RSS Jags Team Notes

[Jacksonville Jaguars]

Jaguars vs Panthers: Staff roundtable and game picks for Week 1

Welcome to Big Cat Country’s staff roundtable! Today, we’re previewing Week 1’s matchup between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Carolina Panthers at EverBank Stadium.

What is the biggest question about the Jaguars you want to have answered after Week 1?

Dillon Appleman: Who is going to separate themselves from the pack in a crowded running back room? There is still a lot of uncertainty about what the usage will look like among the Jaguars’ running backs. It feels like the plan is for Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby to split most of the work, but it’s possible we see rookies Bhayshul Tuten or LeQuint Allen Jr. get some touches as well. No matter the splits, Week 1 is an opportunity for somebody to prove they deserve more of a workload going forward.

Travis Holmes: The Jaguars recently named center Robert Hainsey as a team captain for the 2025 season. After wrapping up a preseason where the Jacksonville offense never faced a starting defensive unit, I’m interested in seeing how Hainsey performs this week against nose tackle Bobby Brown III, the dominant run-stopping plug in the middle of Carolina’s defense. Hainsey was signed in Jacksonville after losing his starting role in Tampa Bay, primarily due to struggles in dealing with the more powerful DTs, so this should be a great opening test for the newly designated captain.

Gus Logue: What will Anthony Campanile’s defense look like? According to Daniel Griffis of Action News Jax, the 2024 Jaguars ranked top-three in man coverage rate and press coverage rate, and bottom-three in blitz rate and stunt rate. Ryan Nielsen deployed a predictable, vanilla scheme. Expect Campanile to do a complete 180 and turn up the heat by sending extra rushers and disguising zone coverages.

Henry Zimmer: I think in Week 1 I would just like to see a clean game from Trevor Lawrence. He looked great in the preseason but that was limited. Now it’s time to see it in full action and all signs are pointing to yielding great things. The Panthers aren’t world beaters, but it would be a great sign heading into Cincinnati if Lawrence played a clean game.

If you could ‘steal’ a player from the Panthers and place them on the Jaguars’ roster, who would it be?

Dillon: I’m taking the Panthers’ shiny new free agency addition, Tre’von Moehrig. The veteran safety would instantly provide this defense with a tone-setter on the backend that they do not currently have. Moehrig’s 5 TFLs last year are equal to the entire Jaguars safety depth’s total in 2024, which goes to show how impactful he is when getting downhill. That type of player has been missing for the Jacksonville secondary for a while.

Travis: I think Jacksonville would thrive with a player like Tre’von Moehrig roaming the Jaguars’ secondary. The recently signed Moehrig came over from Las Vegas, where he rarely missed tackles, ranking sixth among safeties in PFF run defense grade (87.5). Despite the Raiders’ pass rush taking a hit and the defense losing half of their starters in the second half of the season, Moehrig’s coverage grades on passes over 3 seconds (62.9) and in the slot (64.2) both remained above average. With Jacksonville’s looming questions at the safety positions currently filled by Eric Murray and Andrew Wingard, Moehrig would provide slightly more stability.

Gus: There are a few tempting options on Carolina’s defensive roster, but I’d address perhaps the Jaguars’ biggest weakness by nabbing right guard Robert Hunt. The five-year NFL veteran finished second in ESPN’s run block win rate among interior linemen last season, and he enters 2025 as Brandon Thorn’s 10th-ranked right guard. He’d be a huge boost for Liam Coen’s run game.

Henry: Derrick Brown would be at the top of my list. As good as DaVon Hamilton or even Arik Armstead can be, having a guy like Brown would level up this defense significantly. Jaycee Horn also couldn’t hurt.

Who will be the biggest X-factor on Sunday?

Dillon: Josh Hines-Allen. With the status of Panthers starting left tackle Ikem Ekwonu in question (appendectomy), the Jags’ star pass rusher could be in for a huge day. Not to mention the added incentive of JHA being just 2.5 sacks away from setting the franchise’s all-time sack record.

Travis: Carolina defensive end Derrick Brown is the player to watch from my perspective. Brown is easily the best player on the Panthers’ roster. The last time he was healthy for the season, he collected over 100 tackles, setting an NFL record for the position. In 2023, he led all interior defenders in defensive stops and solo tackles, and PFF had his run-defense grade at 90.0 in that Pro Bowl season. Sliding him back in next to Bobby Brown III could be a challenge for the Jaguars’ offensive line. I think the fans in Duval could be sleeping on that improvement over the Panthers’ 2024 run defense results.

Gus: Tetairoa McMillan. With Adam Thielen shipped to Minnesota and Jalen Coker placed on injured reserve, the Panthers suddenly have a shallow receiver room behind their eighth overall draft pick. The Jaguars should put all their efforts into slowing McMillan because the Panthers don’t have any other notable threats. I don’t see Carolina walking out of the Bank with a win unless their rookie receiver makes an instant impact.

Henry: The biggest X-Factor could be Bryce Young. Much like Lawrence, all signs are pointing up for Young and he has the receivers to help him out. If he plays well, and the Jags defense reverts to its old ways, it could be a long day for Jacksonville and a big day for the former Heisman winner.

Final score prediction?

Dillon: Jaguars 27, Panthers 21

Travis: Jaguars 27, Panthers 23

Gus: Jaguars 30, Panthers 24

Henry: Jaguars 24, Panthers 17

What are your Week 1 predictions, Jaguars fans? Let us know in the comments!

Source: https://www.bigcatcountry.com/jacks...rs-staff-roundtable-and-game-picks-for-week-1

 

[Jacksonville Jaguars]

5 Questions with Cat Scratch Reader: What we learned about the Panthers

As the Jacksonville Jaguars prepare to play the Carolina Panthers in Week 1, we sat down with Walker Clement of Cat Scratch Reader to learn more about the opposing side.

Question 1: What does a successful 2025 season look like for the Panthers, and how much of it has to do with quarterback Bryce Young?

A lot of fans have said six wins would be a successful season. That’s a step up from last year and more than we’ve seen from a full-time head coach since 2018. I don’t think that’s enough. We’re tired of losing and I think 11 losses would be too heavy. Seven to nine wins, Young continuing on his progress at the end of last season, and more competitive losses than blowouts are the bar for a successful season. An opening day win wouldn’t hurt, either.

Question 2: Carolina got a fourth-round pick by trading 35-year-old Adam Thielen to Minnesota. It’s a clear on-paper win, but was it worth losing Young’s most trusted target?

