Travis Hunter doesn't like the DPI call pic.twitter.com/Uo5ej1tVKI

— Fitz (@LaurieFitzptrck) September 14, 2025

Defensively, Hunter was thrust into a position potentially the Jags coaching staff didn’t exactly want. Jarrian Jones got dinged up early and Hunter filled in for him. Hunter also played his usual increasing allotment of snaps, resulting in 31 total coverage snaps. Head coach Liam Coen said after the Panthers win he wanted Hunter on defense more, but there is no telling if he wanted him out there this much. To Hunter’s credit, he played well.

The best play of Hunter’s defensive day came with him swiping a ball out of Andrei Iosivas’ hands for his first career pass breakup. It was later Iosivas who drew the PI flag but that’s the ups and downs of the league.

“I was prepared for the moment. I just have to do my job,” Hunter said, “make a couple more plays. They told me I would play a lot more defense, so I was prepared and ready.”

Travis Hunter with a PERFECT pass breakup pic.twitter.com/vw50Koc8JR

— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) September 14, 2025

Obviously the marquee offensive players for the Bengals outside of future Hall of Fame quarterback Jake Browning are Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Just two plays after Hunter’s flag, Chase got the best of Hunter for a 16-yard reception furthering the final scoring drive. That catch was the only one given up by Hunter in coverage.

pic.twitter.com/hz7KcGTu2B

— Fitz (@LaurieFitzptrck) September 14, 2025

While Chase and Higgins made barbecue chicken of veteran Tyson Campbell, the rookie embraced the experience and said he plans to use it to get better moving forward.

“It was great for me early in my career to go against those two guys,” Hunter said. “They did their job. They did what their team needed them to do.”

The offensive side of the ball is where Hunter’s numbers are disappointing for what his expected production could have, or should have, been.

Hunter caught three of his six targets for 22 yards. So far this year, Hunter has nine catches for 55 yards, including two drops. Coincidentally, two would-be touchdown passes to Hunter from quarterback Trevor Lawrence have been picked off this season.

For comparison, through two games last year Brian Thomas Jr. had almost 150 yards receiving and a touchdown. Chase had well over 200 yards in his first two games, but players like Justin Jefferon had just 70.

The biggest issue with Hunter’s up-and-down day wasn’t him not eclipsing 100 receiving yards though, but rather his inability to get set all afternoon.

Jaguars at 51% comp vs. zone. Avg is 65%.

This INT sums it up:
+ Dyami has to tell Travis Hunter that he's lined up wrong. Watch his hands pre-motion. Not enough practice???
+ Dyami penalty for rounding at the snap.
+ BTJ settles/alligators.
+ TLaw leads/doesn't see S breaking. pic.twitter.com/RP7Pn0Qz0Z

— Hayden Winks (@HaydenWinks) September 15, 2025

By Hunter’s own admission he was the sole reason for upwards of three illegal shift penalties which often helped derail any momentum the Jags were able to cobble together throughout Sunday’s game.

“We weren’t lining up right, we weren’t locked in,” Hunter said. “I had a couple mistakes with that so I have to do better. I have to do my job and the other guys have to do their job.”

On both sides of the ball it hasn’t been picture perfect for Hunter. Going as far back as the preseason, no one game from Hunter has been entirely memorable. Thus far Hunter has been mainly used as a gimmick screen pass catcher and an extra body on defense.

Like last week, Hunter wasn’t outraged over his so-so performance. He knows there is far more in the tank for him to give. But it seemingly has taken a bit longer for him to showcase that fact as the Jacksonville coaching staff tries to fit a 40-sided peg into a hole that doesn’t even exist yet.

“I have to play within the system,” Hunter said. “I have to make sure I am on my Ps and Qs. This is what I want to do. There are a lot of people that will continue to doubt me. I just have to continue to do my job.”

Source: https://www.bigcatcountry.com/jacks...is-hunter-tested-in-first-full-both-ways-game

 

[Jacksonville Jaguars]

Jaguars, Bengals Re-watch: 10 Observations from Week 2

The Jacksonville Jaguars dropped a heartbreaker in week two at Cincinnati. After providing the live takeaways and lingering questions from this weeks’ game, we take a closer review of the matchup after evaluating the televised gameplay. As a note, this review is based on the non-all-22 film, while being published before the PFF grades are released (in an effort to remain truly uninfluenced and unbiased on what we see). Additionally, this style of review knowingly places some limitations on evaluating secondary play without confirming the full coverage looks. With that said, let’s get into some takeaways from the Jaguars’ 31-27 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

*Any opinions noted are those of Travis and not of the entire BCC staff. Of course, anyone can disagree when evaluating film. Any noted EPA, Success Rate, or other data was retrieved from rbsdm.com. Additional data provided by NFL Pro and NextGenStats.

Glossary:

• EPA = expected points added (statistical metric used in football analytics to measure how well a team performs relative to expectation on an individual play, based on factors like field position, down and distance, and time remaining to quantify how many points a team is expected to score on a drive)
• SR = success rate (percent of plays with positive EPA)
• 1st% = percent of plays that earned first downs
• CPOE = completion percentage over expected
• ADoT = average depth of target
• ADoT and CMP% may not match official statistics due to excluding spikes & throwaways

Offense:

1.Quarterback Play Evaluation

• 0.08 EPA per play falls within the 52nd percentile of all QBs between 2010 and 2020 with minimum 5 plays per game
• A total EPA of 3.8 in the 55th percentile
• 58.5 Completion percentage (CMP%)
• 7.5-yards average depth of target (ADOT) is in the 34th percentile
• -5% completion percentage over expected (CPOE) is in the 28th percentile
• 49% Success Rate
• 36% First Down Percentage
• 80.6 Passer Rating

Trevor Lawrence had an extremely up-and-down day on Sunday. His first half performance did not fully fall on his shoulders, as his initial interception came due to immediate pressure from Trey Hendrickson, as he let the ball go. However, there were additional moments in the first half where Lawrence was obviously pressing to make a play, such as his underthrown deep ball attempt to Brian Thomas Jr, that was deflected into Travis Hunter, who dropped the ricochet. Additionally, Cincinnati dropped a deflected, contested Travis Hunter target that was initially ruled an interception, but overturned after review.

However, in the second half, Lawrence made up for many of those opportunities, hitting Dyami Brown and Thomas Jr in the touchdown for would-be touchdown opportunities where his supporting cast was unable to capitalize. Brown dropped a touchdown pass with 4:30 remaining in the game, Thomas Jr failed to attack the ball on his third-down endzone target with 11:52 remaining in the game, and Thomas dropped the final offensive snap that likely would’ve extended the drive.

bruh pic.twitter.com/p19GNE75nH

— Fitz (@LaurieFitzptrck) September 14, 2025

Those three plays are “have to have it” scenarios that cost Jacksonville an upwards of 18 points alone.

2. Run Game Evaluation

• RB LeQuint Allen: 0.33 EPA per play on 2 plays
• RB Bhayshul Tuten: 0.23 EPA per play on 8 plays (2.06 receiving EPA per play on 2 targets)
• RB Travis Etienne: -0.04 EPA per play on 14 plays (0.43 receiving EPA per play on 3 targets)

The interior blocking was great in the run game, with the backs showing incredible vision to make one cut and get upfield. Robert Hainsey running 25-yards down the field, blocking the defender on Travis Etienne’s 30-yard run, spotlighted his athleticism and allowed Etienne another 10-yards. LT Walker Little had his hands full with Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson on plays when the team didn’t give him help. He gave up nearly immediate pressure that resulted in Lawrence’s redzone interception while being hit. He also surrendered a QB hit on Dyami’s opening touchdown catch. Hendrickson ended the day with 5 pressures (tied for 11th in the NFL), via Next Gen Stats. I loved Anton Harrison’s game this week and truly had no issues on the tape.

With two Monday Night Football games remaining, the Jaguars lead the NFL in rushing yards (169.5) and are tied for the league lead in yards per carry (5.7) with the Baltimore Ravens. They have 6 explosive rushes on the year (tied at 10th) and a league-leading 6.8% stuffed run rate per NFL Pro.

Jacksonville Jaguars rookie RB Bhayshul Tuten continues to pile up positive plays.

On 13 regular season opportunities, Tuten has taken zero negative plays and gained 3+ yards on all but one.

Here's every Week 2 touch: https://t.co/eeJZAGxQcy pic.twitter.com/1NBK1uwC3w

— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) September 15, 2025

3. Receiving Evaluation

• WR Parker Washington: 1.19 EPA per play on 6 targets
• WR Dyami Brown: 0.77 EPA per play on 7 targets
• TE Brenton Strange: -0.15 EPA per play on 6 targets
• WR Tim Patrick: -0.44 EPA per play on 1 target
• WR Brian Thomas Jr: -0.59 EPA per play on 12 targets
• WR Travis Hunter: -0.81 EPA per play on 6 targets

Trevor Lawrence passer rating by target this season cool cool cool pic.twitter.com/fQ6REUYVii

— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) September 15, 2025

Dyami Brown produced a really efficient game, often blocking well down the field on rushing plays, catching 5/6 pass attempts, and scoring a touchdown. However, he also dropped a wide-open touchdown that likely wraps this game up.

Travis Hunter had a more involved day, with his offensive snap share being similar to week one, offensively, but his overall defensive usage increasing. Per NFL Pro, “Travis Hunter did not play a defensive snap until cornerback Jarrian Jones was injured late in the first quarter.” On his most notable plays, Hunter had an opportunity to come down with a deflected BTJ deep ball attempt that fell incomplete, was targeted on Trevor Lawrence’s underthrown redzone interception, and was otherwise primarily targeted in the quick-game area (screens, pop passes, etc).

Parker Washington had an incredible game, working out of the slot. His highlight play was his first-half catch, climbing the ladder over the Bengals defender to bring in the deflected catch. However, his biggest play was his 40-yard catch and run where he shed a tackler to pick up the remaining 17-yards after the catch.
While Brenton Strange’s snap production increased to 90% this week, he was targeted just 5 times – all in the quick checkdown area. A quiet game for Brenton, outside of blocking.

The running backs all produced quality days catching the ball, with both Etienne and Tuten catching two targets and a touchdown each.

