Jaguars Mailbag: Is a Brian Thomas Jr. Bouceback vs. Bengals on Deck?

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars have a chance to get on a roll in Week 4, and there is plenty to talk about as the Jaguars gear up for an important road game against another AFC Power.

We take a hard look at the Jaguars' matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals in this week's Jaguars Mailbag, focusing on how the Jaguars' offense can get things going. Here is this week's mailbag, with questions by fans and for fans.

Jaguars Mailbag

Is Grant Udinski a bigger architect of the offense than we realize?
— Carl Brandon (@CarlBrandon_) October 1, 2026

A: I think Grant Udinski is absolutely vital to what the Jaguars do on offense. He is well-respected by Liam Coen, the rest of the staff, and by really every member of the offense in general. Brian Thomas Jr. has at one point called Udinski "a genius," while others have said Udinski puts in some serious hours in the facility each week. He is a valuable piece of what they do.

Would I use the term architect? I think the entire Jaguars' scheme is a collaborative effort that involves several people, not just Liam Coen. I think Udinski, Shane Waldron, and others are all a big part of the Jaguars' offensive plan week in and week out. Liam Coen is the straw that stirs the drink, of course, but the Jaguars have a good staff.

Are we underestimating the bengals? We very recently felt pretty confident going to another teams stadium after they got beat. Bengals don’t have the same trench players as Denver, and Cincy isn’t mile high, but it seems like a lot of people think Jags get a comfortable W and idk
— Jaxson De Ville (@JaxonDeVille) October 1, 2026

A: I think the Jaguars have made it clear they are not overlooking the Bengals. They have no reason to, either. The Bengals are 2-1, beat the Jaguars with Jake Browning at quarterback a year ago, and know that Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Dexter Lawrence are some of the best players in the NFL at their positions. I have not gotten the sense from the Jaguars' facility that they are underestimating the Bengals.

Now, are fans? I am not sure. I was more confident about the Jaguars' winning in Week 2 than I am this week, personally. But whether fans are overlooking them ultimately does not matter when it comes to Liam Coen's squad. They will be ready to go.

What’s been most surprising about the Jags after three games?
— Ed Helinski 🇺🇸🇵🇱 🌴 (@MrEd315) October 1, 2026

A: For me, it has to be Brian Thomas Jr.'s slow start. I thought Thomas had his best offseason and training camp as a Jaguar during the spring and summer months, and it genuinely looked like him and Trevor Lawrence rediscovered their connection from the 2024 season. The fact he has just seven catches for 88 yards and just one target (which was not completed) of 20 air yards or more is staggering to me, even if I expected Parker Washington to be the clear top dog in the receiver room.

Here are two factors: I underestimated the amount of 12 personnel the Jaguars would utilize, even after the Nate Boerkircher pick. They are playing a lot of it, and Thomas is not a big piece of those packages. I also wonder if the shoulder injury he sustained in that joint practice against the Buccaneers near the end of camp is a factor.

Looks like their edges are weak on the runs. Where else do you see us having an advantage against their defense? How did Pittsburgh use their secondary to gaurd the wrs and what strategy do you think the jags employ this week? Looked like lots of cover 2 man-but I’m a fan lol
— Lancejags (@Lancejags) October 1, 2026

A: The Bengals do run quite a bit of man coverage, which could mean good things for the Jaguars' receivers. The fact the Steelers were able to generate explosive plays on the ground and through the air out of 12 personnel last week suggests that the Bengals' defense is most suspect when teams attack them in their base front. If the Jaguars can consistently get those kinds of looks, they should be able to take advantage.

Are Jags using BTJ on deep go patterns to open up underneath routes for Parker, Meyers & Cameron 🤫
— GT_Jake (@gt_jake) October 1, 2026

A: He is still running deep routes, and he is still getting attention and respect from the defense. With that said, he has to be on the field. The offense is better by EPA/Play and success rate when he is on the field, because they pass the ball more with him on the field. He is still an important part of what they do ... when he plays.

The more Trev 20+ yd pass attempts the more likely the Jags lose, true or false, and how many expected?
— postman pat (@aguatodrink) October 1, 2026

A: False, and three? He has only attempted six all season, and four have gone to Parker Washington. I think in a closer game than we have seen, and against man coverage looks, we will see the Jaguars and Lawrence push the ball downfield. The Jaguars will need to keep up in terms of points, and it is hard to do that without explosive plays.

Do you think Bryan Thomas Junior will
be getting more snaps on defense this weekend?
— $ensational (@Bad_Person__69) October 1, 2026

A: The rookie pass-rusher certainly made an impact last week against the New England Patriots, but a lot of his snaps came in the second-half when the Jaguars had a big lead. I expect this game to be a good bit closer, which means you might see him in a more limited role like he had in Week 2 against the Denver Broncos. Thomas brings some legit speed and juice off of the edge, but the Jaguars also have a lot of edge guys they trust.

If the Jaguars trade for someone/trade away someone, who would it most likely be?
— Brian Wiegert (@brian_wiegert) October 1, 2026

A: I think the most likely player who could be traded would be Brian Thomas Jr. He would have real value from team's since he is a speedy first-round pick who is not very far removed from a 1,000-yard season where he looked like the next great NFL wide receiver. It would make the Jaguars a worse team talent and depth wise, but it makes sense if they are not going to have him on the field. Otherwise, what about Arik Armstead if Ruke Orhorhoro keeps stacking good days on Sundays like he did last week?

Aside from obviously no turnovers yet, how has Antonio Johnson played this year in comparison to last year?
— OhioJags fan (@OhiojagsF) October 1, 2026

A: I think Antonio Johnson has had a very solid season. He has only missed one tackle per PFF, which says something considering how often he is on the field and around the ball. He has also not been on the receiving end of many explosive plays in the passing game, with most of those instead coming against the cornerback room or Eric Murray. Johnson has been more consistent week-to-week to start this year than I think he has ever been.

When will Tuten finally be fully unleashed?
— Connor Damewood (@ConnorDamewood) October 1, 2026

A: I do not know if we are going to see a game where the Jaguars give him 20+ carries, honestly. Coen has talked before about wanting to divide carries amongst the room due partially to the fact that he knows it is a 17-game season and he doesn't need to run either back into the ground early in the season. I do think the Jaguars trust Tuten now more than they ever have, though, and they will give him the touches and playing time that reflects that.

Do we think this is the week BTJ shows us some elite flashes? The Bengals got some secondary injuries and defenses are going to continue to have to give more and more respect to Washington and those other weapons. Is this the week?
— Everything Jags | Brayden (@JagsEverything) October 1, 2026

A: It looks like the Bengals are about to roll with Dax Hill at the nickel cornerback spot, which means Brian Thomas Jr. and Jakobi Meyers are set to face off against DJ Turner, DJ Ivey and rookie cornerback Tacario Davis. If the Bengals put Turner on Thomas, I think the Jaguars could take advantage of the matchups that Meyers will have. If Turner covers both receivers, I do think there are some favorable matchups to be taken advantage of against the Bengals.

I think this fact even goes beyond the Bengals' secondary. The Jaguars have the chance to get explosive plays off in both the run and pass game against the Bengals who, despite their defensive success, are vulnerable in a few different spots. But I do think Thomas will get at least a heat check target at some point to test the Bengals deep, and it will be up to him to produce and kifk off his bounce back.

John, how do I get this baby to go back to sleep? He already pooped and ate. Now he just seems agitated by life.
— Kevin?🇱🇧 A step away from cataclysm (@Orc0909) October 1, 2026

A: Put on any Netflix original of the last 10 years and he will either sleep or learn how to walk and leave the room.

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