The Jacksonville Jaguars travel to Paycor Stadium on Sunday to face the Cincinnati Bengals in their week 2 matchup. The Jaguars are coming off a week 1 blowout win over the Carolina Panthers and opened their season with a win for the second time in the last five years. The Bengals snuck past the Cleveland Browns last weekend as well to open the season 1-0.
Jacksonville
The Jaguars opened the Liam Coen era with a 26-10 victory. The Jaguars looked comfortable in the new system and Coen’s run-first approach took the spotlight as the team ran for 200 yards on 6.3 yards per carry.
Running back Travis Etienne was a bright spot for the offense as he averaged nearly nine yards per rush attempt en route to a 156-yard day. Although he wasn’t able to find the end zone, Etienne put the team in scoring position on several occasions, most notably with his 71-yard run to open a drive in the second quarter.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence started off excellent as he had completed 14 of his 19 first half passes for 128 yards and a touchdown. However, after an hour-long lightning delay, Lawrence slowed and finished the day 19-31 for 178 yards a touchdown and an interception.
Lawrence’s struggles impacted star wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. who opened his 2025-26 campaign with just 1 catch for 11 yards, but did find the end zone on a rushing touchdown. Thomas was targeted 5 times but could never seem to get on the same page as Lawrence as a mixture of drops, missed throws, and timing being slightly off all contributed to Thomas’ slow start.
The Jaguars defense looked like they moved past their 2024 woes as they held the Panthers to just 10 points while forcing 3 turnovers, a third of their turnover total for the whole 2024 season. Led by linebacker Foye Oluokon and cornerback Jourdan Lewis the Jaguars defense was flying around and held third-year quarterback Bryce Young to just a 51% completion percentage.
Cincinnati
The Bengals snuck past the Cleveland Browns in a 17-16 victory that showed uncharacteristic struggles from a usually high-powered Bengals offense. Quarterback Joe Burrow threw for just 113 yards on the day as the team only accounted for 141 yards of total offense.
Running back Chase Brown found the end zone early in the first quarter, but was held to just two yards per attempt by a Browns defense that figures to be towards the top of the league again.
Star receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins combined for just 5 catches for 59 yards with neither of Burrow’s top two targets finding pay dirt.
The Bengals defense was a highlight as they held the Browns to just 16 points, but they did give up nearly 350 yards of total offense. They allowed 290 yards through the air to quarterback Joe Flacco, but did force two turnovers.
Matchup Breakdown
Both the Jaguars and Bengals are looking to get into the playoffs after missing last season. The Jaguars last made the playoffs in 2022 which marks the only appearance for the team since drafting Lawrence. The Bengals also have had two years out of playoff contention after their conference championship run in 2022.
In a game that figured to be fairly high scoring at the beginning of the year could be in for a defensive grind. Both defenses impressed in week 1, while both quarterbacks didn’t play as well as we are accustomed to seeing.
For the Jaguars their keys to victory will be establishing the run and getting the Lawrence to Thomas Jr. connection going while maintaining the defensive play from last week. Coen, a run-first play-caller mentioned getting Thomas going would be a priority.
The Bengals just need to get a normal offensive performance from their stars, and while the Jaguars defense looked great in Week 1, there is still a ways to go before being in the same conversation as the Browns defense.
This matchup will ultimately come down to quarterback play. Lawrence is still trying to establish himself as a household name proving that he can be consistent in the league. Burrow is as established a quarterback as there is in this league and figures to get back on track this week.
X Factors
Trevor Lawrence: As much as Coen likes to run, history would indicate the Jaguars go as he goes. His streakiness aligns with the teams long runs of positive and negative play. However, with a new coach Lawrence looked more comfortable in the operations in the offense and should take a step forward this week.
Joe Burrow: Burrow was off to an uncharacteristically slow start last week, but the struggle could sustain if the offensive line has a repeat performance. Burrow faced near-immediate pressure all game. This has been a problem across the course of Burrow’s career but it was amplified last week.
Jaguars pass rush vs Bengals line: The saying that the game is won in the trenches will ring true in this contest. The Bengals offensive line was dominated on all facets by the Browns’ front last week, while the Jaguars front impressed. Behind the pass rush of Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker the Jaguars should have no problem getting pressure off the edges.
Prediction
The steps the Jaguars took in the offseason paired with the Bengals inability to protect will put a lot of pressure on the Bengals’ defense to keep the team in the game. The Jaguars offense vs Bengals defense will be a story as the Bengals line tries to find themselves in Week 2.
Final Score Prediction: Jaguars 27, Bengals 17