It’s a harder trade to judge now that we lost his second-most reliable target, second year receiver Jalen Coker, to a quad injury for 4-6 weeks. Long story short, we’re going to have to see how Xavier Legette, Tetairoa McMillan, and Hunter Renfrow step up. They’re all either young, new to the team, or both. There’s a lot of chemistry there that we haven’t really seen on the field, good or bad.

Long story long, the last time the Panthers opened at Jacksonville, in 2015, they went to the Super Bowl. Cam Newton lost his leading receiver and favorite target from 2014, Kelvin Benjamin, right before the start of the season. He leveled up and dragged a corps of no-name receivers and an aged Jerricho Cotchery to a dominant 15-1 regular season record. Once is history, but if Young can do it again then it becomes a tradition. These are the kinds of realistic expectations that we’re placing on the shoulders of our quarterback.

Question 3: How concerning are the injuries to WR Jalen Coker (on injured reserve) and OT Ikem Ekwonu (in danger of missing Week 1)?

Coker is on IR, as linked above, and will miss a minimum of four weeks. Ekwonu is a bigger question. He hasn’t practiced this week (as of Wednesday) and is not yet two weeks removed from an emergency appendectomy. Even laparoscopically, that’s still major abdominal surgery with risks of complications (and further time lost) if he rushes back to the field. My expectation is that we’ll see Brady Christensen, an extremely capable backup, fill in at left tackle. Yosh Nijman, also a capable backup, is the other option. You can read more on the decision the Panthers may have to make at left tackle here.

Question 4: Who’s an under-the-radar player that Jaguars fans should watch out for in this game?

It’s weird to call a Pro Bowl player “under-the-radar” but I have to go with Derrick Brown here. I personally think the 27-year-old defensive tackle/defensive end is capable of having an All-Pro year. However, playing often on the interior and having missed the entire 2024 season, Brown’s name may not be the most familiar to folks outside of the Carolinas. He is an incredibly disruptive player. He may not get every sack, but look for him to be involved in most of them and in most plays that get blown up behind the line of scrimmage.

On offense, fans have high hopes for second-year tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders. He flashed some explosive skills last season before hitting the rookie wall. Tight ends are not heavily featured in Dave Canales’ offense, but targets with proven chemistry with Young are also few and far between. We’re all curious to see how that dynamic plays out.

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

I think the Panthers cover. If I were even a smidge more optimistic by nature then I would call for them to outright win, but let’s not go that far today. This team is too young to be predictable, which is why I’m also staying away from player props until we have more data. Well, that, and as one of our commenters keeps pointing out: our mascot is literally a black cat. It’s bad luck to make assumptions about this team.

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

What are your thoughts on Week 1’s matchup, Jaguars fans? Let us know in the comments!

Source: https://www.bigcatcountry.com/jacks...tch-reader-what-we-learned-about-the-panthers

 

[Jacksonville Jaguars]

Reacts Survey Results: What Jaguars fans are watching for in Week 1

This week, we asked Jacksonville Jaguars fans which storyline they’re most looking forward to ahead of the season opener against Carolina.

40% of fans are eager to watch the team play for the first time under Liam Coen, who’s entering his debut season as an NFL head coach.

As for the confidence survey, a whopping 84% of fans are confident in the direction of the team.

That number was all the way down at 7% immediately following the 2024 season.

“There’s nothing like it,” Trevor Lawrence said Wednesday of his excitement for the season opener. “First game of the year, obviously. Even the preseason games, I still get the little butterflies before you go out because it still means something, but this is the first one that counts. It does have a different feel to it.”

“You obviously have a whole gameplan, you put in all the work the week before but really all offseason builds up to that because you know who that first opponent is. So, not that you’re game planning four months ago, but you still are thinking about that first opponent and what’s coming up. So a lot that’s built to this moment … it’ll be fun.”

Top comments from Wednesday’s post:

acedarney
I think the most important storyline is whether the coach is any good. The players can come and go, but if the team is still broken at the top, then it doesn’t matter. We’ll be going through all this again in a few years. If the coach can maintain success, that’s the key. Of course, we won’t get a conclusive answer after one game against the lowly Panthers.
JaxCommenterGuy
Ideally, for us to have more points than the other team when the game is over.
Jaguardian
A lack of separation from the corners during pass plays, courtesy of a relentless rush from our defensive ends. (an expected thirty sacks minimum combined) HUNT!!!

Source: https://www.bigcatcountry.com/nfl-r...-what-jaguars-fans-are-watching-for-in-week-1

 

[Jacksonville Jaguars]

Jaguars vs Panthers Matchup History: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The 2025-26 NFL Season is officially here! The Jaguars start the season at home against fellow 1995 expansion team, the Carolina Panthers. The Jags and Panthers have played each other eight times during the regular season, and the series is currently tied. Let’s take a stroll through franchise history to look at the good, the bad, and the ugly from the team’s series against the Panthers.

Series results

Date	Visitor	Home
12/31/2023	Carolina Panthers – 0	Jacksonville Jaguars – 26
10/06/2019	Jacksonville Jaguars – 27	Carolina Panthers – 34
09/13/2015	Carolina Panthers – 20	Jacksonville Jaguars – 9
09/25/2011	Jacksonville Jaguars – 10	Carolina Panthers – 16
12/09/2007	Carolina Panthers – 6	Jacksonville Jaguars – 37
09/07/2003	Jacksonville Jaguars – 23	Carolina Panthers – 24
09/19/1999	Jacksonville Jaguars – 22	Carolina Panthers – 20
09/29/1996	Carolina Panthers – 14	Jacksonville Jaguars – 24

The Good

Week 17 at EverBank Stadium on December 31, 2023
Final score: Panthers 0 – Jaguars 26
Attendance: 67,215

The record-breaker!

@JoshAllen41_ | #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/Xx4lAdC2Le

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) December 31, 2023

Who could forget Cam Robinson’s ejection or Josh Hines-Allen’s record-breaking sack? Travis Etienne scored both touchdowns and led the team with 102 rushing yards. C.J. Beathard completed 17 out of 24 attempted passes for 178 yards. Evan Engram led the team with 60 receiving yards. Brandon McManus made all four of the attempted field goals. Antonio Johnson had a 27-yard interception. Tyson Campbell led the team with eight combined tackles. Hines-Allen recorded three sacks, Travon Walker recorded two, and Roy Robertson-Harris had one.

Tempers flaring in Jacksonville pic.twitter.com/dBrJV5S6MZ

— NFL on CBS (@NFLonCBS) December 31, 2023

The Bad

Week 1 at Ericsson Stadium on September 7, 2003
Final score: Jaguars 23 – Panthers 24
Attendance: 72,134

Marc Edwards, Matthew Hatchette, and Jermaine Lewis scored touchdowns. Mark Brunell completed 23 out of 27 attempted passes for 272 yards. Fred Taylor led the team with 71 rushing yards, and Jermaine Lewis led with 90 receiving yards. Seth Marler made one out of the two attempted field goals. Akin Ayodele and Rashean Mathis had interceptions. Tony Brackens recorded two sacks.