Travis Etienne Jr. gives the Jags the lead!

JAXvsCIN on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/N3nOctvHw7

— NFL (@NFL) September 14, 2025

The biggest topic of conversation on Sunday was obviously the play of second-year receiver Brian Thomas Jr, who received the lion’s share of Lawrence’s pass attempts, leaving the game with a 28.6% target share. However, Thomas caught just four of those targets (33.3%) while seemingly shying away from contact mid-route or not attacking the ball in the air. On Trevor Lawrence’s second-quarter interception, Thomas Jr seemed to be looking to sit his route down within the zone right as the pass was being thrown. With the safety barreling down, this makes sense to find the hole in the zone. Unfortunately, the QB and WR again read the play differently, and with Thomas tipping the pass in the middle of the field, the play resulted in a turnover.

Simulated pressure, Bengals only bring 4. Trevor throws it high, BTJ doesnt go for it for his own safety leading to another INT pic.twitter.com/ig5EYKymFQ

— Fitz (@LaurieFitzptrck) September 14, 2025

Coach Coen, on his Monday media availability stated that this throw, if attempted would preferably be on the Thomas’s body, instead of leading him inside, as there was no backside threat holding the defender. However, the less excusable plays were the late touchdown target where BTJ anticipates contact, only reaching up for the ball, instead of jumping for the contested target, and the fourth down drop with the game on the line.

Another missed opportunity pic.twitter.com/NBqLSAW2aA

— Fitz (@LaurieFitzptrck) September 14, 2025

Defense:

4. Pass Rush Evaluation

The Jacksonville front seven blitzed Jake Browning on 27.3% of his dropbacks (per NFL Pro), providing him an average 2.42 seconds to throw on his 32 pass attempts. However, he often made Jacksonville pay with an 18.8% deep ball percentage. His quick time to throw negated much of the Jaguars’ ability to get home, as he simply went to his playmakers quickly running isolation sideline routes, and allowed them to make plays on the ball on the backend. 37.5% of Tee Higgins’ 8 targets were deep, as were 12.5% of Jamar Chase’s 16 targets. With Joe Burrow and Browning combined, the Cincinnati Bengals had the NFL’s quickest time to throw in week two (2.53 seconds), while Jacksonville still came away with three sacks (7th for the week) and 14 pressures (15th).

DE Travon Walker had a near-career day with a sack and 4 QB pressures (tied for 18th of qualified defenders in week 2). He also caused an interception due to his QB hit on Browning after stunting inside.

Travon Walker played one of the best games of his career on Sunday. 6 pressures, 4 run stops

breakout szn? pic.twitter.com/kpCuSI69ze

— Gus Logue (@gus_logue) September 15, 2025

DE Josh-Hines-Allen, DT Arik Armstead, LB Devin Lloyd, and S Eric Murray all tied for 34th in the league at 3 QB pressures each. Armstead also had a sack along with LB Foye Oluokun. While facing a team that was quick to get the ball out, the defense did its job in getting home reasonably quickly.

5. Run Game Evaluation

The Jacksonville defensive front was dominant in the run game, facing the Bengals’ inconsistent offensive line. Jacksonville held Cincinnati to 2.8 yards per rush on 17 carries, with a long of 11-yards. Holding Bengals RB Chase Brown to a -1.2 rushing EPA and -1.1 rushing yards over expected per attempt (RYOE/att) and only one explosive rush spells a good day up front for Jacksonville. The Jaguars wrapped up Sunday, surrendering the second-least rushing yards per game at 48-yards, allowing the fourth-least per carry (2.8). They landed 21st in the NFL in week two with an 11.8% run stuff rate, however, per Next Gen Stats.

6. Coverage Evaluation

As we discussed in the post-game review, the Bengals were a known matchup nightmare when attempting to play man coverage, as most teams simply don’t have a number two or three cornerback equal to a number two like Tee Higgins.

The primary issue in coverage for much of the Jacksonville secondary was their occasional pressures with man coverage on the backend, which resulted in the secondary being unable to get their heads on the ball in contested catch scenarios. When they gave blitz looks and played zone, the team played reasonably well. Travis Hunter’s pass interference was a terrible call where he’s getting stiff-armed in his neck and face by the Bengals receiver, yet still gets his head around late, and makes a play on the ball. I thought he had a really solid day in coverage, overall. He gave up a 13-yard and a 16-yard outs to Chase, but made a great play on Andre Losivas’ sideline attempt to secure a force-out.

The linebacker group played reasonably stout in coverage, with Foye securing a pass breakup, and Devin Lloyd caught what was effectively a pick-six; however, the referee blew the play dead. It was a truly great overall day in coverage for the underneath guys.

what a freaking play by devin lloyd pic.twitter.com/q55u0xhBJV

— John Shipley (@_John_Shipley) September 15, 2025

Jamar Chase had a day on Sunday, which was something that Coach Liam Coen stated heading into the week. However, the combination of Chase and Tee Higgins’ play against Tyson Campbell was slightly problematic today. The 4-yard Chase touchdown, where Campbell is lined up in press alignment, yet gave Jamar the immediate inside release without getting a hand on the receiver, is a play that I’m sure Campbell would like to have back. Tyson was also beaten off the line for a 42-yard Tee Higgins touchdown, where Campbell and Wingard both missed the tackle attempt.

Jarrian Jones dealt with a back injury late in the first quarter. While he gave up a few underneath catches pre-injury to Jamar Chase, it was a reasonably fine game by Jones before giving up the one-handed Tinsley 13-yard touchdown.

Jourdan Lewis was again dominant in the secondary, playing primarily out of the slot corner spot. Eric Murray again played one heck of a game at safety with multiple great fills in run support, an interception, and only a few underneath catches given up, where he rallied to make the stop. Andrew Wingard also played reasonably well, sans the previously mentioned missed Tee Higgins tackle resulting in a touchdown.

When playing with eyes on the quarterback, they added three interceptions to their three turnovers from week one. Their six turnovers forced in two weeks lead the NFL.

The #Jaguars SIX takeaways lead the #NFL.
pic.twitter.com/Ik4QW6Ukzp

— Daniel Griffis (@DanDGriffis) September 15, 2025

Special Teams:

7. Kicking

Cam Little went 2/2 on field goals with a long of 42-yards and finished 3/3 on extra points. Punter Logan Cooke averaged 47.5-yards on each punt, with a long of 60-yards, and one falling inside of the 20.

8. Return Game

Parker Washington had two punt returns for a 9.5 average and a long of 15-yards while the team averaged 25.3 yards per kick return and a long of 30-yards.

Miscellaneous:

9. Penalties/Miscues

Jacksonville lost a winnable game on Sunday, primarily due to miscues. While 6 penalties for 55 yards seems to be on the lower side, there were another 5 declined flags on the day, and unfortunately, multiple questionable calls against the secondary. Nevertheless, the biggest opponent for Jacksonville on Sunday was itself with multiple dropped illegal shift penalties, multiple dropped passes (including Dyami Drown’s dropped touchdown and Brian Thomas Jr’s dropped fourth down conversion), and the Travis Hunter pass interference that never was.

10. Coaching/Scheme

I know many will disagree on the play call to go for the win on fourth-and-5 from the seven-yard line. However, I believe Coen made the correct decision there. To go a step further, he even made the correct play call there. Sometimes you have to trust your guys (IE: your QB1 and your WR1) to be the guys to make a gotta have it play. The more questionable play call was the third-and-2 with 6:45 remaining in the game. Jacksonville picked up 4-yards on second-and-6 via Bhayshul Tuten. A physical, run-first team averaging over 5-yards per carry chose to throw a 30-yard Brian Thomas Jr incompletion into double coverage over running the ball in an opportunity to show physicality to close the game out. That’s the one I question most.

Defensively, the team gave up 31-points, primarily to a backup quarterback. However, I simply didn’t see much in the film to make me question the actual play calls. They trusted their defensive backs to make plays with the rush pressuring a backup, and they were unable to. At that time, Campanile countered with less man coverage, and the turnovers continued. They got off the field twice in the fourth quarter and received an unfortunate pass interference call to get Cincinnati in scoring range. You have to have a stop there, but I’m not really sure there’s anything there that falls on the staff, versus the roster. Nevertheless, Jacksonville gave up the seventh-most points in the NFL in week two, mostly to a backup QB and dominant outside weapons, while surrendering the sixth-most passing yards per game.

That’s it from me for week 2! What were your takeaways from the game, Duval? Let us know in the comments!

Source: https://www.bigcatcountry.com/jagua...-bengals-re-watch-10-observations-from-week-2

 

[Jacksonville Jaguars]

Jaguars Reacts Survey: How do you feel about Brian Thomas Jr. so far in 2025?

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Jaguars fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Jaguars fans — are you confident the team is headed in the right direction?

And how do you feel about Brian Thomas Jr. having 60 yards through the first two games of 2025?

Among 149 NFL players with 5+ targets this season, Thomas ranks dead last with a 27.8% catch rate.

Even more disturbing than the numbers is the film. There were multiple instances during Jacksonville’s Week 2 loss in which Thomas seemingly shied away from contact.

“We’re going to have a conversation here shortly,” coach Liam Coen said Monday. “I think ultimately, I know he’s kind of got a, he’s got a couple things going on, had a wrist injury going into the game and did that play a part in some of this stuff? I’ve got to go talk to him, but I think he’s aware of it and needs to have a better week this week. I think he understands what’s at stake, he understands what’s going on and we got to go get to the root of it.”

Hopefully, this will just be a short span of poor performances that we can laugh about later.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Source: https://www.bigcatcountry.com/jacks...you-feel-about-brian-thomas-jr-so-far-in-2025

 

[Jacksonville Jaguars]

Jaguars dip in NFL power rankings entering Week 3

The Jaguars 1-1 with fresh wounds. The first loss of Liam Coen’s head coaching was ugly, disappointing, and far too familiar — Jake Browning beat the Jags for the second time in 650 days.

Next up is a 0-2 Texans squad that will surely put up a fight in the divisional bout.

As Week 3 approaches, we rounded up the latest NFL power rankings to get a sense of how the Jaguars are viewed nationally.

