Shipley's Dozen: 12 Takes on Jaguars' Gritty Win, Trevor Lawrence vs. Joe Burrow and More

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars are getting on a roll.

The Jaguars were able to pull out a tough Week 4 road win against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, leaving Paycor Stadium with a 22-17 win to improve to 3-1.

In this week's Shipley's Dozen column, we take a look at how the Jaguars found their way to a win, what it means moving forward, and everything in between.

That Was a Critical Learning Moment

nfl — Oct 4, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Bryan Thomas Jr. (7) reacts with tight end Nate Boerkircher (87) and head coach Liam Coen after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There were a lot of moments where this game felt like the Jaguars' Week 2 loss to the Bengals last season. The Jaguars were far and away the better team in both instances, but penalties and other self-inflicted mistakes led to the Jaguars keeping the Bengals in both games. Then there was the long Bengals' offensive drive at the end of the game to get into the red-zone after the Jaguars failed to put the game away.

Had the Jaguars let a second winnable game against a team they are simply better than slip through their fingers, it would have been a tough pill to swallow. But this time, the Jaguars finished the game the right way and made enough plays on both sides of the ball to come away with a win. It was an important learning moment for a team that is still growing. The Jaguars are a much better team than they were the last time they were in Cincinnati, which is exactly what they needed to show.

The Jaguars Had the Better QB

nfl — Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) drops back to throw a pass 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

For my money, the Jaguars had the better quarterback and offense on Sunday by a wide margin. Yes, the Bengals put up plenty of passing yards ... but, I mean, duh? They dropped back over 50 times. In those drop backs, they got the ball out at an incredibly quick rate and still took a ton of pressure. According to NextGenStats, Burrow was pressured 20 times (34.5% of dropbacks) against the Jaguars, the most in a game since Week 11 of the 2024 season (Chargers, 24). His average time to throw against the Jaguars was 2.64 seconds as 46.3% of his pass attempts were out in under 2.5 seconds.

In short, the Jaguars clearly were OK with the Bengals and Burrow dinking and dunking their way into 17 points and several failed red-zone trips. Burrow and the Bengals failed to make big plays when they needed to, and Burrow threw two costly interceptions. Trevor Lawrence, meanwhile, had what, one inaccurate throw on the day? He took care of the football, got first downs, and didn't put his team in bad spots like Burrow did. The better quarterback won on Sunday.

Mapping Out Travis Hunter's Next Step

nfl\ — Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) breaks up a pass to Cincinnati Bengals receiver Mitch Tinsley (82) in the fourth 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. The Bengals fell to 2-2 on the season with a 22-17 loss at home. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Travis Hunter's second act was certainly something. He had one of the better cornerback performances I can remember from a Jaguars defender in quite some time, making a few remarkably athletic plays. According to Next Gen Stats, Hunter recorded a career-high 58 coverage snaps against the Bengals and was targeted seven times and recorded two passes defensed. Across 11 matchups against Tee Higgins and Mike Gesicki, Hunter was targeted once and did not allow a reception.

I am simply fascinated at the idea of what Hunter will look like in a month, two months, and then by the end of the season. After just four games back from last season's knee injury, Hunter has taken to a full-time role at cornerback like a fish to water. He looks like the best player on the field more often than not only 11 games into his career. The next steps could put him insome remarkable conversations amongst the NFL's top cornerbacks.

The Weird No Kick/Punt

cam little — Oct 4, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Cam Little (39) prepares to kick a second field goal during the second quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The oddest sequence during the game felt like the Jaguars decision to punt at the start of the fourth quarter. The Jaguars had lined up for what would have been a 60-plus yard field goal on 4th-and-10, and the Bengals then got a penalty for 12 defenders on the field. Despite the field goal then being closer, the Jaguars trotted out the punt team instead and Logan Cooke hit a touchback from the Bengals' 41. It was a strange moment since the Jaguars had Little on the field and then took him off, but Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said after the game the plan was never for him to kick.

"No, we weren’t going to go for that. We didn’t love the distance going into that, especially with that being the end that historically hasn’t been (reliable for kickers)," Coen said. "We were trying to draw them off, punt and pin, which we didn’t execute the pin even though we were really close and Antonio (Johnson) tried to throw it back, but we didn’t execute it to our standards. If we had gotten them on the one or the five (yard line), we would have been (thinking) ‘Oh, Okay,’ and we would have had more breathing room and felt better about it.”

Coen is right. Had the Jaguars planted the Bengals at the one or two-yard line there, nobody likely cares about how awkward this sequence looked. The logic makes sense, but it came down to execution.

The Big Bhayshul Tuten Game Isn't Far Off

nfl — Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) hands off to running back Bhayshul Tuten (33) in the fourth 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. The Bengals fell to 2-2 on the season with a 22-17 loss at home. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Bhayshul Tuten ended up being the unluckiest player on the field on Sunday. He had two touchdowns wiped off the board, including a 44-yard touchdown that would have easily been the longest run of his NFL career. Tuten still finished the day with some very efficient production and he clearly had a big impact on the offense, but the fact that he had a potential career day taken away from him due to some overzealous officials is disappointing. Still, it goes to show that the big Tuten day is not far away at all.

