Bengals prove to be too much for Jaguars: 3 takeaways on frustrating overtime loss

The Jacksonville Jaguars got off to a hot start on Monday Night Football, forcing the Cincinnati Bengals to punt on their first possession. They then proceeded to score on their first possession. However, things went sideways afterward.

While the Jags had a 14-7 lead in the second quarter, they let Cincy tie the game and later get ahead on the scoreboard 21-14. From there, Jacksonville struggled to put down what was supposed to be a lesser opponent. Cincinnati never gave up and took the game to overtime. To make matters worse, the Jaguars lost Trevor Lawrence and Christian Kirk, among other players to injuries.

With Lawrence unable to go, C.J. Beathard tried to end the game in overtime. He had a nice throw to Calvin Ridley that got the Jags to the Cincinnati two-yard line but a holding penalty by Anton Harrison wiped out the gain. They then punted the ball not long after. Cincinnati then put together a 12-play, 42-yard drive that ended on a 48-yard field goal by kicker Evan McPherson.

With McPherson's field goal, the Bengals won the game 34-31 in overtime. Here are three observations form the loss on Monday Night Football.

3. Parker Washington stepped up in light of Christian Kirk's absence

The Jaguars offense had a bit of trouble adjusting after Christian Kirk left in the first quarter with a groin injury. Although the Jags went on to score on the same drive Kirk got hurt, they were somewhat inconsistent. They punted in their following possession. Also, right before and after halftime, they had the chance to put points on the scoreboard but instead let the Bengals get ahead on the scoreboard to make it 21-14 in the third quarter.

Maybe that's the wake-up call the Jags needed because they went on to tie the following drive, with rookie wide receiver Parker Washington playing a huge role. First, he had an 18-yard game and later reached the end zone on a 14-yard reception. This was his first career touchdown.

Before Week 13, the former Nittany Lion hadn't registered an offensive stat, being relegated to punt returns. Heck, he was a healthy scratch in the first three games of the season, and later spent time on Injury Reserve. Besides stepping up in Kirk's absence, he recovered a fumble C.J. Beathard lost in the fourth quarter.

In the end, Washington made the most of his chances and came through when called upon, catching six catches for 61 yards. Not bad for the first time he gets playing time on offense. Granted, he muffed a punt in the third quarter but he managed to recover it, so it wasn't as bad as it could've been. If Kirk misses extended time, expect the rookie wideout to see extended time in the upcoming weeks.

2. The Jaguars defense struggled but Josh Allen continued his DPOY campaign

This wasn't a good day for the Jaguars' defense. Cornerback Tyson Campbell, in his return after missing the past two games, allowed a touchdown to wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase. Also, the Jags had no answer for Joe Mixon and the running game, giving up 132 yards and more than five yards per carry. Not only that, Cincy was able to consistently move the chains, getting over 20 first downs and completing more than 50 percent of their third-down attempts.

Tackling was definitely an issue, and it will be something the defense will need to work on if they don't want to get embarrassed against "better opponents in what's left of the season. Without Joe Burow at the helm, the Jags were supposed to shut down the Cincinnati passing game, but that wasn't the case. Jake Browning carved the Jacksonville secondary with ease, often targeting Ja'Marr Chase, who was arguably their MVP, hauling in 10 receptions for 141 yards with one touchdown.

The silver lining is that Josh Allen continues to make his case for Defensive Player of the Year in 2023. Besides getting 1.5 sacks and forcing the Bengals to punt in their opening drive, he had a huge interception off Jake Browning in the third quarter. Not long after the pick the Jags scored to get on top 28-21.

Cincinnati later tied the game, but at least Allen continues to have an outstanding season on a day in which not many things went right for the Jaguars.

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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