7 Observations on the Jaguars' Statement Win Over Bengals: Travis Hunter Dominates

The Jacksonville Jaguars have taken down the Cincinnati Bengals to improve to 3-1.

Oct 4, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen stands on the field during the second half against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars are 3-1.

The Jaguars took down the Cincinnati Bengals with a close 22-17 win on Sunday that went down to the wire, ending with a Rayuan Lane tackle of Chase Brown on fourth-down at the Jaguars' 12-yard line with just 0:56 left in the game.

So, what did we see during the big week 4 win? We break it down below.

Travis Hunter is Playing Very, Very Well

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) before an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Confidence is a big thing at the cornerback position, and the Jaguars have seen Travis Hunter's confidence grow in bunches in recent weeks. Hunter's snaps at cornerback have ramped up with each week, and the injuries the Jaguars faced at the cornerback position entering the game meant they needed Hunter to step up even more. He certainly did that with a strong start to the game that showed just how much more comfortable he is getting on the field, a sign of big things to come over the rest of the season.

Hunter had what looked like a stellar interception and then a dazzling return in the first quarter, intercepting Joe Burrow and then shaking Tee Higgins out of his cleats on his way to a 30-yard return to the Bengals' 36, but a roughing the passer call negated the big play. Hunter then responded with an impressive pass breakup in the red-zone shortly afterward to help limit the Bengals to just a field goal. Then on the final defensive drive before halftime, he laid down a physical hit on Bengals wide receiver Dohnte Meyers to show off his speed and physical tackling ability.

Bengals pick up the first down but Travis Hunter flies in for the big hit 😳

JAXvsCIN on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/K29JxAC8EH

— NFL (@NFL) October 4, 2026

Penalties Became a Serious Issue

Oct 4, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars players talk on the field during the first quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Jaguars had penalties wipe out big plays several times in the first quarter alone, a sign of the Jaguars still needing to grow when it comes to high-stakes games and tough road environments. In the first quarter, the Jaguars: Had a holding penalty on the opening kickoff to negate a Ameer Abdullah return near midfield; an offensive pass interference to negate 3rd-and-5 from the Bengals' 36-yard line; had a roughing the passer call negate a Travis Hunter interception that he returned 30 yards to the Bengals' 36. The Jaguars were flagged six times for 44 yards in the first quarter, and it stopped them from getting off to a better start.

Travis Hunter snatched Tee Higgins' ankles 😭 pic.twitter.com/AFCDe8csjZ

— Underdog (@Underdog) October 4, 2026

It continued into the next quarter, too. The Jaguars had an 11-yard sack of Joe Burrow to force a 2nd-and-21 after the Hunter interception was called back, but a facemask on Jarrian Jones gave the Bengals 1st-and-10 from the Jaguars' 14. Then a holding on Ezra Cleveland negated a 44-yard Bhayshul Tuten touchdown run. It didn't even stop there, with Robert Hainsey getting called for a holding at the Bengals' three-yard line that took it back to their 13. Tuten then had a *second* touchdown negated by a penalty. Really! The Jaguars felt like they grew out of their penalty issues, but they had seven against New England and had some big ones on Sunday. This is an area they still need to grow from after 10 penalties for 100 yards in the first-half.

Josh Hines-Allen Makes His Impact Felt

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (41) gets the crowd pumped up after a sack on Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4), not shown, during the first quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Browns 34-10. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

We said earlier in the week that we felt like people were overreacting a bit to Josh Hines-Allen's lack of pass-rush production over the last two weeks. Hines-Allen showed why during a game that saw the Jaguars seem to generate plenty of pressure on Joe Burrow throughout the game. Hines-Allen had one of the most impactful rushes of the game, with the Jaguars' defensive captain bull-rushing Orlando Brown Jr. into Burrow's lap on a key first-half dropback to force an interception by Jourdan Lewis.