CBS Sports: 19 (last week: 15)​

From Pete Prisco:

Losing to the Bengals the way they did will sting for a while. They had no business losing that game against a backup quarterback. They have to get Brian Thomas Jr. out of his funk.

USA Today: 19 (18)​

From Nate Davis:

The second week of the grand Travis Hunter Experiment included three catches and a killer pass interference infraction on defense that sustained Cincinnati’s game-winning drive. Not trying to pick on the rookie, but other teams clearly will in the time being.

The Athletic: 19 (19)​

From Josh Kendall and Chad Graff:

Maybe this is going too far, especially after a loss, but we are here today to overreact. While Johnson has yet to get the Bears going, Coen’s new team leads the league in rushing EPA (0.17 per carry), and Travis Etienne leads the league with 214 rushing yards. This is the same player who had 558 rushing yards in 15 games last season. Trevor Lawrence and Brian Thomas Jr. don’t seem to be getting along, but this team can run the ball.

Yahoo Sports: 22 (15)​

From Frank Schwab:

Trevor Lawrence’s awful interception in the end zone was something a rookie in his first game shouldn’t do. Head coach Liam Coen already seems frustrated with Lawrence’s inaccuracy. Sunday was a really bad loss, and not just because the Jaguars couldn’t close out the Joe Burrow-less Bengals.

NFL.com: 23 (22)​

From Eric Edholm:

Trevor Lawrence wasn’t perfect Sunday, missing some throws, but he battled all game, even with two interceptions. Liam Coen’s reaction to one Lawrence overthrow late in the game (and Lawrence waving Coen off) caught some social media fire, but both men tried to downplay it Monday morning. Coen’s decision to go for it, up three deep in Cincinnati territory, can be questioned, but I think he made the right call. Brian Thomas Jr., however, has been disappointing through two games, dropping Lawrence’s fourth-down pass and now has only five receptions this season on 19 targets. Coen said Monday that Thomas was dealing with a wrist injury, which might explain why he didn’t come down with plays he typically makes. Thomas and Lawrence still have work to do, ironing out their connection, as Coen and Lawrence might, as well. Both relationships are crucial to the team’s success, and the Jags suddenly have some issues after letting a 2-0 record slip through their fingers Sunday.

ESPN: 23 (22)​

From Mike DiRocco:

Lawrence has been far from perfect — he’s completing only 58.9% of his passes and has thrown three interceptions this season. But Coen has said after each game that Lawrence has run the offense efficiently, changed plays correctly when needed and made throws into tight windows. He has also been hurt by a league-high five drops from his receiving corps. Coen wants to see more consistency from his starting QB, but he also said, “We can win with [Lawrence] playing like that.”

Bleacher Report: 23 (23)​

From Kris Knox:

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ Week 1 win over the Carolina Panthers looks like a total mirage—or, merely a referendum on the Panthers—after Sunday’s meltdown against the Cincinnati Bengals.

It doesn’t look like we’re going to see a quick turnaround in Jacksonville.

Playoff-caliber teams don’t knock Joe Burrow out of the game, watch backup Jake Browning throw a trio of interceptions and lose. This wasn’t just a failure by Jacksonville’s defense either.

Trevor Lawrence continues to play below expectations, and Liam Coen didn’t seem thrilled with his quarterback’s performance in Cincinnati. If the Jags can’t lead with their offense, they’re going to have a hard time even contending in their own division.

Sports Illustrated: 24 (16)​

From Conor Orr:

It’s hard for me to not make a big deal out of plays that Tavis Hunter looks misaligned, or Brian Thomas Jr. looks like he’s not running into contact, or Trevor Lawrence looks like he doesn’t care what his head coach is telling him on the sidelines. While no one is expecting a finished product, this would be the story in the NFL in terms of social-emotional matters had we not already seen a Dolphins players-only team meeting.

The Ringer: 24 (21)​

From Diante Lee:

If you came away from Sunday’s loss frustrated with receiver Brian Thomas Jr. and his lack of production in key situations, I can’t blame you. His drop on fourth-and-5 gave the Bengals an opportunity to take the lead, and it seemed like Thomas was uninterested in trying to make any contested catch over the middle. But there are two sides to the coin, and quarterback Trevor Lawrence was erratic as a passer, especially when he was pressured or flushed out of the pocket. Head coach Liam Coen’s job isn’t just to build an effective offensive system (on that front, it’s so far, so good) but he needs to hold Lawrence accountable after performances that belie his talent level.

Pro Football Talk: 24 (25)​

From Mike Florio:

Liam Coen is already learning how to act like a seasoned coach — blame the media for noticing the dysfunction coming from his own team.

Where would you rank the team, Jaguars fans? Let us know in the comments!

Source: https://www.bigcatcountry.com/jacks...ars-dip-in-nfl-power-rankings-entering-week-3

 

[Jacksonville Jaguars]

5 Questions with Red Battle Blog: What we learned about the Texans

As the Jacksonville Jaguars prepare to host the Houston Texans in Week 3, we sat down with Scott Barzilla of Battle Red Blog to learn more about the opposing side.

The Texans have lost two close games to two good teams. Is that a fair synopsis of Houston’s 0-2 start, or are there serious lingering issues?

I think more than one thing can be true at the same time. I think the Texans did lose to two playoff teams, so it isn’t time to go running off the cliff yet, but there are some serious lingering issues. I think this team is overly reliant on the defense being great and it hasn’t been great in the first two weeks. They have been legitimately good so far, but great defenses get off the field. Great defenses force turnovers. They haven’t done that yet this year and have not consistently gotten off the field. There is a path to victory for those kinds of teams, but the fact that we can list them on one hand probably is not confidence-inspiring. This team will eventually need the offense to show up consistently. At least six of their points could be attributed to great special teams plays, so the offense will need to generate more than 13 points on its own to win consistently.

What were expectations for new offensive coordinator Nick Caley entering the season, and how has that side of the ball looked so far?

I think the expectations may have been unrealistic if hindsight is 20/20. I think there was a lot of wishful and magical thinking. Essentially, the problems in 2024 were laid at Bobby Slowik’s feet and the expectation was that Caley would clean up those issues. That obviously hasn’t happened yet. Shockingly, cutting the offensive line budget nearly in half has not created better blocking. New offensive coordinators take time to learn and grow into the job. Realistically, that wasn’t going to happen in week one. There are familiar issues we have seen throughout the last few seasons. The team does not sustain a running game consistently and that puts more pressure on Stroud. Stroud is probably more like most quarterbacks than the elite quarterbacks of the sport. When he has time to throw and a credible running game he can look very good. When he doesn’t have those things then he doesn’t look as good.

The Texans are absolutely loaded on defense. Is there an Achilles’ heel for that unit, or do they seem championship-ready?

Anyone who saw Monday night’s game saw the Achilles heel. The Texans have studs at nearly every level of the defense except the interior of the defensive line. Those guys make plays and are actually adept pass rushers but they are not stout against the run. That means that DeMeco Ryans has to cheat and play more guys in the box in order to stop the run. Fortunately, he has some great cover corners and some solid safeties, but if you can gash the Texans for 4-6 yards per rush then you can neutralize that pass rush at least some. Like any good defense, they are going to get you sometimes, but you can win the game by avoiding the horrible turnovers that often change the complexion of games.

Who’s an under-the-radar player or two that Jaguars fans should watch for on Sunday?

There is probably very little that is a surprise in the division, so I will focus on new faces. Woody Marks made some nice plays on Monday which included a huge catch and run out of the backfield. Nick Chubb did the same. The dynamic pass/run option with those two is intriguing. We did not see Jaylin Noel in the passing game, but he showed us some things in the return game. I imagine there will be a few plays dialed up to get him the football in the passing game. On defense, the primary newcomer is C.J. Gardner-Johnson. He was a ball hawk in Philadelphia, so I imagine we will see that at some point this season.

Do you expect the Texans to cover as 1.5-point underdogs, and do you have a specific player prediction for the game?

I don’t want to touch this spread. It is too early in the season for me to determine if this is a trend or if history will take over. The Texans usually win in Jacksonville, but the first two weeks bring no confidence. FanDuel set the over/under at 43.5 and that is an easy under considering what we have seen the first two weeks. The Texans have produced 23 and 39 total points in their first two games. And while the Jags produced much more than that this week, that was against one of the worst defenses in football. I expect a low-scoring game with plenty of defensive plays on both sides. I like Will Anderson for at least one sack if anyone wants to play an individual bet.

Thanks to Scott for taking the time to answer our questions!

What are your thoughts on Week 3’s matchup, Jaguars fans? Let us know in the comments!

Source: https://www.bigcatcountry.com/jacks...-battle-blog-what-we-learned-about-the-texans

 

[Jacksonville Jaguars]

Jaguars vs Texans Key Matchups: LSU duo set to battle it out

The Jacksonville Jaguars welcome the Houston Texans to EverBank Stadium on Sunday as they look to bounce back from a painful loss. Here are three matchups to keep an eye on:

Brian Thomas Jr. vs Derek Stingley Jr.​

Derek Stingley covered Mike Evans on 29 of Evans' 39 routes, resulting in:

9 targets
3 receptions
36 yards
46.53 passer rating

H/T @NextGenStats pic.twitter.com/G0yUUBu9N8

— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) September 16, 2025

It’s been a rough start to 2025 for Brian Thomas.

Fresh off the back of a 1,300 yard rookie season, Thomas has not looked like his usual Pro Bowl self during the early going of the season. After catching just four of twelve targets against the Carolina Panthers in Week 1, Thomas followed that up with just one reception against the Cincinnati Bengals – not to mention the painful 4th down drop at the goalline which ultimately cost the Jags the game. Two games does not eradicate the tape from last year nor diminish the talent Jacksonville’s star receiver possesses. But they will be hopeful that he can find his feet quickly; especially facing a divisional rival for the first time this season on Sunday.

The Texans haven’t had the most encouraging of starts to 2025 either, already enduring losses to the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In both cases however their defense looked fairly stout – and nobody on that side of the ball has been more impressive than Derek Stingley. The All-Pro cornerback suffered a hip injury in Week 1 shadowing Davante Adams, briefly leaving the game and entering the blue tent. He was able to return, and was even more dominant against the Bucs – erasing the usually formidable Mike Evans from the game. No doubt Stingley will be tasked with doing a similar job against Thomas on Sunday; if the Jaguars receiver can make an impact, it bodes well for the entire offense.

