Good, Not So Good From Jaguars' Last-Minute Win Over Bengals: Trevor Lawrence Gets It Done

The Jacksonville Jaguars got over the Bengals hump on Sunday, and here is how they did it.

Oct 4, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) reacts after defeating the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars ended the first month of the season with a 3-1 record thanks to a much-needed Week 4 win.

The Cincinnati Bengals were always set to be a tough test for the Jaguars, but the Jaguars avenged last year's loss to the Bengals with a last-minute 22-17 win on Sunday. In a 60-minute game that goes down to minute No. 60, there were of course plenty of highs along with plenty of lows.

So, what was the good and the not so good of the Jaguars' big Week 4 win? We break it down below.

The Good

Trevor Lawrence's Day

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) drops back to throw in the first quarter of the NFL Week 4 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Jacksonville Jaguars at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Trevor Lawrence was quietly excellent against the Bengals. He finished the game with 18-of-23 for 227 yards and a touchdown, and even his misses looked good (the two incompletions to Parker Washington). Really the only bad throw Lawrence had on the day felt like the second-half throw he missed to a wide-open Brenton Strange in the middle of the field. Otherwise, Lawrence played well considering some of the down-and-distances the Jaguars were in.

Lawrence finished the game with a passer rating of 122.3 and now has eight passing touchdowns to two interceptions through the first four weeks. He did what the Jaguars needed him to do considering how the game unfolded. Lawrence has been effecient and stepped up seemingly every single time the Jaguars have needed him all season, and that carried over to Sunday.

The Pass-Rush

Oct 4, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) reacts after throwing an interception during the fourth quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Jaguars' pass-rush came alive at just the right time. The Bengals gave the Jaguars plenty of chances to pin their ears back to rush the passer by dropping back an eye-popping 56 times. It felt like the Jaguars' trio of Josh Hines-Allen, Arik Armstead, and Travon Walker were able to keep Joe Burrow just a bit off balance all game long, leading to him throwing an interception to Jourdan Lewis in the first half and a few other misses.

After recording 13 quarterback hits over the first three weeks, the Jaguars had 11 quarterback hits on Sunday. Hines-Allen and Walker led the way with five combined, and this felt like one of the best games the Jaguars' pass-rush has had under Anthony Campanile. They had a big task on hand, but it sure felt like they met the test.

Travis Hunter's Development

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter (12) uses tennis balls to juggle in a hand-eye coordination drill during Day 15 of NFL training camp at the Miller Electric Center on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Travis Hunter was simply all over the field for the Jaguars on Sunday. He had a pick-six and a 30-yard return that was negated by a questionable roughing the passer call in the first-half, but he didn't stop there. Hunter had his first-ever multiple-pass breakup game of his career with two different PBUs, and he also had a vicious tackle near the sidelines that showed he is more than just an athletic cover man.

Hunter answered the bell each time he needed to on Sunday, and he has now put together the best two games of his NFL career in back-to-back weeks. He is a legit play-maker and the ball just keeps finding its way to him. He is getting into a groove right now, and he is quickly climbing the ranks when it comes to the NFL's best cornerbacks.

The Run Defense

Sep 27, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Davon Hamilton (52) walks off the field after defeating the New England Patriots at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It felt like the Bengals did not even want to think about running the ball on Sunday. Joe Burrow attempted 54 passes, but the Bengals' running backs combined for just 12 carries for 17 yards (1.41 yards per carry) and the longest rush the Jaguars allowed was just a six-yard carry to Chase Brown. Brown actually caught more passes (11) than he had carries out of the backfield (nine), a sign that the Bengals knew any attempts to run the ball would be futile.

The TE Room

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

How about the Jaguars' tight ends? The Jaguars were able to effectively run the ball out of 12 personnel when they needed to at key points, and Nate Boerkircher had a big 15-yard catch to set up a Jaguars score. Add in Brenton Strange having one of the best games of his career with seven catches for 95 yards and the Jaguars' tight ends stepped up in a big, big way on Sunday. The unit had not seen a ton of looks in the passing game over the first few weeks of the season, but that was certainly amended on Sunday.

Building a Gap Between Houston

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

The Jaguars are just one game in front of the 2-2 Indianapolis Colts, but the Colts hardly looked stellar against the Washington Commanders. There should be plenty of faith in the Jaguars to pull away from them at some point in the near-future. The bigger worry than the Colts has always been the Houston Texans, but the Jaguars have some breathing room on them now. The Texans are now three games behind the Jaguars after their 0-4 start, which makes this win all the better for Jacksonville.

The Not So Good

The Passing Yards Allowed

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) looks for a throw in the second quarter of the NFL Week 4 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Jacksonville Jaguars at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Joe Burrow threw 54 passes, for some reason, so it is not exactly a horrible thing that the Jaguars allowed the Bengals to throw for 428 yards. That came out to just 7.9 yards per attempt, which was two whole yards below the 9.9 yards per attempt day that Trevor Lawrence had. But there still felt like too many times where the Bengals' backup receivers were making explosive catches with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins off the field, which should never happen.

The Penalties

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten (33) breaks tackles as he runs the ball in the second quarter of the NFL Week 4 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Jacksonville Jaguars at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Liam Coen said after the game that he had never been a part of anything like the Jaguars' first half, where the Jaguars had 10 penalties for 100 yards. The Jaguars had two touchdowns and an interception wiped off the board on Sunday, and penalties did not let up in some key moments at the end of the game, either. The Jaguars were a very, very good penalty team entering Week 4, but that went completely out of the window on Sunday.

The Sacks

Oct 4, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) is sacked by Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Myles Murphy (99) during the first quarter at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Jaguars saw Lawrence get sacked four times on Sunday despite just 27 dropbacks, a figure that they will need to go down in the future. They played a reinforced Bengals' defensive front that was always bound to make it a tough day for them, but the offensive line needs to be better in pass-protection in big games moving forward. If not, it could prove to be the Jaguars' fatal flaw down the stretch.