CINCINNATI, Ohio – Senior writer John Oehser, senior correspondent Brian Sexton and team reporter Kainani Stevens offer quick thoughts on the Jaguars' 31-27 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in a 2025 Week 2 game at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, Sunday

John Oehser, Jaguars Senior Writer…

1. So much good, too much not good enough. The Jaguars on Sunday in many ways played well enough to be unbeaten after two games. That's the good. The bad is no one cares about good when you lose in an avalanche of avoidable mistakes, dropped passes and missed opportunities – issues that on Sunday caused one of the most gut-wrenching, disappointing Jaguars losses in recent memory. Not only did the Jaguars commit six penalties for 55 yards – not including five declined illegal-shift penalties – they failed to score twice in the red zone. One of those failures was a first-quarter interception thrown by quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the other was a dropped pass at the Bengals two-yard line in the fourth quarter by Pro Bowl wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. A dropped would-be touchdown pass by wide receiver Dyami Brown early in the fourth quarter led to the Jaguars settling for a field goal. That's too many missed opportunities to win in the NFL and this one will be remembered as a game the Jaguars absolutely should have and could have won. They never trailed until :18 remained, and they played the physical game – particularly on offense – that Head Coach Liam Coen believes is its identity. There's good here to build on, but the disappointment of what could have been is all you feel on Sunday nights.
2. Now, we find out. To review: There was plenty good Sunday. Coen mostly liked how Lawrence played, particularly his competitiveness – and Lawrence did make some big-time clutch throws. The defense got a big turnover late when linebacker Devin Lloyd intercepted Bengals quarterback Jake Browning, and replays showed Lloyd probably wasn't down at the Bengals 12 and therefore should have been awarded a touchdown to give the Jaguars a late double-digit lead. It's also really positive that the Jaguars' offensive line played very well for a second consecutive week. The major question for the Jaguars moving forward? How they respond. They easily could be 2-0. They look vastly improved in many key areas. It's not hard to imagine this team competing for the postseason. What they must do now is build on those strengths and continue believing. "It's super tough," Thomas said. "You feel like you had a game you should have won and you end up losing. You just have to keep going." Yep. How resilient is this Jaguars team? Now we start learning.

Brian Sexton, Senior Correspondent…

1. You rarely win when you leave points out there. The Jaguars moved the ball up and down the field Sunday, reaching the red zone six times and scoring three touchdowns with a field goal. But a first-quarter interception from the Bengals' eight-yard line and the missed opportunity after Lloyd's fourth quarter interception left at least six and maybe 14 points on the field.
2. Liam Coen talked about adversity and there was plenty of it today. Those two red-zone misses, too many penalties, dropped passes and turnovers. The Jaguars had an answer for most of it; Lawrence answered Joe Burrow's first-half touchdown drive with one of his own to put the Jags up 14-7. When the Bengals tied the game on the first possession of the third quarter, Lawrence rallied them again with a touchdown drive to retake the lead. Adversity wasn't the problem, prosperity was. Lloyd's interception should have been a game-ender, but running back Travis Etienne Jr. lost four yards on first down, Lawrence threw a poor pass to Brown – who couldn't handle it – and on fourth down Thomas just flat dropped what would have given the team a first-and-goal to secure the victory. They have the adversity part down, but they better figure out how to handle it when things go your way and moments are presented when you can put the game out of reach.

Kainani Stevens, Jaguars Team Reporter/Producer ...

1. A wasted opportunity in Cincinnati. The Jaguars squandered a prime chance at a road victory on Sunday thanks to penalties, dropped catches and poor situational football. Burrow even left the game in the first half, but the Jags couldn't find a way to capitalize against backup Browning. Jacksonville racked up several pre-snap penalties including several "illegal shifts" on the offense. Thomas and Brown each had dropped passes that could have resulted in touchdowns. Situationally, Coen elected to go for it on fourth down in the red zone rather than kicking a field goal. The Jags couldn't convert and turned the ball over on downs. Combined, small mistakes led to a disappointing loss in a game that should have been very winnable for Jacksonville.
2. The secondary situation. One of the main concerns this offseason in Jacksonville was finding a way for the defense to eliminate explosive plays. The secondary in 2024 was a massive liability and looked to have corrected some of those issues in Week 1 against the Panthers. However, Bengals wide receivers Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase proved to be a much tougher challenge. Cornerback Tyson Campbell specifically was targeted in one-on-one coverage for two of the allowed touchdowns. Rookie Travis Hunter also had a costly pass interference on a fourth-down play. The Bengals went on to score on that drive and win the game. Fortunately, the Higgins-Chase duo is likely the most talented wide receiver duo the Jaguars will face this season. The defense did get three takeaways by intercepting Browning three times. We'll see what the defense can manage next week against the Texans.