The Jacksonville Jaguars like to make things more complicated than they should be. Even though quarterback Joe Burrrow left the Week 2 game early, the Cincinnati Bengals managed to stick around with Jake Browning behind center.
The Jaguars had several chances to build a favorable lead and squandered them all. Not even when Devin Lloyd picked off Browning late in the fourth quarter were the Jags able to put Cincinnati away.
Heck, the Bengals took advantage of the Jaguars' inability to put the game away when they were 27-24, and marched down teh field to win the game 31-27.
With that in mind, here are four critical observations from the Jaguars' Week 2 loss.
The Jaguars defense's strong outing vs. the Panthers wasn't an outlier
Even though the Jags only registered one pressure against Carolina, they consistently rattled Bryce Young. On top of that, the defense registered three takeaways. Of course, it was only one game, so it was fair to wonder whether that was going to be an outlier or a sign of things to come. We have a clearer picture after Week 2.
Even though the Jacksonville defense gave up 31 points for most of the game, it routinely brougth the heat and forced three interceptions. On top of that, they registered two sacks. As long as Anthony Campanile's unit keeps doing its part, the Jags will have a fighting chance week in, week out.
Travis Hunter was able to show what he can do on defense
Travis Hunter spent the offseason preparing to play two ways full-time in the regular season. Then, Week 1 came, and he only logged six snaps at cornerback. Head coach Liam Coen cited his injury-related absence during game preparation as the reason why.
In the same breath, Coen said that Hunter would be getting more playing time on defense against the Cincinnati Bengals, and that's what ended up happening. The West Palm Beach, Florida native logged over 25 snaps in Week 2. On offense, he had three catches for 22 yards. You could make the case that his numbers don't pop off the stat sheet, and you would be right.
Having said that, Hunter is quickly showing that he can truly play two ways at the NFL level, and that's a positive start.
No Tank Bigsby for the Jaguars? No problem
One day after the 26-10 win over the Panthers, the Jaguars turned heads when they traded running back Tank Bigsby to the Philadelphia Eagles. This was just one day after Travis Etienne went off in the opener, logging 16 carries for 143 yards. Couple that with the presence of dynamic rookie Bhayshul Tuten, and it's easy to see why the Jags sent Bigsby packing.
Etienne and Tuten rewarded their team's trust by combining for more than 100 yards on the ground. Etienne was the lead back, but Tuten also got his fair share of totes. Seventh-round rookie LaQuint Allen, who carved a niche as a third-down specialist, also got extended playing time.
Simply put, the Jaguars running game was still effective even though Bigsby is now in Philly. If only the passing game could be as productive...
Trevor Lawrence was inconsistent but made enough plays in Week 2
There were many things to like about Trevor Lawrence in Week 2. For one, he wasn't afraid to sling the pigskin, averaging over 7.0 yards per throw. On the other hand, he overthrew a handful of passes and was off target at several times, especially in the fourth quarter when Jacksonville had a chance to put the Bengals away. Had No. 16 been more effective, the Jaguars would've easily run up the scoreboard. Instead, they came out of Cincy empty-handed.
The good news is that it's still early in the season, and Lawrence will have time to hit his stride once he gets a strong hold of the system. However, it's concerning that a grizzled veteran like him is missing passes that a good quarterback should have no trouble completing.