The Ugly

Week 1 at EverBank Field on September 13, 2015
Final score: Panthers 20 – Jaguars 9
Attendance: 60,733

Rashad Greene scored the only touchdown. Blake Bortles completed 22 out of 40 attempted passes for 183 yards. T.J. Yeldon led the team with 51 rushing yards, and Allen Hurns led with 60 receiving yards. Jason Myers missed the point after attempt and made one out of two attempted field goals. Paul Posluszny had a 19-yard interception. Chris Clemons and Dan Skuta recorded sacks.

Players who have played for JAX and CAR

Player	Position	Years in JAX	Years in CAR
Alexander, Gerald	DB	2009-2010	2010
Arnold, Dan	TE	2021-2022	2021
Beuerlein, Steve	QB	1995	1996-2000
Bolden, Juran	DB	2004	1998
Bouye, A.J.	DB	2017-2019	2021
Chark, D.J.	WR	2018-2021	2023
Charlton, Joseph	P	2021	2020-2021
Considine, Sean	DB	2009-2010	2011
Cooper, Deke	DB	2003-2005	2002-2007
Cousin, Terry	DB	2005-2007	2002-2003
Cunningham, Richie	K	2002	1999-2000
Ellison, Atiyyah	DT	2008-2009	2005
Favors, Greg	LB	2004-2005	2003
Fletcher, Derrick	OG	2005	2002
Florence, Drayton	DB	2008	2013
Fordham, Todd	OT	1997-2002	2004-2006
Grant, Deon	DB	2004-2006	2001-2003
Griffin, Shaquill	DB	2021-2022	2023
Harris, Chris	DB	2012	2007-2009
Hayes, Tae	DB	2019	2022
Henderson, C.J.	DB	2020-2021	2021-2023
Humphrey, Deon	LB	2003	2000
Irvin, Corvey	DT	2011	2009-2010
Johnson, Anthony	RB	2000	1995-1999
Jordan, Leander	OT	2003	2001
Landri, Derek	DT	2007-2009	2009-2010
Love, Kyle	DT	2013	2014-2019
Manhertz, Chris	TE	2021-2022	2016-2020
Martin, Sherrod	DB	2014	2009-2012
McCree, Marlon	DB	2001-2003	2005
Means, Natrone	RB	1996-1997	2000
Miller, John	OG	2022	2020-2021
Moncrief, Donte	WR	2018	2019
Nesbit, Jamar	OG	2003	1999-2002
Nortman, Brad	P	2016-2017	2012-2015
Norwell, Andrew	OG	2018-2021	2014-2017
Omameh, Patrick	OG	2016-2018	2021
Posey, Jeff	LB	2001	2001
Quarterman, Shaquille	LB	2020-2023	2024
Reed, Christopher	OG	2016-2018	2019-2020
Reyes, Tutan	OG	2007-2008	2003-2005
Robinson, Corey	OT	2018	2018
Ross, Micah	WR	2001-2003	2004
Selvie, George	DE	2011-2012	2011
Seward, Adam	LB	2009	2005-2008
Shaw, Tim	LB	2008	2007
Shenault, Laviska	WR	2020-2021	2022-2023
Stanford, Julian	LB	2012	2020-2021
Swift, Michael	DB	2000	1999
Tuaolo, Esera	DT	1997	1999
Tylski, Rich	OG	1996-1999	2004
Williams, Teddy	DB	2014	2015-2016
Williams, Thomas	LB	2008	2011
Wilson, Damien	LB	2021	2022
Wright, Matthew	K	2021	2023

I’m hoping this week 1 matchup fares better than the two aforementioned games. Please share your favorite moments from the Jaguars vs the Panthers series with us in the comments or on social media. Not following us on social media? You can find us on Twitter, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.

Source: https://www.bigcatcountry.com/jacks...matchup-history-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly

 

[Jacksonville Jaguars]

Statement Made: Jaguars 1-0 After Panthers Victory

The Jacksonville Jaguars kicked off 2025, their inaugural season under Head Coach Liam Coen with a dominant 26-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers. The Jaguars’ defense collected 33% of their 2024 turnovers while the Jacksonville offense produced their best individual performance by a running back since 2022. Here’s everything you need to know from Jacksonville’s Week 1 2025 EverBank win over the Panthers.

Live blog:

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

Pregame:

The following Panthers players did not play in this one: WR Dalevon Campbell, TE James Mitchell, DT Cam Jackson, and WR Jimmy Horn. Horn is an interesting inactive after the team recently traded away Adam Thielen and placed Jalen Corker on injured reserve. That Carolina decided to play third-year undrafted free agent WR Brycen Tremayne over the rookie sixth-round pick was a slight surprise to most. Most notably, Panthers starting left tackle Ikem Ekwonu was made inactive after undergoing an emergency appendectomy late last week. He was unable to practice all week.

For Jacksonville, second-year, defensive tackle Maason Smith, a 2024 second round pick was surprisingly made inactive in this one in what seems to be a healthy scratch. Smith missed much of training camp with an undisclosed training injury and first participated in the third preseason matchup. It’s possible that the team is allowing him time to ramp up his conditioning after missing much of the 2025 offseason. Additionally, the team was without CB Montaric Brown, OL Wyatt Milum, OL Cole Van Lanen, DL Danny Striggow, and DL B.J. Green III for today’s matchup.

1st Quarter

Jacksonville started with the ball, converting an early mid-field fourth and 1 via a 4-yard Dyami Brown rush. After a first-down Robert Hainsey holding penalty, Strange secured his second catch on the drive, this one for a first down. However, the team was unable to convert this drive into a touchdown after a first down, Lawrence 12-yard intentional grounding penalty. The Cam Little 35-yard field goal kicked off the scoring to wrap up the 13-play, 55-yard, 6:45 drive. In total, the Jacksonville offense racked up three penalties for 32-yards on the first series, to add a Brian Thomas Jr drop on a jailbreak screen. (Jaguars 3, Panthers 0)

The Carolina offense opened their drive with multiple strong rushes, getting moderate movement up front against the Jacksonville interior. After an underthrown Bryce Young pass attempt was broken up by Jourdan Lewis the 13-play, 41-yard, 7:39 drive was capped by a Panthers’ 48-yard field goal. Lewis initially was beaten by Hunter Renrow on the route, but didn’t give up, breaking up the pass at the last moment. Interestingly, the Jacksonville defensive line consistently rotated throughout the opening drive, with one snap on the drive occurring with Josh Hines-Allen, Travon Walker, and Arik Armstead all off the field. (Jaguars 3, Panthers 3)

2nd Quarter

The Jacksonville offense, however, went three-and-out on the following drive after a short Travis Etienne rush, an Etienne screen, and a Travis Hunter catch for a loss of yards on third and three. The Jacksonville defense immediately got the ball back with safety Eric Murray nearly intercepting Young. However, Foye Oluokun was trailing the play, securing the diving interception off the deflection.

