The Bengals’ afternoon unraveled fast, and it never really got back on track.
By the time Cincinnati finished its 22-17 loss to the Jaguars at Paycor Stadium, the damage had piled up everywhere: Ja’Marr Chase had left to be evaluated for a concussion, the secondary was already shorthanded, and Joe Burrow was taking hit after hit in a game that felt ugly almost from the start. What should have been a manageable Week 4 home spot turned into a slog.
The injury list set the tone early. Bryan Cook, Kyle Dugger, and Jalen Davis were already out of the secondary, with other injuries also hanging over the roster. Then Chase exited in the first half, and the Bengals were forced to keep grinding with even less margin for error.
That makes the play of Cincinnati’s safeties not named Jordan Battle stand out even more. Battle had a rough day, including a first-quarter tackle attempt on 3rd and 18 that raised eyebrows.
PJ Jules and Russ Yeast, though, looked more comfortable in split duty. With Bryan Cook unavailable, the group around Battle did enough to look like the safer bet right now.
On offense, Dohnte Meyers kept building his case for a bigger role. He caught seven passes for 82 yards on nine targets and continued to look like a player Burrow trusts.
He also would have made a strong case as the return man on every punt last week, and the production backed up the eye test. Back in June, the call was that Meyers could be the WR3, and Sunday only reinforced that view.
Tee Higgins was another bright spot, at least for most of the game. He finished with his fourth 100-yard outing since the start of the 2024 season, a reminder of just how dangerous he can be even when Ja’Marr Chase usually commands the spotlight.
Higgins also got banged up late with what looked like a groin issue, returned to the game, and still couldn’t finish the final drive. Given his history there, that’s a situation worth watching after the bye.
But the Bengals gave too much away elsewhere. Zac Taylor’s long-standing “disciplined team” image took another hit as penalties piled up.
Jacksonville came in good at avoiding flags, then got hit with 10 penalties for 100 yards through two quarters alone. Cincinnati still managed to trail 13-3 at halftime, in part because it also had six penalties for 49 yards by then.
The Bengals finished with 11 penalties for 108 yards, and the offensive tweaks Taylor has leaned on haven’t exactly moved the needle. The under-center push, in particular, has done little to change the feel of this offense.
Dylan Fairchild also had a day to forget. The second-year left guard was flagged twice for holding, including one call that erased a Samaje Perine touchdown run. The officiating in the first half was rough all around, but Fairchild still has to wear those mistakes.
Then there was Burrow. He played well for stretches, but the mistakes were costly.
His first interception came when he was hit as he threw, which at least had an explanation. The second one, though, was a careless red-zone throw in the fourth quarter, and that’s the kind of play that sticks.
A roughing the passer call earlier had already wiped out a lollipop interception Burrow floated toward Travis Hunter, but the late turnover still landed hard. He finished with 54 passes thrown and took a beating throughout the day.
Chase Brown didn’t do enough to help the offense escape the mess, either. He had 10 yards on nine carries and came up a yard short on 4th and 10 when the game was on the line.
Yes, he added 11 catches for 71 yards, but the ground game never threatened. Burrow talked him up all offseason, Dan Pitcher has said the Bengals are close to a big game on the ground, and yet the results keep falling flat.
The blocking wasn’t perfect, with a banged-up Dalton Risner at right guard, and the scheme hasn’t helped much. Still, Brown’s inability to create in space or break contact is becoming impossible to ignore.
By the end, it felt like the same story in a different week: too many penalties, too many injuries, too little run game, and too much pressure on Burrow to carry everything. The Bengals had chances to make this one manageable. Instead, they walked off with another frustrating loss.
In Other News...
Tee Higgins Injury Leaves Bengals Facing One Big Offensive Concern
Tee Higgins night against the Jaguars ended with a late adductor injury, and it left the Bengals with one of the more immediate questions they can face this early in the week. Higgins tried to come back after leaving the game, but he was unable to continue, and Cincinnati still has not offered any recovery timeline as the team awaits further evaluation.
For a passing game that leans heavily on Higgins as one of its top targets, the timing matters as much as the injury itself. The Bengals now have to sort through what comes next without knowing how long they may be without him, and that uncertainty adds another layer to an offense already trying to keep its footing. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Suddenly Face A Ja'Marr Chase Scare They Can't Afford
JaMarr Chases afternoon against Jacksonville took an unwelcome turn when a facemask hit led to a head injury and a concussion evaluation, forcing the Bengals star receiver out of the game for a stretch. For a Cincinnati offense that leans heavily on Chase to set the tone, any pause in his availability immediately changes the feel of the sideline and the play-calling.
Zac Taylor also pointed to the broader reality the Bengals are dealing with, noting the strain of injuries across the receiver room with Chase among the players affected. Even when Chase is only listed as questionable to return, the ripple effect is clear for a team that cannot afford to lose more firepower while trying to stay on schedule offensively. [Read more 🡒]
Ja'Marr Chase's Exit Leaves Bengals Facing A Brutal Offensive Question
JaMarr Chases day against the Jacksonville Jaguars turned uneasy in Week 4 when the Bengals star wideout took a helmet-to-helmet hit and was evaluated for a possible concussion. Chase walked off under his own power, but the injury status alone was enough to put Cincinnatis offense on edge, especially with the game still hanging in the balance and the receiving room already stretched by other injuries.
The concern for the Bengals goes beyond one player leaving a Sunday game. With other receivers already handling larger workloads, Chases potential absence would force Cincinnati to lean even harder on a group that has been asked to absorb more responsibility lately. For an offense built around his playmaking, the question now is how much it can keep its rhythm if he has to miss time. [Read more 🡒]