Bengals prove to be too much for Jaguars: 3 takeaways on frustrating overtime loss
• They maybe thought it was going to be a walk in the park
• They ended up losing to Cincy 34-31 in overtime
1. The Jaguars had a chance at the No. 1 seed, they're now 4th in the AFC
The Jags lost their fourth game of the season, putting them at 3-4. However you look at it, there's no way to justify their inability to dispose of the Bengals. The Jags were the better team on paper and a 10-point favorite heading into Monday Night Football but Cincinnati managed to fight until the end.
Along the way, the Jags lost several players to injury. Christian Kirk was the first one to leave. Cornerback Tre Herndon followed him. Later in the fourth quarter, defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi also exited. The biggest blow was without a doubt Trevor Lawrence, who suffered a lower leg injury in the fourth quarter. C.J. Beathard stepped in at quarterback but couldn't pull off the win in overtime. What's worse is that it's uncertain if he will be able to keep the team afloat if Lawrence misses time.
Following the loss to the Bengals, the Jaguars hold the No. 4 seed in the AFC. Had they won, they would've been in first place but they're now lagging behind the Baltimore Ravens, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Miami Dolphins. Leaving injuries aside, they couldn't seize the opportunity and the No. 1 seed now seems unlikely. While C.J. Beathard is a capable quarterback, there's a steep dropoff from Steezy Trev to him.
The Jaguars next face the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. If the defense keeps playing like they did against Cincy, it's hard to see them coming out with the win, especially in light of Trevor Lawrnece's injury.
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