The Cincinnati Bengals nearly pulled off an improbable fourth-quarter comeback against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but their rally ended one yard short in a 22-17 loss at Paycor Stadium. Although Cincinnati had several opportunities to change the outcome, Joe Burrow’s two interceptions made him the Bengal most responsible for the defeat.
Burrow produced plenty of impressive numbers, completing 39 of 54 passes for 428 yards and one touchdown while adding another score on the ground. However, his two costliest mistakes directly contributed to Cincinnati falling into a hole that even his late-game heroics could not overcome.
Joe Burrow’s turnovers proved decisive
It may appear harsh to blame a quarterback who threw for 428 yards, especially after Ja’Marr Chase exited with a concussion during the second quarter and Tee Higgins suffered an abductor injury late in the game. Burrow kept the offense functional despite those losses, while Higgins delivered 11 receptions for 157 yards before leaving.
But quarterback evaluation cannot stop at the final yardage total. Burrow’s interceptions came in two of the most damaging situations possible.
His first turnover occurred late in the second quarter with Cincinnati trailing 6-3 and moving into Jacksonville territory. Jaguars cornerback Jourdan Lewis returned the interception 45 yards to the Bengals’ 18-yard line, and Trevor Lawrence found Brian Thomas Jr. for a touchdown four plays later. Instead of potentially entering halftime tied—or at least remaining within three points—the Bengals went into the locker room trailing 13-3.
The second interception was even more damaging. Cincinnati had cut Jacksonville’s lead to 16-10 and reached the Jaguars’ 10-yard line early in the fourth quarter. Under pressure, Burrow attempted to get rid of the ball but failed to see linebacker Foyesade Oluokun, who intercepted the pass and erased a prime scoring opportunity. Burrow accepted responsibility afterward, calling it a bad play and acknowledging that it was the turnover he most wanted back.
Joe Burrow’s 2nd interception of the game.
A costly one with Cincinnati in the red zone pic.twitter.com/rSC6AyuNvJ
— The Sports Geek (@TheSports_Geek) October 4, 2026
That interception prevented the Bengals from taking the lead with a touchdown or pulling within three points with a field goal. In a five-point loss, Cincinnati could not afford to waste two possessions in scoring range.
Bengals offered no rushing threat
Burrow’s errors were the biggest individual reason for the loss, but Cincinnati’s nonexistent running game placed far too much pressure on him.
The Bengals finished with only 23 rushing yards on 15 attempts, averaging 1.5 yards per carry. Chase Brown managed 10 yards on nine carries, while Samaje Perine contributed seven yards on three attempts. Jacksonville, by comparison, rushed for 111 yards and averaged 4.1 yards per attempt.
Those numbers explain why Burrow attempted 54 passes. Cincinnati became almost entirely one-dimensional, allowing Jacksonville’s defense to focus on its pass rush and coverage structure without showing much respect for the possibility of a productive run.
Article Continues BelowThe lack of balance became particularly problematic after Chase left the game. Rather than helping compensate for the absence of Cincinnati’s top receiver, the ground game continued to put the offense behind schedule. The Bengals recorded only two rushing first downs and failed to produce a run longer than six yards.
Jacksonville did not need to dominate Burrow on every snap. The Jaguars simply needed to create enough pressure and wait for a mistake, which is precisely what happened on the red-zone interception. Cincinnati accumulated 437 total yards and 26 first downs, but its inability to run effectively made the offense less efficient when the field became compressed.
The offensive line and the running backs therefore deserve a significant share of the blame. Burrow should not have needed to throw more than 50 times just to give Cincinnati a chance at home.
Late execution failed again
Zac Taylor and the coaching staff also deserve scrutiny for the offense’s execution in decisive situations. Cincinnati reached the red zone four times but scored touchdowns on only two of those trips. The Bengals also committed 11 penalties for 108 yards during a game that featured 24 combined penalties.
The final fourth-down decision will receive the most attention. After taking possession at its own 17-yard line with 1:44 remaining, Cincinnati moved rapidly into Jacksonville territory. However, three consecutive incompletions set up fourth-and-10 from the Jaguars’ 21.
Burrow checked the ball down to Brown in space, but safety Rayuan Lane III made the tackle at the 12-yard line, one yard short of the first-down marker. Burrow explained that he liked Brown’s one-on-one matchup and believed the running back could create the necessary yardage, but the Jaguars executed the tackle.
Brown should not carry substantial blame for the final play. He knew where the line to gain was, fought for additional yardage and was stopped by a quality defensive effort. The larger problem was Cincinnati allowing the drive to reach fourth-and-10 and then relying on a short completion that required Brown to defeat multiple defenders.
The Bengals showed resilience after falling behind 22-10 with 6:35 remaining. Burrow answered with a nine-play touchdown drive, the defense forced a punt, and the offense moved back into the red zone without Chase or Higgins available.
Still, Cincinnati did not lose because Brown came up one yard short. The Bengals lost because Burrow’s two interceptions produced a potential 14-point swing, the running game provided virtually no support and the offense repeatedly failed to finish promising possessions. Burrow was the biggest reason Cincinnati remained competitive but his turnovers also made him the Bengal most to blame for a comeback that never reached the finish line.