How Jaguars Prepared For Challenges of Bengals Defense, Hendrickson

Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski understands the challenges this upcoming weekend, both in unity and individually.

Aug 17, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski (blue binder) reacts to a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars will face many challenges in the coming weeks. Their first was accomplishing an opening day victory, which they completed this past weekend. Now, a potential fast start is on the horizon, which presents another challenge in their first road game of the season against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Much will be focused on the abstracts of playing the Bengals' championship-caliber offense, a unit highly praised across the league. However, their defense has a new face coaching it this season, with former Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden leading the charge. This will present new challenges for the Jaguars' offense, as their leading offensive coach explained this week.

Grant Udinski is honest about the challenges of the Bengals' defense

Jaguars Offensive Coordinator Grant Udinski talks with Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) during the Jaguars 14th NFL training camp session at Miller Electric Center Tuesday August 12, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars travel to New Orleans to play the Saints this Sunday in their second preseason game. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

First-year offensive coordinator Grant Udinski is charged with revitalizing Jacksonville's offense with quarterback Trevor Lawrence under center. Last week was a solid start, particularly notable in the run game. However, there's plenty of room for improvement heading into Sunday's game, especially after a game-high 11 penalties with several of them on offense.

Udinski understands the difficulties the Bengals showed this past weekend against the Cleveland Browns, explaining that there are challenges on all three levels of their defense, regardless of the talent level that is debated.

"I think you look at the personnel and the players, whether it's really all three levels, have guys that can challenge you in different ways with matchups, rush, run game, different pressure packages, different fronts that they can bring and some of the coverage scheme that they're playing presents things that are unique and different than what we played against last week," Udinski said.

The Bengals are in a youth movement of sorts with their defense, led by rookies Shemar Stewart and Demetrius Knight. Logan Wilson, one of the better linebackers in the league and the quarterback of the defense, will present a task for the Jaguars offensively. Golden had this unit playing disciplined and aggressive, similar to how Jacksonville played Carolina.

"We'll try to have adjustments or change game plans, but ultimately we'll see the best way to attack that for each individual player, and then as an offensive unit as a whole," Udinski explained.

The biggest challenge of them all for the Jaguars' offense will be star defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who is among the best pass rushers in the game. This weekend's road game has no shortage of impact players on both sides of the ball for either team, but Hendrickson, for better or worse, is a different animal.

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) celebrates as time winds down in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 1 game between the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. The Bengals begin the season with a 17-16 win over the Browns. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"He's a phenomenal player; that production isn't by accident, by any stretch of the imagination," Udinski said. "I think it's going to take a team effort for those guys and the offensive line to buy into the protection plan, the run game plan to try to handle him, and really all the guys up front and the myriad of issues that they kind of pose."

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