Travis Hunter vs Jayden Higgins​

I’ve been as hard on Travis Hunter as anyone but this is not PI and a good play by him. pic.twitter.com/ghbvzgzIxQ

— Hunter Lemley (@hunterlemley) September 15, 2025

How about some rookie on rookie action?

This is a matchup that may not have been as important had both teams not been suffering from some key injuries. The Texans have issues at receiver, with both Christian Kirk and Braxton Berrios limited all week with hamstring ailments. Neither are looking likely to feature on Sunday, meaning Kirk will not be able to go up against his former employers. Meanwhile, Jarrian Jones’ continued absence in the Jags secondary also means the Jags will be moving things around at corner too.

What all this should mean is us getting to see Jayden Higgins compete with Travis Hunter. Higgins, a second round selection for Houston in this year’s draft, has yet to really announce himself to the league with just three catches and no touchdowns this year so far. He’s a talented perimeter receiver though, and the Jaguars will need to make sure they are wary of him as the defense inevitably gives increased focus to WR1 Nico Collins. Hunter, who has seen more reps in practice on defense since Jones went down, will likely be the man tasked with covering him. We saw this increased usage last weekend, and Hunter was certainly not a liability – even including the bogus pass interference call on the final drive that tipped the scales in the Bengals’ favor. Keeping Higgins quiet will be a big win for the defense in a game that is almost always a close affair.

Liam Coen vs DeMeco Ryans​

Liam Coen calling plays #DUUUVAL

pic.twitter.com/dSZZkdP9rB

— Andrew Gibson (@1010XLAG) September 7, 2025

Sunday should be a battle of astute offensive and defensive minds. True, the Jaguars offensive coordinator is Grant Udinski and the Texans defensive coordinator is Matt Burke. But, when it comes to gameday at least, we know these two units are led by their head coaches. Burke has been in situ since DeMeco Ryans took over in Houston in early 2023, and whilst he actually holds play calling duties for the Texans, Ryans has final oversight. Meanwhile for Jacksonville, this is undoubtedly Liam Coen’s offense and he’s the one in Trevor Lawrence’s ear each play.

Ryans has tenure on his side, and his defense looks a well-oiled machine, shipping just 34 points so far this season against pretty good offenses. It’s been a difficult unit to get the better of his two years in charge, ranking near the top of the league for turnovers, pressure and points allowed. Coen’s effect on Lawrence and co. is a work in progress, and you can’t expect to see a transformation after just two games. But it will be interesting to see how he goes about attacking the Texans on Sunday. I’m looking forward to seeing halftime adjustments in particular as these two units feel each other out. No doubt Coen will want to establish the run with Travis Etienne getting off to a hot start in 2025. Will that be possible against a seven man front that includes Will Anderson, Sheldon Rankins, Danielle Hunter et al? It’s an intriguing matchup; we’ll know a hell of a lot more about this year’s version of the Jags and their divisional hopes come Sunday evening.

Source: https://www.bigcatcountry.com/jacks...ans-key-matchups-lsu-duo-set-to-battle-it-out

 

[Jacksonville Jaguars]

Reacts Survey Results: Jaguars fans share thoughts on Brian Thomas Jr.

Dec 29, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) greets a young fan after the game against the Tennessee Titans at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

This week, we asked Jacksonville Jaguars fans how they feel about Brian Thomas Jr. having 60 yards through the first two games of 2025.

86% of fans are either “very concerned” or “a little concerned.”

“I think [Thomas] had a better week in terms of the way we were trying to connect,” coach Liam Coen said Friday. “So, excited about his op this weekend.”

Thomas does not carry an injury designation for the game after being limited in Thursday’s practice with a wrist injury.

As for the confidence survey, 77% of fans are confident in the direction of the team — down from 94% last week.

It’ll be fun (fingers crossed) to watch Coen’s first big test on Sunday in what will be an emotional divisional game against Houston’s fearsome defense.

“We have to be very conscientious with the edge rushers for sure,” he said, “in terms of when we want to end up pushing the ball down the field, how are we helping those guys or whatever it is. It’s just an emphasis for the quarterback, receivers, tight ends, like the timing and rhythm of the pass game needs to be sharp.

“They play a lot of zone, but they’ll also play some man, and when we get those opportunities that we have to be able to say, well, this ball has got to get out on a hitch or a hitch or two here, we don’t have much more than that, just play in and play out.”

“I have a lot of faith. I mean, in watching the tapes from last year and how some the O-line played, the guys that are back this week for us have done some nice things against those guys as well. So, it’s going to be a good battle.”

Top comments from Wednesday’s post:

JaxCommenterGuy
The knock on him coming out of college was that he would basically sit on the outside and get open on deep routes because Nabers had the attention of the defense, or would take short passes and get YAC. His route tree was either undeveloped or largely unknown.

Yes, Trevor shouldn’t throw him into big hits, and yes Coen probably shouldn’t draw up plays for our WR1 to get crushed over the middle…but maybe BTJ could also develop his own skillset so that he has a bit more time and space to not get lit up.
MalabarJag
Buy him a Jugs machine. That worked for Donovin Darius.

I’m more disappointed in Hunter, who (based on what I saw of the camp highlights and preseason) I thought had really great hands and made every difficult catch. So far, he’s only made the routine catches.
cverbra814
I don’t think how you can be anything less than extremely alarmed about BTJ if you have watched the first two games in their entirety. It’s one thing if he doesn’t trust his QB to not lead him into danger over the middle of the field, not ideal but understandable, but he’s been diving to the ground in open space near the hashes. That’s not a player who’s afraid of taking a big hit, that’s a player who’s afraid of contact period.

Big initial test for Coen to alter his scheme to accommodate BTJ shrinking his route tree. It may be time for Parker Washington to start seeing more game action.
BrevardJag321
Pulling for BTJ to snap out of it. Those hits are terrifying and TLaw does sometimes put him in some bad spots. Just got to find the sweet spot
Jaguardian
I truly believe that we as a fan base needs to see more than a spoon sized sample of BTExpress before it’s decided that he should join Dorothy and the crew to ask the Wizard for courage. It’s also astonishing that the emphasis is him as opposed to the five-year veteran generational quarterback who still can’t get his footwork right, doesn’t go through his progressions, can’t throw the ball with accuracy, is akin to a Thanksgiving turkey in the Redzone, and now possibly a new nugget: throws concussion bombs to his skill position players. Very unusual to say the least.

Source: https://www.bigcatcountry.com/nfl-r...aguars-fans-share-thoughts-on-brian-thomas-jr

 

[Jacksonville Jaguars]

Jaguars vs Texans: Staff roundtable and game picks for Week 3

JACKSONVILLE, FL – DECEMBER 01: Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) runs with the ball /across/during the game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans on December 1, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fl. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Welcome to Big Cat Country’s staff roundtable!

Today, we’re previewing Week 3’s matchup between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans at EverBank Stadium.

What’s your biggest question about the team after its Week 2 choke job?

Travis Holmes: My biggest looming question is when will the switch click in for Trevor Lawrence and the passing game? Entering the season, I expected defensive ups and downs as things settled. But the Jaguars are currently fourth in the league in total yards per game, 14th in passing yards, 1st in rushing yards, and 7th in points per game (26.5) while their top two receivers in Thomas Jr and Hunter have been nowhere close to their ceilings. That’s both interesting and encouraging, but the question remains – when will it all click?

Gus Logue: What the heck is going on with Brian Thomas Jr.? Now that we’ve had some time to let Week 2 marinate, I’m not overly concerned about his shying away from contact. It’s something to monitor as a potential trend, but until it does become a frequent pattern, I won’t get swept up by one or two bang-bang plays. With that said, Thomas has only caught 5 of 19 targets for 60 yards this season. He has to get going for this team to get to where they want.

Henry Zimmer: The biggest question with the Jaguars right now is how they will respond after last week. In interviews, the team seemed not to think this problem would persist. Let’s see if that is the case against a team they usually struggle with.

What’s a matchup you’re looking forward to watching?

Travis: I’m extremely curious if this will be the week that Christian Kirk is finally able to make his season debut for Houston. If I’ve had career years with an organization and then I’d been traded from that team for a lower round draft pick, I’d probably have that game circled on my calendar for a very, very, very long time. The Texans didn’t place Kirk on IR, with an assumed eye on him being out for less than four weeks. With us officially into AFC South play, I’d expect Kirk to try and go, after missing the first two games, but practicing as a limited participant on Wednesday. If the shifty slot can suit up, the battle between him and Jourdan Lewis will be popcorn-worthy and could decide the matchup.

Gus: Jacksonville’s run offense against Houston’s run defense. The Texans have allowed the highest rushing success rate in the league this season (50%) because the spine of their defense isn’t as talented as the shell. Expect the Jaguars to want to take advantage of this matchup, especially after they got away from the run in Week 2.

Henry: Who is going to beat Derick Stingley Jr.? Stingley played extremely well in primetime against the Bucs. Someone from the Jags will have to beat him eventually. With Brian Thomas Jr.’s status in the air, who is going to step up?

Who will be the biggest X-factor?

Travis: My biggest X-factor on Sunday is Texans DE Danielle Hunter. With Walker Little coming off a game where he nearly allowed a game-changing two turnovers on Sunday to Trey Hendrickson, I guarantee that the Texans have the redzone QB hit that led to an interception and the near-strip sack fumble of Lawrence playing on repeat this week. With Little nearly surrendering two game-altering plays to an Edge just a week ago and Danielle coming off of a two-sack game with a fumble forced, don’t be surprised if this is a heavy running back and tight end chipping week for Jacksonville.

Gus: Nico Collins. Like Thomas, he has also gotten off to a slow start this season, but we know what both of those guys are capable of. Depending on Kirk’s health, Collins is the only real playmaker in Houston’s offense. The Jaguars haven’t been able to slow down opposing WR1s much through two weeks, so whether Collins can carry the Texans could decide the game.

