Jaguars Emphasize Competition, Red-Zone Defense Ahead of Bengals Trip
JACKSONVILLE The Jacksonville Jaguars practiced Thursday at the Miller Electric Center as they prepared to play the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at Paycor Stadium. The Jaguars are 2-1 and the Bengals are 2-1 entering the Week 4 matchup. Offensive coordinator Grant Udinski and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile addressed the media before practice, and wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter spoke with reporters after the session.
Hunter, who played a career-high number of defensive snaps in Week 3 against the New England Patriots and recorded the first interception of his NFL career, said the teams approach is straightforward. “Just go out there and compete,” he said. “Just be the best person I can be, and we just got to go out there and do our job.” Hunter added that the focus must remain internal as the Jaguars prepare for a tough Cincinnati passing attack.
The Jaguars enter the matchup with a defense that has been strong in the red zone, allowing the second-lowest red-zone efficiency in the league at 20.0 percent through three weeks. The unit has produced key red-zone turnovers in consecutive weeks. Campanile credited the mentality of the group, saying, “They’re not in until they’re in.”
Campanile pointed to timely plays as evidence of that approach, including cornerback Jourdan Lewis end-zone interception against the Denver Broncos in Week 2 and Hunters red-zone interception last week versus New England that preserved a halftime lead. “That’s really more of a credit to the character of the guys,” Campanile said. “They’re locked in, whether it’s first down, second down, third down, fourth down. In the low red, they know if they do their job, they trust one another that the guy next to them is going to do his.”
On offense, Udinski highlighted the challenge of facing Bengals nose tackle Dexter Lawrence, who has earned three Pro Bowl honors and two second-team All-Pro selections since entering the league in 2019. Rookie guard Emmanuel Pregnon will make his fourth NFL start Sunday and, in three games, has faced such top-level tackles as Zach Allen of the Broncos and Milton Williams and Christian Barmore of the Patriots. “That’s invaluable; you can’t really replicate that experience,” Udinski said. “It’s great to have that early in the season as opposed to you playing the same scheme or the same exact defensive tackle for the first four weeks and then late in the season you’re trying to figure out something that’s totally different once you’ve fallen into a rhythm of it. For him to get out there and face those different techniques, face those different types of plays really invaluable and it’s awesome to see the way he’s embraced all the different challenges on a week-to-week basis, things changing.”
The Jaguars released their second of three weekly injury reports Thursday, with seven players listed as practicing limited for a second consecutive day: running back LeQuint Allen Jr. (hip), wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (thumb), right tackle Cole Van Lanen (knee), nose tackle DaVon Hamilton (back), cornerback Christian Braswell (knee), rookie nose tackle Albert Regis (elbow) and cornerback Montaric Brown (hamstring). Cornerback Jarrian Jones was listed as practicing full for a second consecutive day after a hip issue. Rookie tight end Nate Boerkircher was listed as missing practice with an illness.
NFL Sports Blog Take
Jacksonvilles preparation for Week 4 centers on two clear storylines: sustaining a stingy red-zone defense and protecting the offensive front against a disruptive interior presence. The secondary has converted red-zone and late-game opportunities into turnovers, a trend that must continue against Ja’Marr Chase and Cincinnati’s passing attack. Rookies such as Emmanuel Pregnon gaining live reps against proven defenders like Dexter Lawrence will be important to the Jaguars ability to run the ball and give Trevor Lawrence time to throw. The injury report bears watching, as limited-practice designations among rotational players could affect matchups and depth in both trenches on Sunday.