CINCINNATI, OH (LEX 18) — The Cincinnati Bengals returned to Paycor Stadium Sunday afternoon to face an aggressive Jacksonville Jaguars team. Although several players hit individual milestones, the Bengals couldn't generate enough offense to overpower the Jaguars and fell 22-17.
🧵Bengals won the toss and elect to defer to the second half.. it GAME TIME! https://t.co/Wfc3ydFONm
— Sierra Newton (@SoFlossieWrites) October 4, 2026
Cincinnati's defense started off strong, with Dexter Lawrence II immediately making light work of Jacksonville's Trevor Lawrence by breaking up his first throw of the day. Demetrius Knight Jr. would follow Dex's lead. The Jags wouldn't complete their first pass until third and very long, forcing a punt.
The Bengals wouldn't make good with their offensive possessions in the first quarter, but a pass from Joe Burrow to Tee Higgins would notch 2,000 completions for the quarterback, tying Patrick Mahomes as the fastest to that milestone. Burrow did it in 81 games.
Burrow and Ja'Marr started the second quarter well, but a facemask pull followed by a hit would sideline the wide receiver. After the hit, Chase was tended to on the field for a few minutes; he eventually walked to the blue medical tent on his own. After some time there, he went to the locker room for further concussion evaluation.
The Bengals' first score of the day came from Evan McPherson. He'd nail a 29-yarder to tie the game at 3. McPherson hit 21 consecutive field goals, tying Shayne Graham for the Bengals record.
At the two-minute warning, Cincinnati would have the ball on third down at the JAX 45. Jags' Jourdan Lewis intercepted Burrow and ran it back for 45 yards, boosting their interception streak to nine consecutive games. Despite several flags, Trevor Lawrence would find Brian Thomas Jr. over the middle for an easy 7-yard touchdown.
Jacksonville up 10.
The quarterbacks had decent halves: Burrow went 16/20 for 141 yards and one interception; Lawrence went 9/12 for 136 yards and one touchdown. The Bengals couldn't convert possessions into points.
88 in the end zone. #JAXvsCIN at 1:00 PM on CBS/Paramount+ https://t.co/xF1jzmxU2w
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) October 4, 2026
After the break, the Bengals officially ruled Chase out. Burrow connected with Higgins, most notably on a 14-yard pass that set Cincinnati up at their own 30. Burrow would throw a laser to tight end Mike Gesicki for another six. Bengals: a field goal behind the Jaguars, 13-10.
After 10 plays and 5:44 elapsed, Jacksonville's Cam Little hit a 54-yard field goal to make it 16-10.
At the start of the fourth quarter, Burrow found Higgins again for 26 yards, setting up the team for a first-and-goal at the 10. Jacksonville would snag its second interception from Burrow. Jacksonville's Chris Rodriguez Jr. found a seam for a 25-yard touchdown to extend the score. Liam Coen would direct an unsuccessful two-point conversion, 22-10 for the away team.
With 3:28 left, Burrow worked his way downfield, connecting with Higgins, Tinsley, and Hudson along the way. He'd rush it in himself for the one-yard touchdown. It was his first rushing score of the season. Bengals back within reach, 22-17 Jags.
Two minutes and no timeouts left, Burrow wills the ball down the field, but a 4th-down stop by the Jags ends the game.
The Bengals fall to 2-2 on the season and head back on the road. This time in Miami, they take on the Dolphins on Sunday, Oct. 11.