Henry: The Jaguars’ offensive line is my X-Factor. This unit has been tremendous and a huge breath of fresh air for Jacksonville. With two games over 100 yards rushing and only one sack, the Jags will need to keep that up against a hard-hitting and quarterback-hunting defensive line.

Final score prediction?

Travis: Jaguars 27, Texans 17

Gus: Jaguars 20, Texans 13

Henry: Jags 17, Texans 24

What are your Week 3 predictions, Jaguars fans? Let us know in the comments!

Source: https://www.bigcatcountry.com/jacks...ns-staff-roundtable-and-game-picks-for-week-3

 

[Jacksonville Jaguars]

Jaguars Rookie Report: Travis Hunter’s costly penalty & more in Week 2

Sunday was a frustrating outing for the Jacksonville Jaguars as they fell to the Bengals 31-27, but the outlook going forward is still positive, particularly in regards to the 2025 rookie class. Travis Hunter and Bhayshul Tuten were prominent pieces in the game plan and they each impacted the game significantly, but what about the rest of the rookies? Let’s break down each of them in this week’s rookie report.

Travis Hunter

Travis Hunter’s snaps took a huge jump in Week 2 as fans got their first real look at his two-way ability against the Bengals. He played 42 snaps on offense (59%) and 43 on defense (62%) which makes him just the second player since 2006 to play at least 20 snaps on both sides of the ball.

@Edelman11 and Travis Hunter are the only two players since 2006 to have 20+ snaps on both offense and defense

(via @PFF) pic.twitter.com/0zsKBw8ozS

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 15, 2025

Hunter came down with just three of his six targets for 33 yards as his deployment in the offense still seems like a work in progress. However, on the defensive side of the ball Hunter looked impressive in his first real action against tough competition. He had two tackles and a pass deflection, which should have been two if not for a questionable pass interference call that negated what would have been a game-winning defensive play from Hunter.

The Travis Hunter takes after two weeks of play have been dramatic to say the least. I, for one, am very encouraged by his play and think it’s only a matter of time before his impact is clear on both sides of the ball.

Bhayshul Tuten

After the Tank Bigsby trade last week, we knew that rookie running back Bhayshul Tuten would see an increase in usage and boy did he take advantage of that fact. His snap count on offense jumped from four in Week 1 to 18 on Sunday.

He had eight carries for 42 yards (5.3 ypc) and turned both of his targets in the screen game into highlight plays. The first one he took 24 yards while making several Bengals miss in the process, and the second was perhaps the highlight of the game as he caught the screen and made a filthy move on a defender before accelerating through another on his way to his first NFL touchdown.

It is truly Tuten szn pic.twitter.com/3gvq7J9IOs

— whirlybird (@HashTaguars) September 15, 2025

Tuten’s burst, contact balance and speed are already evident and if not for Travis Etienne’s terrific start this season he may be in line to get starters carries. Even so, his ability is going to be a valuable element of this offense all season long

Jack Kiser

Linebacker Jack Kiser continues to be solely a special teams contributor as he logged 17 snaps on that unit and didn’t see any action on defense. He didn’t register a tackle and was on a kickoff unit that allowed three different 30+ yard kick returns to Samaje Perine so a less-than-impactful day for the former Fighting Irish captain.

Rayuan Lane III

Like Kiser, Lane was used primarily on special teams as he tallied 22 total snaps between the kickoff and punt teams. He did register one tackle but it came when Samaje Perine was already passed the 30 yard line. The kick coverage unit as a whole needs to have a bounce back game against the Texans so look for more aggression from Lane in Week 3.

Jonah Monheim

The center out of USC was used exclusively on the field goal unit and he did a nice job of maintaining his responsibility as Cam Little went 4/4 on his field goals and 2/2 on extra points.

LeQuint Allen Jr.

Despite the Tank Bigsby trade, LeQuint Allen Jr. saw about the same usage as he had in Week 1 as he had 11 total offensive snaps against the Bengals. That resulted in two carries for 13 yards but he was primarily used as an extra blocker on passing downs. His willingness to get into the ribs of larger defenders is already paying dividends as Trevor Lawrence has taken just one sack through two games this season.

Let us know your thoughts on the rookies in the comments below!

Source: https://www.bigcatcountry.com/jacks...-travis-hunters-costly-penalty-more-in-week-2

 

[Jacksonville Jaguars]

Jaguars vs Texans: How to Watch Week 3

HOUSTON, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 29: Travon Walker #44 of the Jacksonville Jaguars pressures C.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans during the third quarter of the game at NRG Stadium on September 29, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty Images)

The Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans are set to square off in Week 3 of the 2025 season.

The good guys currently lead the league with 6 forced turnovers. It’ll be interesting to watch if they can keep it going against the Texans (2 turnovers this season), especially considering that Jacksonville’s defensive line should present a mismatch against Houston’s offensive line.

“Guys are playing with vision on the ball. We got to continue to do that,” defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile said Thursday. “We got to attack the football, but if we don’t do that in practice and we don’t drill that as position coaches and myself, the position I’m in, it isn’t going to continue to happen … our guys, I think, have been seeing results because they’re doing the work every day, so I’m pleased with that at this point, but still work to do there too as well.”

Related reads:

• Jaguars vs Texans Matchup History
• Jaguars vs Texans Key Matchups
• 5 questions with Battle Red Blog
• Jaguars vs Texans Roundtable Preview

How to Watch​

When: Sunday, September 21 at 1:00 p.m. ET

Where: EverBank Stadium

Live Stream: CBS and Jaguars TV affiliate networks (or NFL+)

Radio Broadcast: WJXL 1010AM/92.5 FM and Jaguars radio affiliate networks

Odds: Jaguars are 1.5-point favorites, per FanDuel Sportsbook

What are you looking forward to seeing today, Jaguars fans? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: https://www.bigcatcountry.com/jacks...n/77273/jaguars-vs-texans-how-to-watch-week-3

 

[Jacksonville Jaguars]

H-Town Downed: Jaguars Stifle Texans 17-10

On Sunday, the Jacksonville Jaguars found a way to improve to 2-1 on the season, despite playing an imperfect game at EverBank Stadium. The defense racked up two sacks, three turnovers, and five three-and-outs against the Texans. Jacksonville’s win results in a 2-0 record at home, 1-0 in AFC South play, and place Houston at 0-3 on the season, fighting for their playoff lives early. Here’s everything you need to know from Jacksonville’s Week 3 17-10 victory over the Houston Texans.

Live blog:

Catch up on all the big plays and best moments from tonight’s game in our live blog!

Pregame Notes:

The following Houston players did not play in this one: QB Graham Mertz, OT Blake Fisher, RB Dameon Pierce, RB British Brooks, TE Brenden Bates, WR Braxton Berrios, DE Darrell Taylor. WR Christian Kirk was active for the first time this season for Houston, facing his former team in Jacksonville.

Additionally, OL Wyatt Milum, RB Cody Schrader, DL Danny Striggow, DL B.J. Green II, DT Khalen Saunders Sr, and S Kahlef Hailassie were all inactive against Houston. LG Ezra Cleveland was active after being limited throughout the week with an ankle injury along with CB Montaric Brown (ankle) making his season debut.
1st Quarter

The Texans kicked off the affair on offense, with both teams trading quick three-and-outs after short third-down completions. After the 42-yard punt went out of bounds, Houston was set up with prime field position at their own 48-yard line. However, their offense again stalled with Ka’imi Fairburn missing a 52-yard field goal attempt, wide right. Jacksonville then put together their best drive of the day, methodically working their way down the field on a 9-play, 58-yard, 4:34 touchdown drive where the team was helped by a third-down pass interference penalty in the endzone on Houston to provide a new set of downs. RB Bhayshul Tuten capped the series on the following play for a one-yard touchdown – his first rushing touchdown on the season. (Jaguars 7, Texans 0)

Bhayshul Tuten starts the scoring in Jacksonville!

HOUvsJAX on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/wDP7ibBVZv

— NFL (@NFL) September 21, 2025

The Jaguars defense, smelling blood in the water forced another three-and-out after a Dennis Gardeck pass deflection, followed by a Devin Lloyd second down pressure, resulting in a Travon Walker clean-up sack.

Travon Walker and Devin Lloyd with the SACK.
Texans offense looking… not good right now. Jaguars are smothering them pic.twitter.com/M7icOTMnqX

— Fitz (@LaurieFitzptrck) September 21, 2025

2nd Quarter

The Jacksonville offense received the ball back at their own 31-yard line after an illegal block in the back penalty on the return. However, the offense again went cold after Lawrence missed a streaking Dyami Brown deep on second down, resulting in an eventual punt.

so close BTJ, just couldnt tuck it in while going to the ground pic.twitter.com/0uC1qC6UY7

— Fitz (@LaurieFitzptrck) September 21, 2025

Houston CB Derek Stingley notably left the game following this series, with a rib injury, never to return. Houston showed signs of life, offensively, with their best drive of the day, a 13-play, 71-yard, 6:51 drive. Despite the success in the air for Houston, Jacksonville held in the redzone, bending without breaking, to force a 27-yard field goal, instead of surrendering a touchdown. Notably, Jacksonville Eric Murray temporarily left the game on the drive, after being penalized for unnecessary roughness. He returned after the half. (Jaguars 7, Texans 3)

The Jaguars offense then went three-and-out on the following series. With Stingley still out for the Houston secondary, the Jacksonville offense called a timeout before the third-and-six play, yet Brian Thomas Jr remained on the sideline as Lawrence’s deep ball attempt for Parker Washington fell incomplete. The Jacksonville defense held CJ Stroud’s offense to another three-and-out on the following series. However, Jacksonville’s offense was unable to capitalize, with their own three-and-out after a third-down Trevor Lawrence sack by Will Anderson. This was Jacksonville’s third offensive three-and-out of the half. However, Jacksonville’s defense then forced their fourth three-and-out of the first half of the Houston offense. Jacksonville’s offense was unable to move the ball within field goal range, with a third down incompletion to TE Hunter Long.