After a short, 8-play, 35-yard, 4:12 drive Lawrence found TE Hunter Long running alone in the endzone for the 6-yard touchdown. Cam Little’s extra point was good. (Jaguars 10, Panthers 3)

Just as we all expected, Hunter Long with our first TD of the season.#CARvsJAX on FOX pic.twitter.com/TYlA9Dc2f7

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) September 7, 2025

Immediately after the extra point, the game then entered an hour, 16-minute weather delay with 8:32 remaining in the second quarter.

Following the stoppage in play, Panthers put together a promising drive, threatening to score after third-down 22-yard Young rush into Jacksonville territory. However, Jourdan Lewis shut the door on the drive, with a near-sack of Young on third-down resulting in a punt. On the following play, Travis Etienne forced two missed tackles, bursting out from the 9-yard line on a 71-yard race to daylight, before being tackled at the Carolina 20. After a few Bhayshul Tuten rushes, Brian Thomas Jr then walked in untouched for the 9-yard touchdown rush. (Jaguars 17, Panthers 3)

BTJ to the end zone!

CARvsJAX on FOXhttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/8VxV0aBVil

— NFL (@NFL) September 7, 2025

After the Panthers picked an early first down on the drive, Foye Oluokun then forced his second turnover in as many quarters of play, punching the ball out Young’s grasp. Jourdan Lewis recovered the Young fumble with 55-seconds remaining in the half. Lawrence and the offense capitalized via a 23-yard Dyami Brown reception with six-seconds remaining. Cam Little then drilled the 47-yard field goal with one-second remaining in the half. (Jaguars 20, Panthers 3)

At the half, Jacksonville leads the following categories:

• Time of possession: 15:44 to 14:16
• Yards per rush: 10.3 to 5.3
• Rushing yards: 134 to 74
• Redzone: 2 of 3 in the redzone vs 0 redzone conversions
• Passing yards per attempt: 6.7 to 3.1
• Passing yards: 128 to 47
• Total yards: 262 to 124
• First downs: 12 to 6
• Turnovers Forced: 2 to 0 (10 points off of turnovers for Jacksonville at the half)

halftime qb update pic.twitter.com/ds5O5Mur5O

— Gus Logue (@gus_logue) September 7, 2025

3rd Quarter

Carolina began the half with possession and immediately marched down the field on the back of a Tet McMillian early catch and a 26-yard pass interference from Jarrian Jones while covering McMillian. However, the Jacksonville defense bent without breaking in the redzone, stopping Carolina on four straight plays while inside their own 10-yard line.

Jacksonville also went three-and-out on the following series, with Lawrence unable to connect with the tightly covered Thomas Jr on third down. Carolina picked up an early first down catch from Hunter Renfrow, before Dawuane Smoot shut the door on the series with a 12-yard sack on third-and-1 to force a punt.

Smoot tv with the sack! Beautiful stunt using Josh Hines Allen. pic.twitter.com/IpjIeGBUzf

— Fitz (@LaurieFitzptrck) September 7, 2025

The penalty issue again popped up on the following drive with both Patrick Mekari and Dyami Brown both called for holding penalties while inside of their own 20-yard line. On the following play, Lawrence was intercepted by Jaycee Horn on an underthrown pass to Travis Hunter.

Jaycee Horn ONE-HANDED pick!

CARvsJAX on FOXhttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/VJYtGbVNds

— NFL (@NFL) September 7, 2025

The Jacksonville defense held Carolina to three-and-out with Tyson Campbell forcing a Tet McMillian endzone fourth down incompletion.

Tyson Campbell vs. McMilllan. Great breakup as hes trying to bring it in. pic.twitter.com/7RAlxIHwmY

— Fitz (@LaurieFitzptrck) September 7, 2025

4th Quarter

After a shaky third quarter for Lawrence, going 1 for 6 with an interception, the Jacksonville offense picked things up with Trevor going 4 for 6 on the 15-play, 49-play drive, capped by a Cam Little 36-yard field goal. (Jaguars 23, Panthers 3)

With the Jaguars seemingly playing slightly softer, fourth quarter coverage Carolina methodically moved down the field scoring their first touchdown of the matchup – a 27-yard catch and run by Chuba Hubbard. A missed tackle by Eric Murray allowed the Panthers back to waltz into the endzone untouched. (Jaguars 23, Panthers 10)

Anton Harrison left the game during this drive with a back injury. Chuma Edoga filled in at right tackle with Cole Van Lanen previously announced inactive. After recovering the onside kick, Jacksonville, in time milking mode put together a 7-play, 38-yard, 2:50 field goal drive with Cam Little making the 28-yard attempt. (Jaguars 26, Panthers 10)

Jourdan Lewis then put a bow on this one with a tipped pass interception to wrap the Panthers’ final drive. Final score: Jaguars 26, Panthers 10

Best highlight:

Travis Etienne’s 71-yard second quarter rush truly opened up the game for the Jacksonville offense.

Travis Etienne goes 71 YARDS on the ground!

CARvsJAX on FOXhttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/tvsIl6cNNJ

— NFL (@NFL) September 7, 2025

Biggest play(s) of the game:

According to rbsdm.com, the biggest play of the game by Expected Points Added (EPA) was Foye Oluokun’s second quarter interception (-4.9 EPA).

See ball, get ball!#CARvsJAX on FOX pic.twitter.com/KOM94axqQn

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) September 7, 2025

Per rbsdm.com, this play was also the biggest play of the game by Win Probability (-12%).

Key stats (traditional):

• QB Trevor Lawrence: 19/31 for 178-yards (5.7 YPA) with 1 TD & 1 interception (74.4 QBR)
• RB Travis Etienne: 16 carries for 148-yards (8.9 YPC), 3 catches on 3 targets for 13-yards (4.3 YPR)
• TE Brenton Strange: 4 catches on 4 targets for 59-yards (14.9 YPR)
• WR Dyami Brown: 3 catches on 4 targets (17.3 YPR), and 2 rushes for 6-yards (3.0 YPC)
• LB Foye Oluokun: 10-tackles (6-solo), 1 interception, and 1 fumble forced
• CB Jourdan Lewis: 5 tackles (3-solo), 1 interception, 3 passes defensed, 1 QB hit, and 1 fumble recovery
• DE Dawuane Smoot: 2 tackles (1-solo), 1 QB sack

View the full box score here.

