The Jaguars left Cincinnati with a 22-17 win, a 3-1 record and sole possession of first place in the AFC South, but the bigger story might be the way a few key players are shifting the shape of this team. Some stocks are climbing fast. Others are wobbling.
Bhayshul Tuten is the clearest riser. Every week, he looks a little more dangerous, and every week he keeps giving Jacksonville more reason to lean on him.
In Week 4, he piled up 73 rushing yards, reached at least 65 on the ground for the fourth straight game, and had two touchdowns wiped out - including a 44-yard burst that showed exactly why the Jaguars keep feeding him. Over the first month, he’s been producing like a true lead back, ranking top-11 in rushing yards over expectation, EPA/Rush, success rate and yards after contact per carry.
For a second-year player in his first season as the Jaguars’ top back, that’s exactly the kind of start Jacksonville had to be hoping for.
Brenton Strange also turned in a breakout kind of afternoon. The Jaguars clearly aimed the offense his way, and he rewarded them with a career-high 95 receiving yards.
There was even more there, too, if Trevor Lawrence connects on an open throw to him. Strange came through in key moments, especially on critical downs, and he was a problem for Cincinnati before and after the catch.
Among tight ends in Week 4, he finished with the highest yards per route at 4.5 ahead of Monday Night Football. Jacksonville spotted a matchup and attacked it.
On defense, Arik Armstead was everywhere. He led the Jaguars with six pressures, giving him his fourth game as a Jaguar with at least six.
That kind of disruption is exactly what Jacksonville has needed from its defensive tackle group. Only four defensive tackles had more pressures in a single game this season than Armstead did Sunday: Gervon Dexter, Jonathan Allen, Jeffery Simmons and Alim McNeil.
He’s put together six pressures over the last two weeks, and the Jaguars have to like the direction he’s headed.
Not every note was as encouraging. Anton Harrison’s season has already been a bit of a roller coaster.
He opened with a strong Week 1, dipped in Week 2, bounced back in Week 3, then slid again against the Bengals. He was charged with five pressures, the most on the Jaguars’ offensive line, and that’s his second rough outing against a good front this year.
Bryan Thomas Jr. had a quieter day than the rest of Jacksonville’s pass rush. The rookie defensive end played more snaps than Danny Striggow, likely because the Jaguars wanted him on the field more in passing situations, but he was the only Jaguars defensive lineman who rushed at least 10 times and didn’t record a pressure.
The role makes sense. The production wasn’t there Sunday.
The secondary also comes out of the game with real concern. Montaric Brown sat out with a hamstring injury, and his status now becomes something to watch. With Travis Hunter and Jarrian Jones continuing to impress, Brown needs a strong stretch to reclaim his spot as a starter, but the timing is working against him.
In Other News...
Jaguars Keep Winning But This First-Place Start Comes With A Warning
The Jaguars are 3-1 and alone in first place in the AFC South after edging the Bengals, 22-17, in a game that looked every bit like early-season football in all its messy forms. Jacksonville leaned on defense, with interceptions from Travis Hunter and Jourdan Lewis helping swing momentum, while the Jaguars also had to work through turnovers and penalties in a choppy game that never fully settled into rhythm.
The warning for Jacksonville is pretty clear: the record is strong, but the margin for error has been slim. Cincinnati made a late push before Rayaun Lane came through with the key tackle to seal it, and the Jaguars will have to clean up the details if they want this kind of start to hold up once opponents start making them pay for the same mistakes. [Read more 🡒]
Travis Hunters Jaguars Role Just Got More Complicated
Travis Hunters first game plan wrinkle as a Jaguar came against the Bengals, and it was a revealing one. The rookie lined up strictly at cornerback, stayed on the field for every defensive snap and did not play on offense or special teams, a nod both to Jacksonvilles thin depth at the position and the teams caution after injuries started piling up in the secondary.
Liam Coen said the decision was driven by circumstance as much as strategy, and Hunter responded with the kind of defensive showing that only adds to the intrigue around how Jacksonville will use him moving forward. He broke up multiple passes and made a notable tackle, leaving the Jaguars with more reasons to think carefully about just how much they can ask him to carry on one side of the ball. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Showed Something Fans Needed To See In Crunch Time
The Jaguars did not make life easy on themselves against the Bengals, but they found a way to finish a close game the kind of way good teams have to. In a matchup filled with flags and mistakes, Jacksonville still came away with a 22-17 win, getting enough timely plays from Brenton Strange, Josh Cameron and Brian Thomas Jr. to stay in front and improve to 3-1 after four weeks.
What stood out most was the response when the game tightened late. Even with 125 penalty yards putting the offense and defense behind the chains more often than not, the Jaguars made the final defensive stop they needed, with Rayuan Lane helping lock it down. For a team still building its identity, that kind of crunch-time resolve matters, even if the cleanup from a messy afternoon is still very much part of the story. [Read more 🡒]