Halftime Stats:

• Score: Jaguars 7, Texans 3
• Time of possession: Jaguars 12:47, Texans 17:13
• Sacks: 1 sack for each team
• Turnovers forced: Zero turnovers for either team
• Rushing yards: Jaguars 11-yards, Texans 50-yards
• Yards per rush: Jaguars 1.8, Texans 4.5
• Passing yards: Jaguars 77, Texans 57
• Passing yards per attempt: Jaguars 3.3, Texans 2.7
• Redzone: Jaguars 1-1, Texans 0-1
• Penalties: Jaguars 6 for 45-yards, Texans 5 for 36-yards
• Points off turnovers: Zero

halftime qb update. slugfest of a game pic.twitter.com/dRrwxMViOA

— Gus Logue (@gus_logue) September 21, 2025

3rd Quarter

Jacksonville’s offense showed some initial signs of life after the half, as they put together a 52-yard field goal drive. However, after the Cam Little made attempt, Houston was flagged for leverage, a 15-yard penalty. The offense was unable to pick up another first down, resulting in a 39-yard Cam Little field goal, three plays later. (Jaguars 10, Texans 3)

Houston was again held to their fifth three-and-out of the matchup, as Josh Hines-Allen and Arik Armstead met at the quarterback, sacking CJ Stroud on third down. Jacksonville then failed in their attempt to extend their lead with a 5-play, 25-yard drive, capped by a Cam Little 47-yard missed field goal attempt – his first miss of the 2025 season.

4th Quarter

With Houston driving into scoring range, the Jacksonville defense again held, with Jourdan Lewis intercepting a CJ Stroud second down attempt to Christian Kirk. This was Jacksonville’s seventh turnover of the season, and their league leading sixth interception.

Jaguars nab their 6th INT of the season!

HOUvsJAX on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/racqL0YMKf

— NFL (@NFL) September 21, 2025

Trevor Lawrence then gave the ball right back with an inexcusable interception into double coverage.

Trevor Lawrence throws a beautiful completion to Jalen Pitre pic.twitter.com/WdZVkmjZzT

— Official Ohio State DG (@DylanEveryday) September 21, 2025

The interception was immediately followed by a deep Nico Collins touchdown, with Tyson Campell in coverage. Campbell bit on the out-and-up by Collins leaving no one in coverage in the secondary. The Jacksonville offense was then unable to convert, going for it on fourth-and-two from midfield, with the pass being deflected at the line of scrimmage, incomplete. The Jacksonville defense again got the ball back with 3:58 left in the matchup via a Tyson Campbell forced fumble. After giving up the touchdown to Collins, Campbell forced the redzone fumble by Collins, recovered by Devin Lloyd. Lawrence then connected with Brian Thomas Jr on his best play of the day, a 46-yard catch and run, followed up by a 10-yard Travis Etienne touchdown rush (where it seems Houston surrendered the touchdown purposefully). (Jaguars 17, Texans 10)

Lawrence to BTJ into field goal range!

HOUvsJAX on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/H6SClJEhIM

— NFL (@NFL) September 21, 2025

Houston received the kickoff down seven, with 1:48 left, and two timeouts remaining. As Stroud led Houston into field goal range, Josh Hines-Allen deflected Stroud’s pass with 27-seconds remaining, resulting in an Atonio Johnson interception. Jacksonville’s defense wrapped up the day with two interceptions and a fumble recovery, all within the redzone.

Best highlight:

The Jacksonville defense closed the book on Sunday with a CJ Stroud pressure resulting in a game-sealing interception for our best highlight of the game.

Josh Hines-Allen and Antonio Johnson team up to seal the win for the #Jaguars.#Texans 10#Jaguars 17
pic.twitter.com/8mPMVdTLIv

— Daniel Griffis (@DanDGriffis) September 21, 2025

Biggest play(s) of the game:

According to rbsdm.com, the biggest play of the game by Expected Points Added (EPA) was CJ Stroud’s touchdown to Nico Collins (-4.3 EPA for Jacksonville).

Stroud to Nico! 50-yard TD to tie the game!

HOUvsJAX on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/si8dAx69cz

— NFL (@NFL) September 21, 2025

Per rbsdm.com, the biggest play of the game by Win Probability was Tyson Campbell’s forced fumble of Nico Collins, recovered by Devin Lloyd (+21% win probability for Jacksonville).

Nico Collins fumble. Tyson Campbell gets his hand in and Lloyd recovers pic.twitter.com/DrbRZSHdpE

— Fitz (@LaurieFitzptrck) September 21, 2025

Key stats (traditional):

• QB Trevor Lawrence: 20/40 for 222-yards (5.6 YPA), with no TDs and 1 interception (56.5 passer rating)
• RB Travis Etienne: 15 rushes for 56-yards (3.5 YPC), with 1 rushing TD
• TE Brenton Strange: 6 catches for 61-yards on 7 targets (10.2 YPR)
• WR Brian Thomas Jr: 2 catches for 55-yards on 6 targets (27.5)
• DE Josh Hines-Allen: 2 tackles (1 solo), 3 QB hits, 0.5 sacks (forced final interception)
• CB Jourdan Lewis: 4 tackles (3 solo), 1 TFL, 2 passes defensed, 1 interception
• CB Tyson Campbell: 7 tackles (7 solo), 1 pass defensed, 1 fumble forced

View the full box score here

Game balls:

• Special Teams: P Logan Cooke: 6 punts, 48.8 avg, 2 inside of the 20-yard line, and a long of 60-yards
• Defense: CB Jourdan Lewis: 4 tackles (3 solo), 1 TFL, 2 passes defensed, 1 interception
• Offense: TE Brenton Strange: 6 catches for 61-yards on 7 targets (10.2 YPR)

PFF notable player:

The team over at Pro Football Focus noted the following:

• (Travis) Hunter only caught one of two targets for 21 yards. He played 95.5% of the 11 personnel snaps in Week 1, 79.2% in Week 2 and 71.2% in Week 3. Last week, he played more on defense due to an injury to Jarrian Jones, who wasn’t given an injury designation this week. Nonetheless, Hunter remained ahead of Jones on the depth chart. Hunter played 43 of the 63 snaps on defense. He’s consistently lined up at left cornerback on defense. This is the second straight week Hunter has played over 80 offensive snaps.
• Both Travis Etienne Jr. and Bhayshul Tuten played fewer offensive snaps this week than last. LeQuint Allen Jr. took the two-minute drill snaps, unlike the last two weeks, and the Jaguars had fewer snaps with two wide receivers on the field at the same time. It’s relatively common for teams to sometimes use their third-down back during the two-minute drill while using their main running back at other times, so this probably doesn’t mean much going forward.

Notable absences:

The following Jacksonville players did not participate in Sunday’s matchup due to noted injuries throughout the week:

• OL Wyatt Milum (knee)

Healthy Scratches:

• RB Cody Schrader
• DL Danny Striggow
• DL B.J. Green II
• DT Khalen Saunders Sr
• S Kahlef Hailassie

The following players left Sunday’s game due to injury:

• WR Dyami Brown (shoulder)

Full highlights:

• You can watch the top plays of the Week 3 matchup on the NFL’s YouTube channel here.

Post-game lingering questions:

1. Stacked boxes = trouble?

Entering the game, just three of Travis Etienne’s 30-rushes came against stacked boxes, per Next Gen Stats. Houston changed that math significantly on Sunday, showing one safety looks often on early downs against Jacksonville and limiting the early down run game. Coach Coen spoke on Houston’s tendency to play five down linemen on early downs on Sunday, resulting in tougher sledding early on. Jacksonville ran the ball better in the second half, with 75 of the team’s 86-rushing yards coming after the break.

2. Seriously. What’s going on with Brian Thomas Jr?

Brian Thomas Jr was taken off of the field on multiple third-down plays, in lieu of Parker Washington and Tim Patrick. This occurred in a one-score game, as he struggled with multiple drops. Thomas exploded with a late 46-yard catch-and-run on a scoring drive to calm the stadium boos, but the question must be asked, what’s going on here?

CBS said.. queue the BTJ lowlight reel pic.twitter.com/ZqXqRBmVVo

— Fitz (@LaurieFitzptrck) September 21, 2025

3. Penalties and drops continue

Jacksonville ended the day with 9-penalties for 70-yards, with a few questionable illegal shift calls (again). One illegal shift (Brown), an illegal block (Miller), two offensive holdings (Little and Mekari), two false start (Strange and Mudnt), three unnecessary roughness (Murray – 2, and Gardeck), two defensive holdings (Campbell and Gardeck).

Very very close. The refs must of had a meeting about Jax illegal shifts bc calling that was.. idk it was very close. pic.twitter.com/oclPVsGGm5

— Fitz (@LaurieFitzptrck) September 21, 2025

Despite the multiple drops from Brian Thomas Jr, the late one from Parker Washington, and the 9-called penalties on the day (11-total), the team found a way to come out of Sunday with a victory while obviously playing not their cleanest game. There are worst things than being 1-0 in the AFC South, while playing your B or C game. What are your thoughts from tonight’s game, Jaguars fans? Who surprised you most or disappointed you with their play tonight? Let us know in the comments.

Source: https://www.bigcatcountry.com/game-day-threads/77319/h-town-downed-jaguars-stifle-texans-17-10

 

[Jacksonville Jaguars]

Jaguars, Texans Re-watch: 10 Observations from Week 3

After dropping a heartbreaker in Cincinnati in week two, the Jacksonville Jaguars defense drew a teal line in the sand in week three, taking victory by the horns via three redzone turnovers from the Houston Texans. After providing the live takeaways and lingering questions from this week’s game, we take a closer review of the matchup after evaluating the televised gameplay. As a note, this review is based on the non-all-22 film, while being published before the PFF grades are released (in an effort to remain truly uninfluenced and unbiased on what we see). Additionally, this style of review knowingly places some limitations on evaluating secondary play without confirming the full coverage looks. With that said, let’s get into some takeaways from the Jaguars’ 17-10 victory over the now 0-3 Houston Texans.

*Any opinions noted are those of Travis and not of the entire BCC staff or leadership. Of course, anyone can disagree when evaluating film. Any noted EPA, Success Rate, or other data was retrieved from rbsdm.com. Additional data provided by NFL Pro and NextGenStats.

