For a brief moment, it looked like the Jacksonville Jaguars were going to beat the Cincinnati Bengals. However, penalties and offensive mistakes prevented them from sealing the deal, and they wound up losing 31-27.
Heading into Week 2, the Bengals were favored to defeat the Jaguars, despite a dominating performance over the Panthers in Week 1. One of the biggest obstacles to a Jacksonville win was Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati offense, so the Jaguars defense would need to be at its absolute best to get the win. It was but it still wasn't enough.
Of course, the Bengals defense, with Trey Hendrickson leading it, was nothing to laugh at, either. Trevor Lawrence, who has had to battle multiple coaches and offensive schemes in his five years with the Jaguars, would need to prove that rumors of his comeback season were true, too.
In the end, the Bengals managed to put together a scoring drive in spite of Joe Burrow's absence to win the game. And with that, the Jags failed to accomplish a feat that has evaded them since 2018.
The Jaguars fail to go 2-0 (again) for the first time since 2018
Despite a difficult day filled with mistakes, the Jaguars defense kept the team afloat, refusing to give the Bengals a chance to get ahead. Sure, they gave up the game-winning touchdown but routinely did its part throughout the game. Meanwhile, the Cincinnati offense didn't miss a beat even after losing Joe Burrow to a toe injury, but the defense managed to stay strong.
Lawrence and the offense had a rough day; while Lawrence threw three touchdowns, he also threw two interceptions (as well as a third that, luckily, was overturned). There were far more penalties than any team should have, with a whopping five illegal shift penalties along. And yet, they still managed to keep it going just enough for the win.
This loss won't make or break the Jaguars' season, but it shows that they have a long way to go. And while they came close, all that matters, ultimately, is a win. And the Jaguars weren't able to deliver that.
It's also worth noting that with the loss to the Bengals, the Jaguars will need to wait until 2026 to have a shot at starting 2-0 in a season. The last time they pulled off the feat was when they beat the New England Patriots, and the New York Giants to start 2018.
Now, the Jaguars will need to go back to the drawing board and put in the necessary work to ensure that they don't lose two in a row when they face off against the dreaded divisional rival Houston Texans in Week 2.