CINCINNATI, Ohio – This one slipped away, painfully.

As a result, the Jaguars missed a chance to be unbeaten after two games for the first time in seven seasons.

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw for three touchdowns with two interceptions, and the Jaguars ran strong, but the Cincinnati Bengals rallied late for a 31-27 victory over the Jaguars in front of 65,871at Paycor Stadium on Sunday.

"I thought they played their asses off – competed, played physical," Head Coach Liam Coen said, "just didn't make enough plays at the end."

Bengals backup quarterback Jake Browning's one-yard sneak with :18 remaining capped a 15-play, 92-yard drive and gave Cincinnati its first and only lead of the game.

"For us, it's just learning how to close out these games and to make the plays down the stretch," Lawrence said. "The guys played hard. We just didn't get it done today. We have to learn from it, watch the tape and get better."

A key play on the Bengals' final drive: A 25-yard pass interference penalty on rookie cornerback Travis Hunter covering wide receiver Andre Iosavis on fourth-and-5 from the Bengals 33-yard line, a play that gave the Bengals a first down on the Jaguars 42 with 1:49 remaining.

"They call a pass interference on fourth down," Coen said. "I'd like to see them maybe go earn it, but it is what it is."

Kicker Cam Little's 25-yard field goal gave the Jaguars a three-point lead early in the fourth quarter, and the Jaguars' defense held the Bengals scoreless on two possessions before Cincinnati's go-ahead drive.

"Everybody self-analyzing and nobody's pointing fingers," Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd said. "Everybody's looking determinedly at what we could have done better. This locker room is definitely together. Everybody is on the same page. We just have to find a way to win these games."

Lawrence completed 25 of 43 passes for 294 yards, and the Jaguars featured a balance offense for a second consecutive week.

Running back Travis Etienne Jr. rushed for 71 yards and rookie Bhayshul Tuten rushed for 42 as the Jaguars rushed for 139 yards as a team – their second consecutive strong rushing game to start the season. They rushed for 200 yards in a Week 1 victory over the Carolina Panthers.

Lawrence threw touchdowns to wide receiver Dyami Brown and Tuten in the first half, and threw another to Etienne in the third quarter. His two first-half interceptions led to 10 Bengals points.

Browning, playing the last two and a half quarter for injured starter Joe Burrow, completed 21 of 32 passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns with three interceptions. Burrow left with a toe injury after completing seven of 13 passes for 76 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions.

The Jaguars on Sunday registered three sacks – linebacker Foyesade Oluokun in the first quarter, defensive tackle Arik Armstead in the second quarter and defensive end Travon Walker in the second quarter. They had three takeaways – including an interception by safety Andrew Wingard that set up Lawrence's third touchdown of the game, an 11-yard screen to Etienne.

Linebacker Devin Lloyd's interception stopped one of the Bengals' fourth-quarter drives, and safety Eric Murray also had an interception. Lloyd returned the interception to the Bengals 12. He appeared to roll on top of Bengals running back Chase Brown and maintain his balance and score, but officials ruled him down.

The Jaguars failed to score on the ensuing drive, which ended with wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. dropping a pass on fourth-and-5 from the Bengals seven-yard line.

"Our defense gave us the ball back in their territory to go win the game, and we don't get points," Coen said. "That's on us as an offense not on the defense. I thought our defense played their tails off."

2025 Week 2, Step by Step:

• Brown's seven-yard reception from Lawrence capped an impressive nine-play, 69-yard drive and gave the Jaguars a 7-0 lead with 10:51 remaining in the first quarter; the drive marked the second game-opening scoring drive in as many weeks for the Jaguars, who opted each game to take the opening kickoff. The Jaguars drove equally impressively on their second drive, missing a chance to take a double-digit lead when cornerback Dax Hill intercepted a pass into the end zone from Lawrence to rookie wide receiver Travis Hunter on third-and-goal from the eight-yard line. The Bengals tied the game 7-7 on the ensuing possession, with Burrow capping an 11-play, 92-yard drive with a four-yard pass to wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase with :07 remaining in the first quarter.
• Tuten's eight-yard reception on a tight screen pass from Lawrence capped an eight-play, 75-yard drive and gave the Jaguars a 14-7 lead with 10:54 remaining in the second quarter; the Jaguars rushed four times for 45 yards on the drive, with Etienne Jr.'s 30-yard run giving them a first down at the Bengals 11. Kicker Evan McPherson's 31-yard field goal with 3:28 remaining in the first half made it 14-10 and came after Bengals safety Jordan Battle intercepted Lawrence at the Jaguars 34 and returned it to the 30. Little's 42-yard field goal pushed the lead to 17-10 with 1:35 remaining in the first half.
• Bengals wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley's 13-yard touchdown reception tied it 17-17 with 11:05 remaining in the third quarter, with Browning's pass capping a seven-play, 76-yard drive to open the second half. Etienne's 11-yard reception from Lawrence capped a five-play, 30-yard drive and gave the Jaguars a 24-17 lead with 4:08 remaining in the third quarter on – a drive set up when Wingard returned a deep interception off Browning 39 yards to the Bengals 30. Wide receiver Tee Higgins' 42-yard reception from Browning tied it 24-24 with 2:39 remaining in the third quarter.
• Little's 25-yard field goal gave the Jaguars a 27-24 lead with 11:43 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Notable: Second-year veteran Maason Smith was active Sunday after being inactive in Week 1.

Jaguars' inactives Sunday: Veteran defensive tackle Khalen Saunders, reserve rookie offensive guard Wyatt Milum, reserve running back Cory Schrader, rookie defensive end Danny Striggow, rookie defensive end B.J. Green II and veteran reserve cornerback Montaric Brown.

Injury report: Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones sustained a back injury in the first quarter and returned.