Glossary:

• EPA = expected points added (statistical metric used in football analytics to measure how well a team performs relative to expectation on an individual play, based on factors like field position, down and distance, and time remaining to quantify how many points a team is expected to score on a drive)
• SR = success rate (percent of plays with positive EPA)
• 1st% = percent of plays that earned first downs
• CPOE = completion percentage over expected
• ADoT = average depth of target
  • ADoT and CMP% may not match official statistics due to excluding spikes & throwaways

Offense:

1. Quarterback Play Evaluation

• -0.12 EPA per play falls within the 26th percentile of all QBs between 2010 and 2020 with minimum 5 plays per game
• A total EPA of -5.4 falls in the 23rd percentile on 45 plays
• 8.4 average depth of target (ADOT) is in the 52nd percentile
• 52.6 Completion percentage (CMP%)
• -17% completion percentage over expected (CPOE) is in the 4th percentile
• 38% Success Rate
• 27% First Down Percentage
• 56.5 Passer Rating

In week three, Lawrence had the NFL’s eighth-fastest time to throw (TTT) of 2.57 seconds, just slower than CJ Stroud’s fifth-fastest 2.53 seconds on Sunday. Trevor’s 56.5 passer rating is 27th of the 30 quarterbacks to play prior to Monday Night Football, ahead of only Joe Flacco, Michael Penix Jr, and Russell Wilson.

Lawrence completed just 2 of 11 passes over 10 air yards for 62 yards and an interception in Week 3, per NFL Pro.

His lone downfield highlight was the key 46-yard catch and run to Brian Thomas Jr. in the fourth quarter that set up the game-winning touchdown. Lawrence was more efficient on shorter throws, completing 18 of 27 passes under 10 air yards for 160 yards, while going 0-for-4 on attempts of 20+ air yards.

Lawrence’s day started off strong with a deep out to Brenton Strange in the first quarter and a timely and accurate curl route to Brian Thomas Jr. Lawrence was decisive and quick in the short game, moving the offense down the field towards their initial touchdown. After that series, and the Brian Thomas Jr sideline drop, Lawrence followed the play, bouncing back with a dagger to Dyami Brown on an out route. However, the struggles in the deep areas of the field began to pop up at this point with Lawrence missing an open Dyami Brown on a post route, just underthrowing a Parker Washington back shoulder sideline throw, and overthrowing Washington on another deep attempt that likely would have scored. With the potential explosives left on the field and the third-down fourth quarter interception that was forced into double coverage, while up 7 points, on their side of the 50-yard line was a pretty problematic decision that can’t be made.

Lawrence wasn’t helped much in this one from his primary targets, but he also struggled often with off-target throws. More will be expected of the Jacksonville QB1 as the season progresses, as it’s hard to win in the NFL without the ability to throw a pass 10 yards.

The offensive line reasonably kept Lawrence upright early on Sunday with the primary opportunity area being LT Walker Little, who has surrendered 12 QB pressures over the past two weeks, per Pro Football Focus. Per my review of the film, Little gave up five hurries in total. Jacksonville’s offense gave up 11 total pressures (per NFL Pro):

• LT Walker Little: 5
• RG Patrick Mekari: 2 (including Will Anderson sack)
• LG Ezra Cleveland: 1 (Foley Fatukasi sack)
• RT Anton Harrison: 1
• 1 via a screen against a blitz
• 1 via a naked bootleg with a blitzing LB
• Robert Hainsey: 0

the extra lick that robert hainsey gets on azeez >> pic.twitter.com/uhXwaGRe0M

— keanu (@keanukarg) September 22, 2025

2. Run Game Evaluation

• RB Bhayshul Tuten: -0.15 EPA per play on 6 plays (-0.72 receiving EPA per play on 1 target)
• RB Travis Etienne: -0.20 EPA per play on 18 plays (-0.63 receiving EPA per play on 2 targets)
• RB LeQuint Allen: -0.51 receiving EPA per play on 1 target (0 rushing attempts)

Entering the game, just three of Travis Etienne’s 30 rushes came against stacked boxes, per Next Gen Stats. However, Houston changed that math significantly on Sunday, showing one safety looks often on early downs against Jacksonville and limiting the early down run game. 25% (4) of Etienne’s 16 rushing attempts came against 8 or more defenders in the box. Etienne ended the day with just one explosive rush of 10 or more yards, tied with Lawrence. That rush was the play where Houston allowed him to score, in an attempt to get the ball back with under two minutes to play. Without the gifted final rush, Etienne’s average reflects 3.07 yards per rush. Houston stacked the box with 8 or more defenders against Jacksonville on 29.2% of snaps (6th highest for the week).

Coach Coen, in his post-game availability, spoke on Houston’s tendency to play five down linemen on early downs on Sunday. With Houston playing five down linemen and adding another defender into the box(a total of 8), Jacksonville struggled to open lanes early on, and it didn’t seem to be one individual player struggling. On many rushes, the extra defender was the player making the tackle on the running back, who was unable to make the safety or linebacker miss in the hole. On other snaps, the line either missed picking up a defender in their combination blocks or the defender simply beat the guy blocking him. While this was primarily an issue for the interior offensive line early on, with each IOL blowing a block on the first two series, Walker Little also missed on an early block, resulting in a one-yard gain in a difficult reach block scenario.

Jacksonville’s success on the ground began when the offense line ramped up when the team stopped putting themselves in negative down and distances via early penalties in the second half. Travis Etienne and Bhayshul Tuten also began to break more tackles in the backfield, turning one-yard gains into four to five yards while running a few more mid-zone looks. Speaking of Tuten, the ball of momentum simply never stops behind the line of scrimmage. I counted four rushes (out of six) where he gained yards on plays that should have been a loss or a rush for no gain.

puller pulls to nobody and Bhayshul Tuten creates his own 1st down pic.twitter.com/6zUAkaUAdJ

— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) September 21, 2025

3. Receiving Evaluation

• WR Tim Patrick: 0.88 EPA per play on 1 target
• WR Dyami Brown: 0.69 EPA per play on 4 targets
• WR Travis Hunter: 0.66 EPA per play on 2 targets
• WR Brian Thomas Jr: 0.05 EPA per play on 7 targets
• WR Parker Washington: -0.73 EPA per play on 11 targets
• TE Johnny Mundt: 0.36 EPA per play on 1 target
• TE Brenton Strange: 0.30 EPA per play on 7 targets
• TE Hunter Long: -0.18 EPA per play, on 3 targets

Parker Washington, with his dominant play versus Cincinnati, seemed to earn more opportunities, per the coaching staff. However, his team-leading 11 targets on 31 routes against Houston led to just four receptions and a -24.7% catch rate over expected, per NFLPro (82nd of 88 qualified receivers in week 3). Washington started off strong early with a tight window catch while taking a hit from the Texans safety in the second quarter. However, many of his earlier incompletions were uncatchable with three passes overthrown or underthrown, one intercepted in double coverage, and one tipped at the line of scrimmage. Washington did, however, have two fourth quarter drops, one a clean drop, and another a throw slightly behind him on a late throw from Lawrence.

Meanwhile, teammate Brian Thomas Jr was 86th of 88 receivers at -30.6% catch rate over expected on 34 routes, with two catches on 6 targets. Thomas opened the game with a 9-yard curl then dropped an early sideline attempt over Derek Stingley. His third target was stripped away by Jalen Pitre and his fourth target a clean third down drop – his second of the game. With the staff removing Thomas from the game on multiple third-down attempts later in the game, it was nice to see Thomas bounce back with the 46-yard catch and run to set up the game-winning score.

#Jaguars: credited with 5 drops vs HOU (PFF)

2- Parker Washington
1- Travis Etienne
1- Hunter Long
1- Brian Thomas Jr

Two of Thomas Jr’s assumed drops were ruled as contested catches. He was 0/2 on those.

— Daniel Griffis (@DanDGriffis) September 22, 2025

We are now three games in and my core statement for this Jacksonville Jaguars office is this: Brenton Strange is simply always open. He had a 71% success rate on Sunday, with 43% (3) of his seven targets converting for first downs, and a 9.1% completion rate over expected for week three (13th of qualified NFL tight ends) on his 29 routes. Even on routes where he wasn’t targeted, Strange was often running wide open (i.e., the first Travis Hunter incompletion that was neatly intercepted by Bullock, the Will Anderson sack, etc). When Lawrence goes to Strange, good things seem to happen. While spending much of the day chipping the dominant duo of edges for Houston, Strange still had a productive day. In another offense, Strange could potentially be a top receiving option, like Sam LaPorta in Detroit. However, with so many mouths to feed in Jacksonville, that may be more of a week-to-week conversation for Strange.

Brenton Strange is a real-deal weapon in the passing game. Add what he does as a blocker and there is a good argument to make that he is one of the offense's most important players pic.twitter.com/4Kj0rrog5N

— John Shipley (@_John_Shipley) September 22, 2025

Travis Hunter played more defensive snaps (41) than offensive snaps (35) for the first time in his career in Week 3 against the Texans. On offense, Hunter had just two targets with the first one nearly being intercepted, as there was little separation on the route forcing a contested catch scenario. However, on Hunter’s second target, he showed off his yards after catch ability to pick up the first down on the 21-yard gain.

Defense:

4. Pass Rush Evaluation

If you know nothing about EPA, success rate, or first down rate – know this, purple is bad, and green is good here. The darker the purple, the worse the performance for the Houston offense on Sunday, indicative of dominant play by the Jacksonville defense. Jacksonville was 3rd in the NFL with 10 points given up, 9th at 271 total yards surrendered, 7th at 4.7 yards per play, and 11th with 14 QB pressures for the week.

Per NFL Pro:

• DE Josh-Hines Allen: 5 QB pressures, 16.7% pressure rate on 30 pass rushes, and 0.5 sacks
• DE Travon Walker: 4 QB pressures, 14.8% pressure rate on 27 pass rushes, and 1.0 sacks
• LB Devin Lloyd: 3 QB pressures, 37.5% pressure rate on 8 pass rushes
• DT Arik Armstead: 1 QB pressure, 3.6% pressure rate on 28 pass rushes, and 0.5 sacks
• DB Jourdan Lewis: 1 QB pressure, 100% pressure rate on 1 pass rush
• LB Foye Oluokun: 1 QB pressure, 20% pressure rate on 5 pass rushes
• S Andrew Wingard: 1 QB pressure, 33.3% pressure rate on 3 pass rushes

Defensive end Josh Hines-Allen led Jacksonville, forcing an early holding penalty on Houston OT Aieontae Ersery (negated by an Eric Murray unnecessary roughness penalty). He also ended his day with five QB pressures (11th of qualified defenders, prior to Monday Night Football), a shared sack with Arik Armstead, and a caused interception from a tipped ball. DE Travon Walker was 20th in the NFL with 4 QB pressures also, per NFL Pro. Both Allen and Hines-Allen were listed with six pressures per PFF, notably.

