Bhayshul Tuten's play in Bengals loss reveals Jaguars ' growing brotherhood

The Jacksonville Jaguars' Week 2 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals left a lot to be desired, but it also showed there's a lot to hope for.

We've already identified the winners and losers, so I won't reiterate that here. That said, one specific strong point stands out, and it's something that has been lacking from previous Jaguars teams.

Physicality.

Head coach Liam Coen has been preaching physicality since training camp, and he highlighted it again heading into the Week 2 matchup in Cincinnati. The Jaguars delivered, playing tough, trench-style football, even if it wasn't enough to earn them the victory.

Related: Week 2 grade reflects how badly the Jaguars dropped the ball vs. Bengals

Jaguars bench comes to defense of rookie Bhayshul Tuten

With running back Tank Bigsby traded to the Eagles last week, there was a question about how the backfield would play out. Everyone knew rookie Bhayshul Tuten would play behind Etienne, but the question remained: How effective would he be with the Bengals knowing ahead of time?

While rookie Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen Jr. (why are there so many "juniors" on the Jags?) didn't exactly rack up the stats, Tuten ran a respectable 42 yards on only eight carries. He also caught the ball twice for 32 yards and a touchdown. Not a mind-blowing performance, but a potent No. 2 behind Etienne—and perhaps a new No. 1 very soon. As Black and Teal's Casandra Chesser points out, the Jaguars didn't miss last year's team-leading rusher.

And Tuten played aggressively, averaging 3.55 yards after contact. He's a powerful, physical runner.

Coen praised the team despite the loss, saying, "they played their [expletive] off... [They] competed [and] played physical." While that demeanor was evident on the field, it was also evident on the sidelines after a Tuten run, where he was shoved out of bounds.

Similarly, Mia O'Brien of ESPN Radio reported that a "slew of Jaguars on the bench came sprinting to the edge of the sideline as if to defend Tuten if tempers flared." While it didn't come to anything, it showed the solidarity that exists on the team.

Related: Questionable Travis Hunter call (rightly) has Jaguars fans fuming

Final thoughts

The Jacksonville Jaguars didn't walk away with a win, and hence we're back to "moral victory" territory. Still, they showed physicality, determination, and a surprising amount of team unity despite multiple mistakes. Things seem to be heading in the right direction.

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