CINCINNATI — The Bengals spent most of Sunday afternoon finding new, and creative ways to make life difficult on themselves.
Injuries piled up. Penalties wiped out big plays. Joe Burrow threw two interceptions. Cincinnati played much of the afternoon without Ja’Marr Chase, played a lot of the 4th quarter without Tee Higgins, and entered the game already missing two other receivers.
And somehow, with less than a minute remaining, the Bengals still had a chance to win.
Jacksonville escaped Paycor Stadium with a 22-17 victory Sunday, dropping Cincinnati to 2-2 after the Bengals’ final drive reached the Jaguars’ 12-yard line. On fourth-and-10, Burrow found Chase Brown over the middle, but Brown couldn't elude one final tackle, leaving Cincinnati one yard short of keeping the game alive.
That final yard was a fitting ending to an afternoon filled with missed opportunities.
The Bengals struggled to finish drives from the beginning. A delay-of-game penalty helped stall their opening possession, while a second-quarter holding penalty on Dylan Fairchild erased a 14-yard Samaje Perine touchdown run. Cincinnati eventually settled for an Evan McPherson field goal to tie the game at 3.
Things got worse shortly afterward when Chase took a hard hit after a short reception. Jacksonville cornerback Jarrian Jones was flagged for grabbing Chase’s facemask, but while his head was turned around, he was drilled in a helmet-to-helmet collision. Chase left the field to be evaluated for a concussion and was eventually ruled out.
That left Cincinnati without its best receiver while Andrei Iosivas remained on injured reserve and Colbie Young was inactive with a knee injury.
The mistakes continued late in the first half. With Cincinnati driving near midfield, Burrow was intercepted by Jourdan Lewis, who returned the ball 45 yards to the Bengals’ 18. Trevor Lawrence turned the short field into a 7-yard touchdown pass to Brian Thomas Jr., giving Jacksonville a 13-3 halftime lead.
Cincinnati responded after the break.
Burrow directed a 12-play, 67-yard drive to open the third quarter and found Mike Gesicki for a 15-yard touchdown, pulling the Bengals within 13-10. The defense kept Cincinnati close, but Cam Little added a 54-yard field goal later in the quarter to extend Jacksonville’s advantage to six.
Another promising Bengals drive ended with another mistake early in the fourth. Burrow connected with Tee Higgins for 26 yards to reach the Jacksonville 10, but on the next play, Foyesade Oluokun intercepted a pass intended for Mitchell Tinsley.
Jacksonville eventually pushed the lead to 22-10 on a 25-yard touchdown run by Chris Rodriguez Jr. with 6:35 remaining.
Even then, Cincinnati did not go away.
Higgins briefly left after another injury scare but returned, only to leave for good, and Burrow led a 71-yard touchdown drive despite another offensive holding penalty. With the receiving corps stretched thin, the Bengals leaned on Dohntay Meyers, Tinsley, and Gesicki before Burrow scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak with 3:28 remaining to make it 22-17.
The defense then gave Cincinnati one final chance, forcing a Jacksonville punt with 1:56 remaining.
Starting at their own 17 with no timeouts, the Bengals moved quickly. Burrow found Tinsley for 29 yards, Gesicki for 18 and Meyers for another 15, moving Cincinnati to the Jacksonville 21 with more than a minute remaining.
Three straight incompletions brought up fourth-and-10. Burrow found Brown underneath, but the running back was up-ended one yard short of the marker.
Game over.
What’s Next
The Bengals go back on the road Sunday, Oct. 11, to face the Miami Dolphins. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.