Linebacker Devin Lloyd rushed the quarterback eight times against Houston, collecting 3 QB pressures and a 37.5 pressure rate (17th). In the passing game he gave up two receptions on three targets for a total of four yards (70.1 passing rating allowed), while also recovering the Tyson Campbell-forced Nico Collins fumble.

I’m starting a new series where a highlight a free agent for 2026 each week. My first selection for the yr is Devin Lloyd. Lloyd is a free agent after this season because the Jags declined his 5th yr option. We saw 5 FA LBs sign for double digit APYs last yr, and Lloyd is up next pic.twitter.com/SObA6qWujo

— Daniel Salib (@salibdaniel1) September 22, 2025

5. Run Game Evaluation

The Jacksonville front seven allowed Houston an average of 4.6 yards per carry, including 22-scrambling yards from CJ Stroud. The Houston running backs alone averaged 4.3 yards per carry on Sunday, with a long of eight yards. On the tape, it didn’t seem to be a truly dominant game on the ground for the Jaguars interior defensive line in the run game. Houston often had much success on first down rushes throughout the matchup, until penalties set them up in longer down and distances. However, I didn’t see one player consistently beat up front for the Jacksonville interior. On one play, Dawuane Smoot gets moved out of his gap, on another it’s Arik Armstead missing a diving tackle attempt in the backfield, on another it’s Austin Johnson getting moved out of his gap while doubled. And despite being one of the team’s primary run stuffers, I thought Davon Hamilton had a really good game, splitting doubles and not getting moved off the point of attack, though mostly absent from the stat sheet.

Jacksonville ended Sunday with zero run stuffs (0%) on Houston’s 19 rush attempts. However, they only stacked the box on 5.3% of snaps (26th/30 for the week prior to MNF).

6. Coverage Evaluation

Houston WR Nico Collins paced the Texans with 104 yards receiving, buoyed by his 50-yard touchdown catch over CB Tyson Campbell. However, outside of this play and a 17-yard catch and run versus Travis Hunter, Collins’ day was mostly made up of chain-moving stop routes, crossers, and screens, bringing in 7 consecutive catches between the middle of the second quarter and his late fourth quarter fumble. Despite Tyson Campbell giving up the tying touchdown catch to Collins, I thought he had a solid day otherwise. He bounced back to force a fumble on a Collins stop route after rallying from his coverage responsibility, secured a deep pass breakup in coverage on Collins, and was reasonably sticky on the day.

Cornerback Jourdan Lewis had his prototypical dominant performance, giving up just one reception for four yards on six targets, with three passes defended, no touchdowns surrendered, an interception, and a QB pressure on his one pass rush (a zero-passing rating). He nearly brought in a late one-handed interception in coverage on Christian Kirk as well.

Jaguars nab their 6th INT of the season!

HOUvsJAX on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/racqL0YMKf

— NFL (@NFL) September 21, 2025

Travis Hunter was targeted five times in coverage, giving up 5 catches for 54 yards per NFL Pro (111.7 passer rating), however, a review of the film shows a third-and-five check down to Dalton Schultz while in zone coverage. Hunter came up to make the tackle. Nico Collins caught a 6-yard stop on the next pass attempt. Collins then catches a 17-yard slant, with Hunter in press alignment with a single high safety look, and on his final pass attempt in his vicinity, he allowed a 13-yard catch and run to Christian Kirk, missing the tackle, which allowed an additional 8 yards of YAC. This isn’t to say that Hunter struggled in coverage on Sunday, but zero passes defensed on five targets, with a missed tackle, are what they are. The arrow is pointing up for the rookie, and to be clear, he did have great coverage on multiple routes throughout the game that didn’t show up on the stats sheet, like his coverage on Stroud’s second quarter, third down incompletion to Dalton Schultz, where Hunter perfectly covered Collins in the redzone.

here are over a dozen of Travis Hunter's coverage snaps in Week 3

played 43 of a possible 63 defensive snaps

obviously plenty of zone coverage for the Jaguars. Just look for '12' pre-snap pic.twitter.com/BRi6UhQQa7

— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) September 22, 2025

Travis Hunter with lockdown coverage on Christian Kirk pic.twitter.com/HgBnEk68lM

— Billy M (@BillyM_91) September 22, 2025

Safety Andrew Wingard surrendered two catches on four targets for 19 yards (a 63.5 passing rating) to add to his six tackles (four solo). Five of his tackles came when rallying up from deeper coverage. A reasonably solid day for the safety group as a whole, with Antonio Johnson also stepping in for a temporarily hobbled Eric Murray late. Notably, Johnson played well, while on the field for 17 of Stroud’s 38 passing attempts. He wasn’t directly targeted in the passing game, secured a game-sealing interception, racked up four tackles (1 solo), with three of them from Houston receivers after the catch.

Special Teams:

7. Kicking

Cam Little went 1 for 2 with a long of 39 yards and went 2/2 on his extra points. Punter Logan Cooke ended the day with 6 punts, a 48.8 average, two kicks inside of the 20-yard line, with a long of 60 yards.

8. Return Game

Parker Washington had two punt returns for an 8.5 average and a long of 13 yards. Meanwhile, LeQuint Allen Jr averaged 24.0 yards per kick return with a long of 26 yards. Throughout the first three weeks of the season, Heath Farwell’s unit has struggled to date in the return game, as they are currently 28th in the NFL for average kick returns (22.6 yards) and 25th on average punt return (8.6 yards) in the first three weeks. However, the punt coverage unit is third in the NFL with a 45.7 net average, and the kickoff coverage team is 14th at 25.0 yards per return.

Miscellaneous:

9. Penalties/Miscues

Jacksonville ended the day with 9 accepted penalties (11 overall) for 70 yards, with one questionable illegal shift call.

• 2 offensive holding penalties (Walker Little, Patrick Mekari)
• 2 false start penalties (Brenton Strange, Johnny Mundt)
• Illegal shift (Dyami Brown)
• Illegal block in the back (Ventrell Miller)
• 3 unnecessary roughness penalties – one (2 Eric Murray, 1 Dennis Gardeck)
• 2 defensive holding penalties (Tyson Campbell, Dennis Gardeck)

The two false start and the illegal shift penalties (i.e., the offensive pre-snap penalties) are the only ones that I truly place importance on, as these are theoretically some of the more controllable penalties. As we discussed in the post-game article, the illegal shift penalty seemed to be extremely nitpicky by the refs at best, and a bad call at worst. The unnecessary roughness penalties were going to happen against Houston, with the built-in history between the teams, Eric Murray facing his former team, and a lot of extra talking on the field.

10. Coaching/Scheme

The Jacksonville defense, after a rough few series against Cincinnati, played lights out on Sunday, bending without breaking and often getting the ball back from the Texans when it mattered most. In what was always known to likely be a close game, the defense was opportunistic and timely with their three redzone takeaways. They came away with two sacks inside of Houston’s 30-yard line and kept CJ Stroud uncomfortable for much of the game, while bending without breaking. The team’s 9 takeaways lead the NFL, matching their entire season total from 2024, just three games into 2025. This marks them most takeaways by a Jaguars’ defense through three games since 2005, when the team finished with a 12-4 record, per NFL Pro.

Offensively, there’s much to still be figured out between the Brian Thomas Jr situation, how much Travis Hunter may be used offensively as the year goes on (and the deep passing game struggles continue), and how they will counter more teams continuing to stack the box moving forward. Jacksonville retained the win, but those questions will all require quick answers with San Fransico coming up. This was the same team that, in 2023, made the “Trevor Lawrence only throws to his first read” narrative a thing by sitting on all routes under 10 yards, stacking the box, and forcing the team to beat them early in the passing game. I expect them to follow suit in week 4 and also expect Coen and Udinski to have better answers for the 49ers than Doug Pederson’s offense did. Time will tell!

That’s it from me for week 3! What were your takeaways from the game, Duval? Let us know in the comments!

Source: https://www.bigcatcountry.com/jagua...s-texans-re-watch-10-observations-from-week-3

 

[Jacksonville Jaguars]

Jaguars vs 49ers: Week 4 opening odds

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 12: Nick Bosa #97 of the San Francisco 49ers pressures Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Jacksonville Jaguars during the third quarter of the game at EverBank Stadium on November 12, 2023 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

The Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1) will face the San Francisco 49ers (3-0) at 4:05 p.m. EST on Sunday, Sept. 28, at Levi’s Stadium.

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Jaguars are 3.5-point underdogs and the total is set at 46.5 points.

Jacksonville displayed “Huge ability to stay the course” in its Week 3 win over Houston, coach Liam Coen said afterward. “You’re winning the game for the majority of it. They tied it up, but even though obviously not playing our best football offensively, defense kept us in it … Very proud of this group. They played their tails off and kept competing.”

Going forward, the Jaguars may be without starting wideout Dyami Brown, who left Sunday’s game early due to an upper-body injury. But the Niners are among the most banged-up teams in the league right now: Mac Jones re-aggravated a knee injury when filling in for Brock Purdy, who sat out the past two games with toe and shoulder ailments; Nick Bosa (knee) left Sunday’s game early; Jauan Jennings (ankle/shoulder) missed the contest; and Brandon Aiyuk (ACL) and George Kittle (hamstring) remain on injured reserve.

The Niners are undefeated this season, but they are not at full strength. It’s a good opportunity for the Jaguars to steal a game during the toughest stretch of their schedule.

What are your thoughts on the Jaguars’ Week 4 matchup? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: https://www.bigcatcountry.com/jacks...-odds-san-francisco49ers-week-4-betting-lines