{"id":246249,"date":"2025-09-13T14:17:37","date_gmt":"2025-09-13T18:17:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=246249"},"modified":"2025-09-13T14:17:37","modified_gmt":"2025-09-13T18:17:37","slug":"jaguars-bengals-week-2-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2025\/09\/13\/jaguars-bengals-week-2-preview\/","title":{"rendered":"Jaguars Travel to Cincinnati for Week 2 Clash with Bengals"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Jaguars vs Bengals Week 2 matchup is upon us, but first, a quick recap of Week 1. The Jacksonville Jaguars opened the 2025 season with a 26-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Relying heavily on a dominant ground game to control the flow of the contest. Running back Travis Etienne<\/a> emerged as the star of the offense, rushing for 143 yards on 16 carries, highlighted by an electrifying 71-yard run. Etienne\u2019s ability to break tackles and generate explosive plays underscored his status as a centerpiece of Liam Coen\u2019s offensive scheme.<\/p>\n

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence<\/a>, however, had an uneven showing<\/a>. He struggled with inconsistent accuracy, missing several open throws and leaving his passing statistics modest: 19 completions on 31 attempts for 178 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. While the Jaguars secured a solid win, Lawrence\u2019s performance emphasized the need for more consistent execution in the passing game. Lawrence continued to prove his critics right with his average at best play and consistently inconsistent play.<\/p>\n

Rookie Travis Hunter<\/a> made his NFL debut and showed flashes of potential. He hauled in six receptions for 33 yards on offense and also saw six snaps on defense. While his defensive role was limited, his offensive contributions demonstrated his versatility and hinted at the unique ways Coen may integrate him throughout the season. Coen has promised more time on the defensive side this week for Hunter. All eyes will be on Hunter to see if he can play significant time on both sides at this level.<\/p>\n

Linebacker Foye Oluokun delivered a standout performance<\/a>, recording 10 tackles and a momentum-shifting interception that earned him AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. His leadership anchored a Jaguars defense that allowed only a single touchdown while keeping Carolina\u2019s offense off-balance.<\/p>\n

Despite the victory, Jacksonville struggled in the second half, with big-play production slowing and Carolina gaining momentum in short bursts. Addressing these lapses will be critical as they face an explosive Cincinnati offense.<\/p>\n

\"jaguars
Sep 7, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) hands off to running back Tank Bigsby (4) against the Carolina Panthers during the second half at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bengals Narrowly Edge Out Browns<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Cincinnati enters Week 2 with a 1-0 record after a hard-fought 17-16 victory over the Cleveland Browns. The Bengals faced a physical divisional challenge and escaped largely thanks to timely defensive plays and stops.<\/p>\n

Like Jacksonville, Cincinnati struggled in the second half, gaining only seven total yards after halftime. Joe Burrow<\/a> connected with Ja\u2019Marr Chase and Tee Higgins<\/a>, but the offense lacked consistent rhythm and relied on situational execution to preserve the win. This inability to sustain drives late will be a key focus as the Bengals prepare for a home matchup against Jacksonville\u2019s run-heavy attack.<\/p>\n

Defensively, Al Golden\u2019s unit showcased resilience and discipline, limiting Cleveland\u2019s scoring opportunities and forcing critical stops. The Bengals\u2019 defense proved it can bend but not break under pressure, a characteristic that will be tested again against Etienne and Jacksonville\u2019s rushing attack.<\/p>\n

Jaguars Travel to Cincinnati for Week 2 Clash with Bengals<\/h2>\n

Key Matchups and Storylines<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Sunday\u2019s Jaguars vs Bengals matchup at Paycor Stadium features a duel between two former No. 1 overall picks: Trevor Lawrence and Joe Burrow. Jacksonville and Cincinnati are former division foes from the old AFC Central days. The Jaguars lead the way with a 13-12 edge in career matchups. However, Cincinnati has won the last three. Duval will look to rely on Travis Etienne to establish early dominance on the ground. Hopefully, this forces \u00a0Cincinnati to respect the run and open potential passing lanes for Lawrence, who will look to rebound from a shaky Week 1.<\/p>\n

The Jaguars\u2019 defense faces one of its toughest early-season tests against Cincinnati\u2019s elite playmakers. Burrow, Chase, Higgins, and Brown will test the defensive communication and discipline.<\/p>\n

Jacksonville\u2019s offensive line must handle Trey Hendrickson<\/a> and a surprisingly relentless Bengals pass rush. Offensive efficiency, combined with defensive execution led by Oluokun, will likely determine whether the Jaguars can neutralize Cincinnati\u2019s home-field advantage.<\/p>\n

Both teams enter Week 2 unbeaten but with noticeable second-half vulnerabilities. Jacksonville seeks to complement Etienne\u2019s rushing dominance with a more consistent passing game, while Cincinnati looks to shake off second-half stagnation and reinforce its resilience at home.<\/p>\n

Players to Watch<\/strong><\/h3>\n
    \n
  • Travis Etienne (JAX):<\/strong><\/em> His ability to break big runs and force defensive adjustments will dictate Jacksonville\u2019s offensive success.<\/li>\n
  • Foye Oluokun (JAX):<\/strong><\/em> As the heart of the defense, his tackling and playmaking will be crucial against a Bengals offense capable of explosive plays.<\/li>\n
  • Joe Burrow (CIN):<\/strong><\/em> Must find rhythm after a stagnant second half vs. Cleveland; his timing with Chase and Higgins will test Jacksonville\u2019s secondary.<\/li>\n
  • Ja\u2019Marr Chase (CIN):<\/strong><\/em> A constant deep threat who can exploit any lapses in coverage, especially against a young Jaguars secondary.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    X-Factor<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Travis Hunter (JAX): <\/strong><\/em>His integration into both schemes may swing the game\u2019s momentum in key situations. This will be a key storyline to watch. Will Hunter be able to deliver at the NFL level on both sides as he did in college?<\/p>\n

    Final Thoughts<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    The Jaguars vs Bengals brings high-profile quarterbacks, explosive playmakers, and early-season adjustments to monitor. Sunday\u2019s clash promises to be a compelling test of both teams\u2019 strengths and weaknesses. For the Jaguars, this is their first true test of 2025. As for Trevor Lawrence, it\u2019s another opportunity to silence his critics or continue to give them more ammunition.<\/p>\n

    Main Image: Doug Engle\/Florida Times-Union \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Jaguars vs Bengals: Jacksonville goes into Week 2 after an opening day win, while the Bengals look to rebound from a narrow Week 1 win.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5630,"featured_media":246258,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[13,36,6431],"tags":[9840,8821,6672,8678,7335,7646,5819,6178,32476,6249],"class_list":["post-246249","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-jaguars","category-nfl-news","category-nfl-teams","tag-chase-brown","tag-foye-oluokun","tag-jamarr-chase","tag-jacksonville-jaguars-featured","tag-jacksonville-jaguars-news","tag-jaguars-featured","tag-joe-burrow","tag-tee-higgins","tag-travis-hunter","tag-trevor-lawrence"],"modified_by":"Drew Crabtree","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246249","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5630"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=246249"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246249\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":246260,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246249\/revisions\/246260"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/246258"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=246249"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=246249"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=246249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}