Game balls:

• Special Teams: K Cam Little: 4/4 with a long of 47-yards and 2/2 on extra points
• Defense: While both Jourdan Lewis (interception, 2 pass breakups, and a fumble recovery) and Eric Murray (big hit and deflection causing the Foye interception) both receive honorable mentions, this award goes to Foye Oluokun hands down

Foye has an INT and a force fumble in this game pic.twitter.com/eTxzLt4rff

— Fitz (@LaurieFitzptrck) September 7, 2025

A 10-tackle game with 6-solo, an interception, and a fumble forced in a game where your team scores 10-points off turnovers will get you a player of the game nomination every day and twice on Sunday.

• Offense: RB Travis Etienne dominated the day on the ground with 16 carries for 148-yards (8.9 YPC), 3 catches on 3 targets for 13-yards (4.3 YPR). This was the most rushing yard of any Jacksonville running back since Etienne’s 156-yard game in week 8 of the 2022 season against the Denver Broncos.

PFF notable player:

The team over at Pro Football Focus noted the following:

• The Jaguars produced 122-yards on explosive rushes versus the Panthers’ 22-yards.
• The Panthers’ Bryce Young had 41-scramble yards versus the Jaguars’ 14
• DE Josh Hines-Allen collected 7 QB pressures, 3 QB hits, and 4 hurries

Notable absences:

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

• OL Wyatt Milum (knee)
• OL Cole Van Lanen (shoulder)
• CB Montaric Brown (ankle)

Healthy Scratches:

• DT Maason Smith (coaches’ decision)
• DL Danny Striggow (healthy scratch)
• DL B.J. Green III (healthy scratch)

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

• RT Anton Harrison (back)

Full highlights:

• You can watch the top plays of the Week 1 matchup on the NFL’s YouTube channel here.

Post-game lingering questions:

1. Can the team clean up the miscues?

A familiar story popped up early on in this one with Jacksonville’s offense committing three penalties for 32-yards. The two holding penalties came courtesy of Center Robert Hainsey and Tight End Johnny Mundt. The final penalty on the drive, a first-down Trevor Lawrence intentional grounding penalty from the redzone resulted in a field goal instead of a potential touchdown series. The issue again popped up in the third quarter, with Patrick Mekari and Dyami Brown both called for holding penalties before Lawrence’s interception. As the penalties have been an ongoing storyline throughout the offseason, this will likely continue to be something we keep an eye on throughout the early portions of the season.

2. Turnovers Galore

After a 2024 season where the Jacksonville defense had just 8 defensive turnovers, Anthony Campanile’s unit was able for force three turnovers today. With two interceptions, one fumble recovery, and two turnovers on downs the defense often set their offense up for success, holding Bryce Young to a 48.9 passer rating in the process.

3. Missed tackles continue to be a point of emphasis

With the team nearly able to wrap the game up, the issue of missed tackles continued to show themselves, as Panthers’ running back Chuba Hubbard shed Eric Murray’s tackle attempt to walk into the endzone for the Panther’s fourth quarter touchdown to create a 13-point game. Nevertheless, the defense played really well to recover from those misses, with others hustling to follow the play. Without the QB scrambles, the Carolina run game was limited to 20-carries for 73-yards (3.65 YPC). That’s winning football against a quality rushing offense.

The Cincinnati Bengals are up next for the Jaguars, who will travel up for their week 2 matchup. 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-...ement-made-jaguars-1-0-after-panthers-victory

 

[Jacksonville Jaguars]

Jaguars vs Bengals: Week 2 opening odds

The Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0) will face the Cincinnati Bengals (1-0) at 1:00 p.m. EST on Sunday, Sept. 14 at Paycor Stadium.

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Bengals are 3.5-point favorites and the total is set at 49.5 points.

“Really cool to be standing up here obviously after a win,” head coach Liam Coen said after the Week 1 win over Carolina. “I was just really proud to be their coach today with the way that they competed, the way we hit, the way we were more physical, all the things that we kind of wanted to preach about.”

“Now, is it perfect? Absolutely not. You’re frustrated with some of the penalties that have continued to bite us in the butt that we did overcome at times, but that’s not something we want to get used to doing, by any means. So when you play teams as we go throughout this thing, we cannot do those things and expect to win.”

The Bengals narrowly won their Week 1 bout against the Browns, and it wasn’t pretty.

From ESPN Research: The Browns held the Bengals to 7 yards in the second half. It's the fewest yds in the second half by a winning team in the last 25 years.

Cleveland outgained Cincinnati, 327-141, and doubled-up on first downs (22-11) in the one-point loss.

— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) September 7, 2025

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

Source: https://www.bigcatcountry.com/jacksonville-jaguars-odds/76811/jaguars-vs-bengals-week-2-opening-odds

 

[Jacksonville Jaguars]

Travis Hunter Makes Regular Season Debut: ‘I Did My Job’

Once upon a time, Travis Hunter’s grandmother signed him up for football. On Sunday, she stood as a witness to the fruits of her endeavor.

The former second-overall pick and current NFL unicorn made his debut with the Jacksonville Jaguars in the team’s 26-10 win over the Carolina Panthers. Pregame, Hunter embraced with his family and his grandmother who made a decision that may end up reshaping the Jaguars as an organization and football as a whole. What a fateful day that was, however many years ago.

Jump ahead to 2025, the WR/CB played both offense and defense in his first regular season game, but far more offense than the tackling side of the ball.

Hunter started on offense and played 42 snaps, catching a team-high six passes for 33 yards. Defensively, Hunter played just six snaps mostly in zone looks as an extra man.

By doing so, Hunter became the first NFL player over the last 20 seasons to play five or more defensive snaps and catch five or more passes in single game, setting the first of what projects to be many records for Hunter and his team.

“I was just excited and ready to go out and win with my team and bring the energy,” Hunter said postgame Sunday. “I try to bring the energy, bring the guys up and stay true to ourselves.”

As was the case during the preseason, Hunter didn’t necessarily light the world on fire with his play. It was a pedestrian day by second-overall pick standards, especially given the 68-yard day eighth-overall pick Tet McMillian had for the Panthers.

