By admin 
The Cincinnati Bengals’ mistake fest continued on Sunday as they lost 22-17 to the Jacksonville Jaguars despite dominating the yardage battle for long stretches at Paycor Stadium. They finished with 437 total yards, including 428 passing yards from Joe Burrow. Zac Taylor and Co. also struggled in the red zone and could not get much going on the ground.
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The loss drops Cincinnati to the bottom of the AFC North with a 2-2 record. Ja’Marr Chase left early with an injury, but several players stepped up to keep the offense moving. Others played a role in the Bengals’ second straight fourth-quarter collapse. Here is a look at the winners and losers from Sunday’s loss.
Winners from the Bengals’ Loss to the Jaguars
Tee Higgins
With Chase leaving early in the second half, Jacksonville focused more attention on Higgins. The veteran receiver responded with his best game of the season, catching 11 passes for 157 yards. He consistently made plays along the boundary and won contested catches on third down. The Bengals WR became Burrow’s primary weapon and showed he can handle a bigger role.
Amarius Mims
Mims faced his toughest test of the season against Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, but the second-year right tackle delivered another flawless performance. He kept Burrow clean and extended his streak to four games without allowing a sack, hit, or hurry.
On an afternoon where Burrow dropped back more than 50 times, his ability to handle Jacksonville’s top pass rushers without much help was one of the biggest positives for Cincinnati.
Dexter Lawrence II
Cincinnati’s revamped interior defensive line continued to be a bright spot. Dexter Lawrence recorded three total tackles and 1.0 sack. He helped collapse the pocket and made several plays against the run. Lawrence’s ability to control the middle helped Cincinnati get key stops early and prevented Jacksonville’s offense from finding a rhythm.
Losers from the Bengals’ Loss to the Jaguars
Chase Brown
Brown was useful in the passing game, catching 11 passes for 71 yards. But the Bengals could not get much from him on the ground. He finished with just 10 rushing yards on nine carries as Jacksonville repeatedly crowded the box.
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Without a consistent running game, Burrow had too much on his plate. The Bengals QB threw 54 passes, and the offense became more predictable as the game went on.
Jordan Battle
Battle took over as the primary communicator with Bryan Cook and Kyle Dugger sidelined, but he had a difficult afternoon. Cincinnati struggled against Jacksonville’s crossing routes, allowing Trevor Lawrence to complete more than 75% of his passes.
Tight end Brenton Strange also found plenty of room over the middle, finishing with seven receptions for 95 receiving yards. The Bengals’ secondary struggled to maintain its coverage responsibilities and gave Jacksonville too many easy completions.
Zac Taylor
Taylor’s game management again raised questions. The Bengals scored touchdowns on only two of four red-zone trips and moved away from the run after falling behind. One costly fourth-quarter interception also ended a potential go-ahead drive.
The offense struggled to adjust after Chase exited the game with a concussion. Cincinnati still outgained the Jaguars by more than 100 yards, but could not turn that production into a win.
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This story was originally published October 4, 2026 at 2:58 PM.