The 2025, 2026 Draft Classes Played Big Roles

nfl; — Oct 4, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) is tackled by Jacksonville Jaguars safety Rayuan Lane III (25) during the fourth quarter at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Players who made impactful plays on Sunday: Travis Hunter, Bhayshul Tuten, Rayuan Lane, Emmanuel Pregnon, Josh Cameron, Nate Boerkircher. It was a good day for the Jaguars young crop of talent and recent draft picks, and the Jaguars' draft classes under James Gladstone are starting to show some real development early on in the season. This was the kind of game that Gladstone and the Jaguars' front office can hang their hat on moving forward. The 2026 class has still been mostly inactive over the first month, and Caleb Ransaw got injuredon Sunday, but there are some good draft returns thus far.

Jaguars Now Being Faced With First Injury Questions

nfl — 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 had some injury issues entering Sunday's game at the cornerback position with Montaric Brown and Christian Braswell, and then they had Eric Murray and Ransaw leave the game with injuries and not return. The secondary and its chemistry is amongst the most critical pieces of what the Jaguars do on defense, so the fact they will have to move some people around is not idea as they enter a key stretch. Look for rookie safety Jalen Huskey to become potentially key over the next few weeks depending on updates for Murray and Ransaw. The Jaguars mostly avoided injuries over the first month, but the bug has now hit the secondary.

What Shocked Me

nfl — Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor reacts after a play in the fourth 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. The Bengals fell to 2-2 on the season with a 22-17 loss at home. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

We knew the Bengals liked to throw the ball, but holy smokes, man. They did not even pretend to have an interest in running the ball, and then they got stubborn about it after the game. The Jaguars play a much, much more serious brand of football than the Bengals do offensively, something I already thought coming into the game. But I didn't think the gap was this wide.

Joe Burrow on the Bengals run-pass balance, via @aydencrowley4:

"My response to that would be - let's throw it more."

The Bengals had 54 throws and 15 rushes in Week 4.pic.twitter.com/IQQEOnwzE4
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) October 4, 2026

What Didn't Shock Me

nfl — 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

Brenton Strange having a massive day. The thing about this Jaguars' regime on offense that stands out from past offenses during the Trevor Lawrence era is that they actually take advantage of mismatches instead of attempting to win in the same way over and over again every single week. The Bengals' marks on defense this week was always set to be their linebackers and safeties, and the Jaguars quickly leaned into that mismatch by targeting Brenton Strange over and over in high-leverage moments.

Jaguar of the Week

Out of the six players involved in the Travis Hunter trade (Hunter, Bhayshul Tuten, Rayuan Lane, Mason Graham, Quinshon Judkins, KC Concepcion), it is pretty clear the Jaguars have the first- and third-best players. Travis Hunter looked every bit the part of a generational player against the Bengals and has officially hit his stride. Hunter's juke of Tee Higgins and his supernatural leap on his second PBU, in addition to his big hit, earn him the nod of Jaguar of the week.

Travis Hunter snatched Tee Higgins' ankles 😭 pic.twitter.com/AFCDe8csjZ
— Underdog (@Underdog) October 4, 2026

AFC South Check In

nfl — Oct 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans on the sidelines against the Dallas Cowboys during the second quarter at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The AFC South is in a bad spot outside of the Jaguars. The Colts managed to find a win against the Washington Commanders in London to improve to 2-2, but they dealt with turnover issues and needed a third-string quarterback on the other side of the ball for their defense to look improved. If the Colts are the second-best team in the AFC South, that is good news for the Jaguars.

Meanwhile, the rest of the AFC South makes up 40% of the winless teams still left in the NFL. The Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans are a combined 0-8 and keep finding new ways to lose every single week. The Texans' defense is not nearly as good as their press clippings indicated at the start of the season, and the Titans once again look a few years away from being a few years away. The next two weeks could go a long way toward the Jaguars' AFC South goals.

Early Week 5 Thoughts

nfl — Oct 3, 2026; London, United Kingdom; A general overall view of the facade atTottenham Hotpsur Stadium, the site of the 2026 NFL London Games between the Washington Commanders and the Indianapolis Colts and the Philadelphia Eagles and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Jaguars will travel to London to play the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 5, and boy has this game lost some of its shine since the season started. That is no fault of the Jaguars of course, considering they are 3-1 and look like one of the best teams in the entire AFC, if not the outright best as a whole. But the Eagles, well, look bad. Really bad.

The Eagles are dealing with a lot of injuries and missing pieces, especially on the offensive side of the ball, that would explain their issues. But Jalen Hurts and their new offensive system and play-caller have been a dud of a pairing, and they might have to lean on ... Tank Bigsby in the running game. They still have a talented and well-coached defense, but their offense is primed for Anthony Campanile to slow them down.

The Eagles are an ugly 2-2 right now, and the Jaguars should be seen as favorites entering the first London game. The London back-to-back looked tough at the start of the season, but the Jaguars' London foes are 2-6 through the first four weeks.

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