Jourdan Lewis intercepts Joe Burrow and takes it inside the red zone

JAXvsCIN on CBS/Paramount+
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— NFL (@NFL) October 4, 2026

Lewis was able to return the interception all the way to the Bengals' 18-yard line, and the Jaguars eventually punched it in with a seven-yard touchdown pass to Brian Thomas Jr. to make it a 13-3 game at halftime. The interception does not happen without the pressure, a great example of the Jaguars' rush and coverage working in unison to create big plays.

This Was An Odd Parker Washington Game

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington (11) is introduced before an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Patriots 35-6. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times‑Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

I thought the man coverage-heavy plan from the Bengals' defense would mean a big day for Parker Washington, but that just didn't happen. None of the Jaguars' receivers really had a big day in what was mostly a tight-end focused day and a low-pass volume plan from the Jaguars, but it also felt like Washington did not take advantage of the few looks that went his way.

Washington's first target came in the red-zone, but Bengals linebacker Barrett Carter was able to break it up. Washington's second target was a higher degree of difficulty on a 3rd-and-10 deep ball inside the Bengals' five-yard line. Washington had to slide for the grab, but it did hit him in the chest on a play we have seen Washington make over and over throughout his career and as recently as Week 2 against the Denver Broncos. This felt like a weird one, even after his screen got called back.

Jaguars Facing Some Serious Problems With Secondary Injuries

Jacksonville Jaguars safety Eric Murray (29) looks on during the first day of minicamp at the Miller Electric Center, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Jaguars were already facing some serious issues at the cornerback position when it came to injuries entering the game, with both Montaric Brown and Christian Braswell ruled out before the game due to injuries. Things did not get much better for the Jaguars over the course of Sunday's game, with the Jaguars losing two more defensive backs due to injuries before the game ended.

Jaguars safety Caleb Ransaw, who has functioned as the team's third safety through the first month of the season, injured his knee during the first-half and did not return. The Jaguars also saw veteran safety Eric Murray leave the game with a concussion in the third-quarter and he was ruled out as well, leaving the Jaguars with just two healthy safeties in Antonio Johnson and Rayuan Lane. There are some real-deal injury issues the Jaguars are facing, which means the depth is about to be tested.

Brenton Strange Was Critical

Bengals defense takes down Jaguars Brenton Strange (85) during their game against the Jaguars at Paycor Stadium on Sunday October 4, 2026. The Jaguars were up 13-3 at halftime. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Jaguars' Passing game completely flowed through Brenton Strange for the first time this season, and he made sure the Jaguars looked smart for it. Strange was the Jaguars' featured pass-catcher on Sunday, catching 7-of-8 targets for 95 yards and setting the Jaguars up on several of their scoring drives, including a first-down conversion on 3rd-and-18 on the Jaguars' first scoring drive of the game. Strange then had the 15-yard catch on 3rd-and-8 on the Jaguars' final offensive drive.

It is clear that the Jaguars' passing attack will be matchup-dependent and will not go through any one player very single week. But this week was always set up well to be a Strange week due to the Bengals' issues at safety and linebacker. The Jaguars were able to take advantage of the Bengals' weakness, something past Jaguars' offenses have not been able to do in the past.

The Running Game Did Its Job

Oct 4, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten (33) runs with the ball during the second quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Jaguars had more negative plays in the running game than they normally do, but it still felt like the running game had another huge day. The Jaguars saw Bhayshul Tuten pick up yards after contact and still put up another solid day of production even after having two touchdowns wiped off the board, including a stellar 44-yard touchdown that would have been the biggest run of his entire career/

Then there was the Chris Rodriguez Jr. touchdown with 6:35 left in the game. Rodriguez looked like the explosive and reliable option the Jaguars signed him to be on a 25-yard run for the longest run of the Jaguars' season, giving them a 22-10 lead. The Jaguars' running game has been critical to their success all season long, and it paid off again Sunday.

22-10 in Cincinatti!@CROD_JR | #JAXvsCIN on CBS pic.twitter.com/fk3yE3PEWs

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) October 4, 2026