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Jaguars Coach Responds to Critical Pass Interference Call on Travis Hunter Late in Loss

Travis Hunter was controversially called for pass interference on the Bengals' game-winning drive.

Eva Geitheim

Travis Hunter was controversially called for pass interference while defending Bengals' receiver Andre Iosivas.
Travis Hunter was controversially called for pass interference while defending Bengals' receiver Andre Iosivas. / CBS Sports.
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There were a number of missed opportunities and mistakes that cost the Jaguars to blow a late lead and lose to the Bengals on Sunday, including a controversial pass interference call on Travis Hunter.

On what turned out to be the Bengals' game-winning drive, the Jaguars forced Cincinnati into 4th-and-5 from their own 33-yard line with under two minutes to a go. The Bengals were already without quarterback Joe Burrow, who exited the game with a toe injury, and desperately needed the conversion to remain alive.

Backup quarterback Jake Browning targeted wide receiver Andre Iosivas on that fourth down, who the rookie Hunter was covering. While Hunter broke up the pass, he was called for pass interference, which gave the Bengals a first down and advanced them 25 yards down the field.

The call on Hunter was controversial, and was especially costly since it came on fourth down late in the game. Sometimes, officials will just let players play in those critical situations unless a penalty is blatant, but this time, they called Hunter for the flag and essentially gave the Bengals new life. Cincinnati went on to score the game-winning touchdown, with Browning running in for the one-yard touchdown to cap off the drive.

Jaguars head coach Liam Coen did not seem to be a fan of the call. “They call pass interference on fourth down, I’d like to see them [Bengals] maybe go earn it, but it is what it is," Coen said after the game.

Coen also acknowledged that his team simply "didn't make enough plays in the end." While he credited his team's efforts, he added, "We don't make the play at the end on offense to close somebody out ... Ultimately gave them an opportunity to stay in the game. Players and coaches alike, we've got to go look ourselves in the mirror and figure it out."

Hunter himself took responsibility for the penalty after the loss, telling reporters, "I can't leave it up to the refs. I just gotta do my job, put myself in a better position."

Between two interceptions from Trevor Lawrence, drops by Dyami Brown and Brian Thomas Jr., and multiple costly penalties, the pass interference certainly wasn't the sole reason for the Jaguars' loss. Jacksonville let this one go, and will have plenty to clean up before they face the Texans next week.

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Eva Geitheim
EVA GEITHEIM

Eva Geitheim is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in December 2024, she wrote for Newsweek, Gymnastics Now and Dodgers Nation. A Bay Area native, she has a bachelor's in communications from UCLA. When not writing, she can be found baking or re-watching Gilmore Girls.