Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is off to a strong start to the 2026 season, setting new Jacksonville Jaguars passing records in the first three games. And in Week 4, he'll be able to reach yet another milestone.
Dating back to 2021, Lawrence has beaten nearly all AFC teams but one: Cincinnati. He'll have a prime opportunity to check off that box when the Jags travel to Ohio to face the Bengals.
Trevor Lawrence is focused on helping the Jaguars beat the Bengals
Trevor Lawrence is 0-4 against the Bengals and made it clear when he met with the local media that the Jaguars need to buck the trend in Week 4, emphasizing the need to focus on preparation and being ready for the game.
"Oh, we got to make a turn," Lawrence told the local media ahead of the game (4:49 mark). "We got to go win it. I think it does. It's definitely something that, when you're going into this game, you think about. I mean, you're not sitting there thinking about it every second of the day and all week. But I've thought about it. It's a team that we haven't beat, and we lost a tough one there earlier in the season last year.
"And that's one that we definitely want back. And I think that's all those things you think about it, and you move on, and you got to put it towards, pull your energy towards something that actually does something for you, which is preparing and getting ready to go put together a great plan to win the game. That's what we're going to do, and that's what our plan is, and we got to put our energy towards that."
Jacksonville came close to beating Cincinnati in Week 2 last year but ultimately failed to come through. Something similar happened in 2023, when the Jags had a favorable chance to win, but Lawrence left the game, and the Jags lost in overtime.
The worst loss to the Bengals in Lawrence's career might've been in his rookie campaign, though. That year, Jacksonville lost on Thursday Night Football. Urban Meyer was the head coach then and stayed in Ohio to party instead of flying back home with the team.
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The Jaguars are in a position to help Trevor Lawrence reach the milestone
The idea of beating all AFC clubs should most definitely incentivize Trevor Lawrence to bring his A-game to Cincinnati. He'll have several things going in his favor to pull it off. The trio of Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers, and tight end Brenton Strange gives him options in the passing game, and running back Bhayshul Tuten should prevent the Bengals from dropping extra defenders.
It's also worth noting that Cinci is dealing with injuries in the secondary. You can bet that Liam Coen will look for ways to exploit that matchup. Of course, the defense will be tasked with slowing down the receiving duo of JaMarr Chase, who has nothing to say about Travis Hunter, and TeeHiggins.
Simply put, this game could come down to the wire, and the Bengals will also be incentivized to get their third win of the year. That said, expect a motivated Jaguars team to help Trevor Lawrence reach what will be a special milestone.
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