Hunter’s biggest contribution was probably his amped up sideline energy. For example, his infectious smile and personality were on full display during Brian Thomas Jr.’s rushing score. If all Hunter needs to do is smile and wave for his team to score and eventually win, that is good with him.

“I just go out there and be myself,” Hunter said. “My job is to bring the energy and do my job.”

Travis Hunter feeling it after this @Jaguars TD!

: FOX pic.twitter.com/T0uhdVeXro

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 7, 2025

Every Jags fan knows Hunter can play more. Hunter knows that. His grandmother knows that. It was actually the offensive scheme of the Panthers which saw the former Heisman trophy winner limited on defense. But that is going to change as the season goes along, according to head coach Liam Coen.

“That was game one,” Coen said postgame. “There were a lot of different coverage changes with their formations, adjustments. It was a little less for him this game. It will only continue to evolve. I can only see it going and expanding from here.”

While it may not have been Hunter’s direct impact, the defense as a whole stymied the Panthers at almost every turn, snagging a pair of picks and forcing a fumble to go along with two turnovers on downs. That fact was no surprise to the rookie from Colorado.

“We do that every day in practice, just fly around,” Hunter said. “The big emphasis is to get to the ball. Tips and overthrows, we get those. That is what we have been doing.”

The usually overjoyed Hunter, donning his new-look buzz cut, wasn’t frustrated with his play time or lack thereof. He wasn’t subtweeting the team afterwards or taking his frustrations out with the media. He got a win in his first game and that was enough.

“I just go out there when they call my name,” Hunter said. “We went out there and won. My first game was a dub. That was exciting for me.”

Offensively, the Jags gashed Carolina for 200 yards on the ground. Seeing that play out excited the young unicorn player, as running the ball tends to force more man coverages, which allow for more touches for receivers.

If his first game was any inclination, there are probably more five-plus catch games in Hunter’s future.

“I did my job. That was the main focus,” Hunter said. “I did what they asked me to do. I know I can do more, I know I can do better.”

The only real blemish on Hunter’s debut Sunday was he didn’t play more. He was the targeted receiver on Jaycee Horn’s miraculous one-handed interception as well, which momentarily made even someone like Hunter seem normal.

However, Hunter is as special as it gets. No one is asked to play football quite like Hunter. He will only be asked to play more and more as the weeks go on.

And all have Hunter’s grandmother to thank for that.

here are all 8 of Travis Hunter's targets in Week 1

that led the team, and it included 3 screens to force the ball into his hands

42 snaps on offense vs 6 on defense in a blowout win

BTJ – 57 of 66 snaps
Dyami Brown – 47 of 66
Travis Hunter – 42 of 66 pic.twitter.com/Hldz6KPlGS

— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) September 8, 2025

Source: https://www.bigcatcountry.com/jacks...unter-makes-regular-season-debut-i-did-my-job

 

[Jacksonville Jaguars]

Trade: Jaguars send Tank Bigsby to the Eagles for 2026 draft picks

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA – SEPTEMBER 07: Tank Bigsby #4 of the Jacksonville Jaguars is introduced prior to a game against the Carolina Panthers at EverBank Stadium on September 07, 2025 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

After leading the Jacksonville Jaguars in all rushing categories last season, Tank Bigsby accounted for just 12 of the team’s 200 rushing yards in its dominant Week 1 win.

24 hours after the game, Ian Rapoport reported that Bigsby has been traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for 2026 fifth and sixth round picks.

Sources: The #Eagles are at it again, trading for #Jaguars RB Tank Bigsby. The champs continue to build. pic.twitter.com/vEW86peKRq

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 8, 2025

The Eagles “liked Bigsby’s effectiveness as a kickoff returner” according to The Athletic’s Brooks Kubena. Bigsby’s 28.5 yards per return ranks 10th out of 54 players (min. 10 kick returns) since he entered the league in 2023.

He had a 20-yard return on Sunday in the debut of the league’s new dynamic kickoff rule, which was designed to promote returns. The design worked. According to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, the NFL’s Week 1 touchback rate on kickoffs dropped from 64.5% in 2024 to 18.6% this season.

With Bigsby out of the fold, Jacksonville’s primary kick returners figure to be Parker Washington and Bhayshul Tuten.

The team’s belief in Tuten and fellow Day 3 rookie LeQuint Allen allowed the Jaguars to continue to stock draft capital. Those two will mix in on offense behind lead back Travis Etienne, who posted over 150 yards from scrimmage in Week 1.

“You could feel [Etienne] all day,” head coach Liam Coen said postgame. “You definitely felt him being a little bit — having a little bit more burst maybe than other guys on the grass. He looked fresh. He looked fast. He took care of the football. Proud of him. He did a great job, but the whole unit, really all the way through the end of the game, ran the ball effectively.”

Bigsby finished his Jaguars career with 223 carries for 910 yards (4.1 yards per carry) and 9 touchdowns, plus 8 receptions for 60 yards.

Jacksonville now has a league-high 13 picks in next year’s NFL Draft.

Jags have 13 picks in the 2026 draft now including:

Round 2: own
Round 3: own
Round 3: Detroit
Round 3: Detroit
Round 4: own
Round 5: Minnesota
Round 5: own
Round 5: Eagles (could be a 4th)
Round 6: Eagles
Round 7: rams
Round 7: Detroit
Round 7: eagles
Round 7: own

— Demetrius Harvey (@Demetrius82) September 9, 2025

What are your thoughts on the trade, Jaguars fans? Let us know in the comments!

Source: https://www.bigcatcountry.com/jacks...ank-bigsby-to-the-eagles-for-2026-draft-picks

 

[Jacksonville Jaguars]

Jaguars Rookie Report: How Travis Hunter and others fared in Week 1

The Jacksonville Jaguars kicked off the 2025 season with a fairly easy win over the Carolina Panthers as they never trailed on their way to a 26-10 victory.

It was a complete team effort as the team won in all three phases of the game, and while the stars were the driving force of the victory, the 2025 rookie class made a significant impact in this one.

In fact, every draftee that wasn’t on the injury report saw action on Sunday and they all contributed in some way to the win. Let’s dive into how each rookie fared in Week 1, and we’ll kick things off with The Unicorn himself, Travis Hunter.

Travis Hunter

After missing most of the preseason with a minor injury, it was unclear just how adept to the offense Travis Hunter would be in his first real game action of his career but those questions were quickly answered as he received two targets on the very first drive of the game.

He finished the game with a team-high eight targets as he hauled in six of them for 33 yards on the day. While those numbers aren’t eye-opening by any means, they do show that Liam Coen and the Jacksonville passing attack want to prioritize getting the ball in his hands to set him up with catch-and-run opportunities.

