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Myles Jack sat there. Just on the edge of the Bengals logo at midfield, his arms over his knees, head cocked in disbelief and away from C.J. Uzomah, who was celebrating a first down above him. Jack knew what it meant. Cincinnati could move down field with time quickly wasting away. And he was right. Despite an offensive holding call that made things momentarily more difficult for the home team, the Bengals still found Uzomah once more for a 25-yard gain.

It was enough for the Jacksonville Jaguars (0-4) defense, who shut out the Cincinnati Bengals (3-1) in the first half and had helped the winless team not trail all night, to stand helpless as Evan McPherson kicked a game-winning 35-yard field goal, giving the Bengals a 24-21 walk-off win.

Evan McPherson kicks the game winning, walk-off field goal to defeat the Jaguars. © Albert Cesare / The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Evan McPherson kicks the game winning, walk-off field goal to defeat the Jaguars. © Albert Cesare / The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

With October looming just on the other side of the night, things got turned upside down in the first half for the Jaguars, as the winless team put together their best performance not only of this season, but in their last 18 games.

The Jaguars had the ball first but all attention was drawn to the tunnels after receiver DJ Chark was carted off following on the third play of the game. Facing 2nd-and-7 from their own 45-yard line, running back James Robinson took a handoff and swept right. He was following lead blocker, offensive lineman Jawaan Taylor. Chark was the outside blocker towards the sideline. Taylor dove for a block downfield and Robinson ran into his lineman, in the process rolling off his back and onto Chark's left leg and ankle.

Head Coach Urban Meyer updated local media after the game that Chark’s ankle had been broken.

After the Bengals missed a field goal to keep the scoreboard blank, the Jaguars put together arguably their most effective and efficient offensive possession of the season. An eight-play, 67-yard drive opened with a sweep by Jamal Agnew and a swing to newly active Tavon Austin. All four of Lawrence’s passes on the drive came out of the shotgun, allowing him to move around and throw off of naked bootlegs, direct traffic and find breathing room.

"I thought Trevor played really well — his best game," noted Meyer. "He didn’t have a turnover. We didn’t have a turnover. He’s coming alive. I love everything about that guy.”

Interspersed with positive James Robinson runs, the Jags moved into the red zone and Robinson found pay-dirt and the early 7-0 lead. It was the first rushing touchdown by the Jaguars in the first quarter of a game since 2018.

James Robinson finished with 78 yards and two touchdowns. © Albert Cesare / The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

James Robinson finished with 78 yards and two touchdowns. © Albert Cesare / The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Two offensive drives later, Lawrence and company did it again. This time, new addition Dan Arnold got things rolling at tight end. Right guard AJ Cann left the game with injury shortly after with a knee injury. Second-year lineman Ben Bartch stepped in and helped the Jags finish the 12 play, 80-yard drive. Arnold wasn’t the only tight end who helped move the chains, as Lawrence found Chris Manhertz over the middle and after a quarterback keeper (Lawrence finished with 36 rushing yards on eight carries against the Bengals), a shot to rookie Luke Farrell, moved the Jaguars inside the 10-yard line.

On third and two from the six-yard line, Lawrence kept the ball himself and hit a lane off the right side. James Robinson circled back to lay a block and Lawrence was in for the score, and the 14-0 lead.

“It was a zone-read. I felt like I had a good matchup with the defensive end. We did a nice job of sealing everyone off up front. It’s something I’ve done in college a lot, I felt confident and had a good feel for it," said Lawrence. 

Despite it being his first rushing touchdown in the NFL, he didn't get to keep the ball. 

"I think Cam Robinson threw it in the stands," he laughed. 

The defense didn’t let the Bengals get out of the shadow of that own endzone, with corner Shaquill Griffin chasing down wide receiver Mike Thomas on a throw behind the chains, stopping him from picking up the third and two. It was the type of stifling defense that dominated the first half for the Jaguars, holding the Bengals to only four first downs during that time.

It appeared the Jaguars would be able to extend their lead before halftime. From their own 38-yard line, Trevor Lawrence was flushed out right. On the run, he hoisted a perfect dart downfield, 50-yards on air, to Laviska Shenault. The receiver had a defender draped on his back, but still hauled in the ball dropped in front of him, diving forward for the 52-yard reception.

"They brought late pressure off the edge, and I felt that," broke down Lawrence. "I turned it into a scramble. Laviska did a nice job of working his guy. I saw his back turn, he gave me a chance, and he did a nice job of adjusting. I thought we made some huge plays at wideout.”

Shenault tried diving again, two plays later, towards the goal line, but was ruled short at the 1-yard line. Head Coach Urban Meyer elected to go for the 4th and goal try for the 1-yard line. Lawrence’s quarterback keeper was stuffed though, and the Jaguars came away with no points.

It was a decision that was paid for, as the three-point differential was all Cincinnati needed for the win. Meyer said there was "no doubt" on the decision to try for the touchdown. 

Added Lawrence, "We all felt good with it, and it was something we had run all week. We were all on the same page.”

From there, things fell apart. The Bengals came out on the opening drive of the third quarter and easily moved downfield. Safety Rayshawn Jenkins, who had been smothering all night and finished with seven tackles, came over to help Myles Jack on coverage of—who else—C.J. Uzomah. Jenkins bounced off, Uzomah bounced in and the Bengals were on the board, trailing 14-7.

After forcing the Jaguars into a three-and-out, Burrow led a 12 play, 86-yard drive that saw a touchdown reversed, only to allow Joe Mixon a waltz into the endzone from the 1-yard line a play later.

"In the second half we have to go out and do our jobs and get stops so we get the ball back for the offense," admitted defensive lineman Malcolm Brown.

“You have to go out and find a way to win and not swallow that L. I mean, we just have to go back to work. That’s all we can do, and we’ll just keep working on it.”

Added Meyer, "[Joe Burrow] gets the ball out so quickly. In the second half they were out quicker.”

Forced to answer or trail, Lawrence turned to Laviska Shenault again, on an audible that turned into a 20-yard gain that moved the Jaguars into the red-zone on a goal-to-go situation. A defensive holding wiped out a deadly sack (as Dan Arnold continued to make positive plays without touching the ball, drawing the hold there) and James Robinson went airborne out from the 4-yard line for a score.

Initially, it was ruled short, but Meyer’s first challenge flag of the season was successful and the ruling was overturned, giving Jacksonville the 21-14 lead.

Burrow and the Bengals wouldn’t go away though, and by then knew they had found a hole in the Jaguars coverage. He turned to Uzomah, yet again, for a 31-yard touchdown on a crossing route that tied the board back up at 21-all.

Slightly panicked, the Jaguars couldn’t do much more than scamper away from blitzes on the following drive, electing to punt on a 4th and 4 from the 50. Cincinnati bled the clock, continued to target Uzomah and moved McPherson into field goal range.

It’s 19 losses in a row for the Jaguars, and the biggest heartbreaker yet for Urban Meyer, Trevor Lawrence and a team that feels on the precipice of breaking through…only to fall back yet again.

“It’s heartbreaking. Usually I’m not wrong about stuff like this—I see a good team in there," promised Meyer. "I see good hearts and guys that work in that locker room. I tell them, ‘I’m not wrong about that stuff.’ This team is going to win some games.”