The Jaguars’ Week 4 matchup with the Bengals puts the spotlight squarely on the veterans, and the defense in particular has a lot of heavy lifting to do.
That starts in the middle of the field, where Cincinnati can stress a defense in a hurry. The Bengals’ passing game runs through Ja’Marr Chase, Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins, but the challenge doesn’t stop there.
Chase Brown gives them another wrinkle with shotgun runs and work as a receiver out of the backfield, and Mike Gesicki is used almost like a slot receiver. That combination is what makes Foyesade Oluokun such a central piece for Jacksonville.
Oluokun and Ventrell Miller have both opened the season strongly, but Oluokun is the veteran voice steering the unit. He is tied for No. 2 on the defense with 138 snaps, and he’ll almost certainly be on the field plenty as the Jaguars try to handle Cincinnati’s quick passing game. He has created turnovers in games like this before, and another takeaway would be a major lift.
The injury situation at cornerback pushes even more responsibility onto the safeties, especially Antonio Johnson and Eric Murray. Johnson is likely to see plenty of action in the slot against Cincinnati’s pass-catchers, while Murray may be the last line of defense against the Bengals’ deeper shots as the high safety. With Chase and Higgins bringing size, speed and explosiveness, Murray’s role in limiting big plays could be decisive.
Murray’s job won’t be limited to deep coverage, either. The Jaguars will need him to help organize the back end, making sure the communication is clean and the calls are right when the Bengals attack downfield and after the catch. With the amount of three-safety looks Jacksonville may use, Murray could also help set up a productive day for Caleb Ransaw.
On the other side of the ball, the Jaguars need their tackles to hold up against a Bengals edge group that includes Boye Mafe, Myles Murphy and Cashius Howell. Anton Harrison and Cole Van Lanen have to keep that pressure in check if Jacksonville wants the passing game to stay on schedule.
Harrison comes into the game off one of the best performances of his NFL career in Week 3 against the New England Patriots, but Cincinnati presents a different kind of test. Mafe is the Bengals’ best edge rusher and figures to see Harrison often, leaving the Jaguars’ right tackle with a major assignment in what could turn into a shootout.
In Other News...
Ja'Marr Chase Update Carries Big Consequences After Jaguars Hit
The Jaguars left Cincinnati with a game that carried more than one ripple effect, and JaMarr Chase became one of the biggest after taking a concussion in the first half of Sundays meeting. Chase was ruled out for the rest of the game after catching three passes for 27 yards, a reminder of how quickly a matchup can turn when one of the leagues most dangerous receivers is forced to the sideline.
For Jacksonville, the immediate focus is on what comes next for the Bengals offense and whether Chase can get through concussion protocol in time for Week 5 against Miami. His availability matters not just because of his production, but because of how much the Bengals lean on him when the games start to tighten up. The next few days will determine whether that injury stays a one-game interruption or lingers into another important AFC matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Trevor Lawrence Faces An Early AFC Test Jaguars Fans Will Feel
The Jaguars head into Week 4 with a good early read on where they stand, and Sundays trip to Cincinnati figures to say plenty more. Jacksonville and the Bengals both sit at 2-1, which gives this matchup a little more weight than your usual September road game, especially with kickoff set for 1 p.m. ET at Paycor Stadium and a national CBS audience watching Trevor Lawrence get another AFC measuring stick.
Lawrence has been steady enough to keep Jacksonville in the mix, but Joe Burrow and the Bengals bring the kind of quarterback test that can expose what still needs cleaning up on both sides of the ball. The numbers around each offense and defense point to two teams trying to separate from the pack, and for the Jaguars, this is the sort of early conference game that can shape how seriously the rest of the league takes them. [Read more 🡒]
Tee Higgins Injury Leaves Bengals Facing One Big Offensive Concern
Tee Higgins night ended early against the Jaguars after the Cincinnati wide receiver suffered an adductor injury late in the game and tried, unsuccessfully, to return. For a Bengals offense that leans heavily on its top pass catchers, any issue with Higgins is worth watching closely, especially when it comes on the heels of a physical matchup and leaves another layer of uncertainty in the passing game.
Cincinnati has not offered a recovery timeline, and the next step is further evaluation to determine just how long Higgins might be sidelined. For Jacksonville, the injury was one of the more notable late-game developments from a contest that already carried its share of contact and consequences, and it now puts the Bengals in wait-and-see mode with a key receiver whose availability can shape how that offense looks in the coming weeks. [Read more 🡒]