The Jaguars have already won a few of the hidden battles that decide games, and Week 4 figures to be no different. Jacksonville is 2-1, and if it wants to walk out of Cincinnati with another win, it will need to keep stacking victories in the matchups that matter most.
The headline duel is easy to spot: Travis Hunter against Ja’Marr Chase. That one will draw plenty of attention, and deservedly so. But the outcome may swing on some less flashy fights across the field, starting with Jacksonville’s passing game and the way the Bengals are built to defend it.
Jakobi Meyers looks like a central piece for the Jaguars this week. Parker Washington could be set up for explosive plays because of how much man coverage Cincinnati uses, but Meyers may be the receiver Jacksonville leans on most in the biggest moments. He followed up a strong showing against the Patriots last week with the kind of reliability the Jaguars trust on third downs and in the red zone.
With the Bengals expected to use Dax Hill in the slot because of their cornerback injuries, Meyers should see plenty of work on the outside against DJ Turner. Turner is Cincinnati’s best defensive back, but Meyers has been as efficient as any receiver in football.
According to NextGenStats, Trevor Lawrence has a 156.3 passer rating when targeting Meyers in 2026, the third-highest mark among quarterback-receiver pairs with at least 10 targets this season. Meyers has caught 10 of 11 targets for 132 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
On the other side of the ball, the Jaguars will have to deal with one of the better pass-protecting tackles they have seen all season in Amarius Mims. The Bengals’ young right tackle has not given up a pressure in 111 pass-protection snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. He is the only offensive tackle with at least 50 pass-protection snaps who has yet to allow a pressure this year, and that makes him a major test for Josh Hines-Allen.
Hines-Allen has been Jacksonville’s most productive pass-rusher so far this season in both pressures and pressure rate, and the Jaguars need him to create some disruption when he lines up across from Mims. Jacksonville could also slide him inside for some pass-rush chances from the interior, but the toughest snaps figure to come when he attacks Mims off the edge on passing downs.
The matchup between Chase and Hunter will dominate the conversation, but Cincinnati has another receiver who can change the game. Last season’s Jaguars-Bengals meeting was derailed in part by a late Tee Higgins touchdown, when he beat Tyson Campbell and Andrew Wingard for a score. Jacksonville’s secondary did not hold up well enough in that game, and this time it has to be sturdier if the Jaguars want a real shot.
Jarrian Jones has been productive through the first three weeks and appears to have settled in nicely on the outside opposite Hunter. He will have to deal with both Bengals receivers, but the most intriguing test may be how he handles Cincinnati’s dangerous No. 2 option.
In Other News...
Travis Hunter Just Got The Kind Of Test Jaguars Fans Feared
Travis Hunters return has already become one of the most closely watched storylines around Jacksonville, and the latest challenge waiting for him is the kind that can sharpen the attention even more. The rookie corner, drafted second overall after winning the Heisman Trophy in 2024, has been working back from a torn LCL while adding muscle, and the Jaguars have had a front-row seat to both the promise and the growing pains that come with his transition to the league.
JaMarr Chase recently offered a brief comment on facing Hunter, a meeting that carries extra weight because Chase has already had a strong day against Jacksonvilles defense before. Hunter has flashed the splash play that made him such a tantalizing prospect, including a notable interception, but he has also run into some coverage issues in a season that has drawn mixed reviews. For the Jaguars, this is the kind of test that can either validate the optimism or remind everyone how steep the learning curve can be. [Read more 🡒]
JaMarr Chases Travis Hunter Response Says Everything Bengals Fans Wanted
Ja'Marr Chase was given a familiar type of question this week, the kind that comes with any matchup against a high-profile defensive back and an even bigger spotlight. This time it was Jacksonville cornerback Travis Hunter, who has added muscle during his recovery from a torn LCL and is still carrying the weight of his lofty reputation as the former Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 overall pick in 2025.
Chase did not offer much in the way of buildup, and the briefness of his answer said plenty about how he views the matchup. For Jaguars fans, Hunters second season has already become a test case, with some wondering whether he can truly develop into the lockdown cornerback they expected, and any meeting with a receiver of Chases caliber only adds to the scrutiny. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Suddenly Have A Secondary Problem At The Worst Time
The Jaguars are heading into Week 4 with some real uncertainty in the secondary, and it comes at a bad time with the Bengals on deck. Cornerbacks Montaric Brown and Christian Braswell are both listed as questionable, and each has been limited in practice because of injuries, leaving Jacksonville to sort out how it wants to handle a matchup that could stress the back end of the defense.
Jarrian Jones has already been handling the biggest workload among Jacksonville cornerbacks this season, and that responsibility could grow quickly if Brown and Braswell cannot go. The Jaguars need clarity before kickoff because the corner rotation could end up being a major factor in how well they match up with Cincinnati's receivers. [Read more 🡒]