Travis Hunter's first NFL catch!

CARvsJAX on FOXhttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/CRV1aC4VrT

— NFL (@NFL) September 7, 2025

On the defensive side of the ball, Hunter played just six snaps which didn’t really allow for much of a glimpse at his ability in coverage. He allowed one catch where he helped to clean up the tackle afterwards for his only registered stat on defense.

Bhayshul Tuten

Rookie running back Bhayshul Tuten saw minimal work in the backfield on Sunday as he had just three carries on the day. However, the first carry of his career really highlighted what he can provide this offense as he made something out of nothing on his way to an eight-yard gain.

Bhayshul Tuten is probably already the best zone runner on this team if he can maintain ball security.

This press and slide inside paired with his burst is breathtaking.

Could complement Etienne very soon. pic.twitter.com/h9AH6rOkB4

— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) September 8, 2025

His decisiveness in the face of traffic to get lateral and burst through the open hole is something that has been an inconsistent trait amongst Jacksonville running backs for a while. If he can sprinkle plays like that into this offense consistently, then his role will only continue to increase – especially after the recent Tank Bigsby trade.

Jack Kiser

The fourth round linebacker out of Notre Dame didn’t register a defensive snap on Sunday but he did see 13 special teams snaps. While he didn’t notch anything in the stat column, Kiser is coming off of an impressive camp and preseason where he beat out veteran Chad Muma for that final LB4 spot on the final roster. While it was a quiet outing, Kiser should have opportunities to make an impact as the season progresses.

Rayuan Lane

Like Kiser, safety Rayuan Lane was primarily used on special teams on Sunday as he saw 13 snaps on that unit where he tallied one tackle on the day.

Lane’s ability to be the first man to the ball on the punt and kickoff united flashed all preseason and that will be the expectation for him all season. The team released long-time gunner Daniel Thomas this offseason in favor of the rookie out of Navy so they clearly have high expectations for him in that role.

Jonah Monheim

The special teams train keeps on chugging as Monheim saw most of his work with the specialists as well, although he did come in for both kneel-downs at the end of the game so he registered two “offensive ” snaps.

The USC product held up well on the kick coverage unit and will continue to be the primary backup to starting center Robert Hainsey for now.

LeQuint Allen Jr.

There is an argument to be made that the Jaguars’ last draft pick in the 2025 NFL Draft was actually the most impactful rookie not named Travis Hunter on the day.

LeQuint Allen Jr. played 11 total snaps with nine coming on offense where he tallied one rush for seven yards and one reception for four yards. However, it was his pass protection out of the backfield that really stood out.

One of the reasons the #Jaguars felt they could move on from Bigsby is 7th-round rookie LeQuint Allen Jr. Liam Coen has recognized this play from Sunday twice since the game ended. pic.twitter.com/adHyzF8SyC

— John Shipley (@_John_Shipley) September 9, 2025

His anticipation and willingness to engage with free rushers could be a huge factor in Liam Coen’s offense which could lead to the seventh rounder being a major factor on this team going forward.

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

Source: https://www.bigcatcountry.com/jacks...-how-travis-hunter-and-others-fared-in-week-1

 

[Jacksonville Jaguars]

Jaguars vs Bengals Matchup History: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

We are on to Week 2 of the 2025-26 NFL Season, and our Jacksonville Jaguars are currently undefeated! The team is on the road this week to face off against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Jags and Bengals have played each other 25 times, and Jacksonville currently leads the series 13-12. Let’s take a stroll through franchise history to look at the good, the bad, and the ugly from the team’s series against the Bengals.

Series results

Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Score
09/10/1995	Jacksonville Jaguars	17	Cincinnati Bengals	24
11/26/1995	Cincinnati Bengals	17	Jacksonville Jaguars	13
10/27/1996	Jacksonville Jaguars	21	Cincinnati Bengals	28
12/01/1996	Cincinnati Bengals	27	Jacksonville Jaguars	30
10/05/1997	Cincinnati Bengals	13	Jacksonville Jaguars	21
11/23/1997	Jacksonville Jaguars	26	Cincinnati Bengals	31
11/08/1998	Cincinnati Bengals	11	Jacksonville Jaguars	24
11/29/1998	Jacksonville Jaguars	34	Cincinnati Bengals	17
10/31/1999	Jacksonville Jaguars	41	Cincinnati Bengals	10
01/02/2000	Cincinnati Bengals	7	Jacksonville Jaguars	24
09/17/2000	Cincinnati Bengals	0	Jacksonville Jaguars	13
12/17/2000	Jacksonville Jaguars	14	Cincinnati Bengals	17
11/11/2001	Cincinnati Bengals	13	Jacksonville Jaguars	30
12/09/2001	Jacksonville Jaguars	14	Cincinnati Bengals	10
12/15/2002	Jacksonville Jaguars	29	Cincinnati Bengals	15
10/09/2005	Cincinnati Bengals	20	Jacksonville Jaguars	23
11/02/2008	Jacksonville Jaguars	19	Cincinnati Bengals	21
10/09/2011	Cincinnati Bengals	30	Jacksonville Jaguars	20
09/30/2012	Cincinnati Bengals	27	Jacksonville Jaguars	10
11/02/2014	Jacksonville Jaguars	23	Cincinnati Bengals	33
11/05/2017	Cincinnati Bengals	7	Jacksonville Jaguars	23
10/20/2019	Jacksonville Jaguars	27	Cincinnati Bengals	17
10/04/2020	Jacksonville Jaguars	25	Cincinnati Bengals	33
09/30/2021	Jacksonville Jaguars	21	Cincinnati Bengals	24
12/04/2023	Cincinnati Bengals	34	Jacksonville Jaguars	31

The Good

The biggest deficit: Week 8 at Cinergy Field on October 31, 1999
Final score: Jaguars 41 – Bengals 10
Attendance: 49,138

Fred Taylor, Keenan McCardell, Jimmy Smith, and James Stewart scored touchdowns. Mark Brunell completed 11 out of 19 attempted passes for 145 yards. Fred Taylor led the team with 128 rushing yards, and Jimmy Smith led with 89 receiving yards. Mike Hollis made the two attempted field goals. Aaron Beasley and Donovin Darius both had interceptions. Tony Brackens and Kevin Hardy each recorded one sack.

The first shutout in franchise history: Week 3 at Alltel Stadium on September 17, 2000
First score: Bengals 0 – Jaguars 13
Attendance: 45,653

Keenan McCardell scored the only touchdown. Mark Brunell completed 20 out of 32 attempted passes for 176 yards. Stacey Mack led the team with 35 rushing yards, and Keenan McCardell led with 108 receiving yards. Steve Lindsey made two out of the three attempted field goals. Hardy Nickerson and Aaron Beasley had interceptions. Nickerson, Gary Walker, Tony Brackens, and Joel Smeenge recorded sacks. Nickerson, Donovin Darius, and Kiwaukee Thomas led the team with six tackles each.

The Bad

Week 4 at EverBank Field on September 30, 2012
Final score: Jaguars 10 – Bengals 27
Attendance: 63,030

Marcedes Lewis scored the only touchdown. Blaine Gabbert completed 23 out of 34 attempted passes for 186 yards. Maurice Jones-Drew led the team with 38 rushing yards, and Justin Blackmon led with 48 receiving yards. Josh Scobee made the attempted field goal. Kyle Bosworth had an interception. Paul Posluszny and Russell Allen led with 11 combined tackles.

The Ugly

Week 13 at EverBank Stadium on December 4, 2023
Final score: Bengals 34 – Jaguars 31
Attendance: 67,951

Ain't no way!@CPW11_ | #CINvsJAX on ESPN pic.twitter.com/AQFugOrHqY

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) December 5, 2023

While there were worse numerical losses, I chose this one for the ugly because our franchise quarterback sustained an injury after Walker Little stepped on his ankle, Christian Kirk left the game after the team’s first offensive play with a groin injury, and although victory was still within reach, the team lost in overtime. Travis Etienne, Evan Engram, Parker Washington, and Trevor Lawrence scored touchdowns. Before his injury, Lawrence completed 22 out of 29 attempted passes for 258 yards, and backup C.J. Beathard completed nine out of ten attempted passes for 63 yards. Etienne led the team with 45 rushing yards, and Engram led with 82 receiving yards. Brandon McManus made one of the two attempted field goals. Joshua Hines-Allen had an 8-yard interception and recorded 1.5 sacks. Travon Walker was credited with the 0.5 sack. Foyesade Oluokun led the team with 13 combined tackles.

Players who have played for JAX and CIN

Player	Position	Years in JAX	Years in CIN
Adams, Blue	DB	2003	2007
Allen, Brandon	QB	2016	2020-2022
Bean, Robert	DB	2002	2000-2001
Brown, Preston	LB	2019	2018-2019
Calitro, Austin	LB	2019	2021
Cosby, Quan	WR	2012	2009-2010
DeMarco, Brian	OT	1995-1998	1999
Eifert, Tyler	TE	2020	2013-2019
Flowers, Tre	DB	2024	2021-2022
Gibson, Damon	WR	2001-2002	1998
Hardy, Kevin	LB	1996-2001	2003-2004
Harrington, Christopher	DE	2009	2008
Harris, Nick	P	2011	2001-2003
Jackson, Willie	WR	1995-1997	1998-1999
Jones, David	DB	2010-2011	2007-2009
Jones, Marvin	WR	2021-2022	2012-2015
Jones, Sidney	DB	2020	2023
LeFevour, Dan	QB	2011	2010
Mabin, Greg	DB	2020	2019
Miller, John	OG	2022	2019
Mitchell, Anthony	DB	2003	2004-2005
Nelson, Reggie	DB	2007-2009	2010-2015
Ogbuehi, Cedric	OT	2019	2015-2018
Palmer, Jordan	QB	2012	2008-2010
Patterson, Elton	DE	2004	2003-2004
Porter, Sean	LB	2016	2013-2014
Pryor, Kendric	WR	2022	2024
Reynolds, LaRoy	LB	2013-2015	2019
Sadowski, Troy	TE	1998	1994-1996
Shipley, Jordan	WR	2012	2010-2011
Simmons, Clyde	DE	1996-1997	1998
Skuta, Dan	LB	2015-2016	2009-2012
Smith, Chris	DE	2014-2016	2017
Stephens, Santo	LB	1995	1994
Thompson, Lamont	DB	2007	2002
Thompson, Mike	DT	1995	1998
Trent, Morgan	DB	2011	2009-2011
Tufele, Jay	DT	2021	2022-2024

Please share your favorite moments from the Jaguars vs the Bengals series with us in the comments or on social media. Not following us on social media? You can find us on Twitter, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.

Source: https://www.bigcatcountry.com/jacks...matchup-history-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly

 

[Jacksonville Jaguars]

Jaguars, Bengals Wednesday Injury Report

The 1-0 Jacksonville Jaguars will look to double their win total on Sunday, as the team makes their first road trip of 2025, heading to Ohio to face the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium for the 1 P.M. kickoff. On Wednesday, both teams released their initial injury reports for the week, with generally good news for Jacksonville.

Jacksonville starting right tackle Anton Harrison opened the week as a full participant after leaving Sunday’s matchup late due to back spasms. Meanwhile, offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen was also a full participant as he seems to be improving from his offseason shoulder injury. He was a limited participant in each of last week’s practices before being listed inactive on Sunday.

In the secondary, cornerback Montaric (Buster) Brown was a limited participant on Wednesday, as his participation ramps up. Brown missed most of training camp and all of last week’s practices due to an ankle injury.

Rookie offensive lineman Wyatt Milum was noted as a did not practice (DNP) due to his training camp knee injury that resulted in him missing Sunday’s matchup.

For Cincinnati, starting right tackle Amarius Mims was a limited participant with an ankle injury. Mims did not miss any game time during Sunday’s 17-16 victory over the Cleveland Browns. However, Mims’ neighbor, starting right guard Lucas Patrick, was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday due to a calf injury suffered 16 snaps into Sunday’s matchup. The recently signed free agent, Dalton Risner, will slide into the starting lineup next to Mims with the IR move for Patrick. Risner was a free agent pickup, signed during training camp on August 28th.

Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher spoke glowingly about Risner’s play, stepping in for Patrick in Sunday’s win.

“It’s unfortunate that we’re having to call on our depth as soon as we are, but it’s certainly nice to have a guys that knows what it’s supposed to look like. He has been in the book and done a remarkable job of picking everything up as quickly as he’s picked it up. Good communicator. Smart. I really have very few concerns about getting him up and running.”

The only other listed player for Cincinnati was long snapper William Wagner, who was also a full participant with a hamstring injury.

Overall, potentially a great injury update for the left side of the Jacksonville defensive front, as a weakened Bengals offensive line looks slightly weaker after week one. Meanwhile, Jacksonville remains reasonably healthy, with a few depth pieces also improving.

What are your thoughts on the week’s first injury report, Duval? Let us know in the comments!

Source: https://www.bigcatcountry.com/jacks...76947/jaguars-bengals-wednesday-injury-report

 

[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