Jaguars vs. Bengals 2023: Slay or Bomb

It was a weird, disappointing game for the Jaguars. In what could’ve been a game that set the Jaguars up to compete for the one seed in the AFC, the Jaguars came up short. Multiple injuries to key positions plagued the Jaguars, while the defense collapsed and allowed Jake Browning to put together an incredible day against what was thought to be a good defense.

The Jaguars vs. Bengals game ended with not only a disappointing loss to the Bengals but injuries to key offensive stars Christian Kirk and Trevor Lawrence. The injury to Christian Kirk is a lot more serious than Lawrence’s injury, as Kirk is expected to miss six to eight weeks. Trevor Lawrence on the other hand has a chance to play Sunday, but is still something that is extremely concerning.

But, sticking with the Jaguars vs. Bengals game, some players slayed and bombed. Despite the loss, plenty of players played well, including a new face that might be getting more action shortly. On the bomb side, losses typically have multiple players that are easily identifiable. This is no different from the Jaguars vs. Bengals matchup.

Jaguars vs. Bengals: Slay

Parker Washington

After a slow start to his rookie season, Parker Washington finally had his breakout game in the Jaguars vs. Bengals game. Washington was a sixth-round pick in 2023 and was initially pinned as a return specialist fill-in for Jamal Agnew. But, Washington was much more than a return specialist for the Jaguars.

In the Jaguars vs. Bengals matchup, the Jaguars lost Christian Kirk to an injury that will keep him out for the foreseeable future. With one of Trevor Lawrence’s top targets going down for the rest of the season, another has to emerge as a solid target. Parker Washington put together a fantastic day that proves his value both in the short term and also gives hope for a long-term option for Trevor Lawrence.

In the week 13 matchup, Parker Washington was targeted six times. On those six targets, Washington had six receptions for 62 yards and one touchdown. The Parker Washington touchdown gave the Jaguars the lead in the third quarter, and it was an incredible grab as well.

Parker Washington putting together a breakout game, just when the Jaguars need him too, is a huge boost to an offense that just lost a core player. Between the timeliness of Washington’s breakout and the breakout itself, Parker Washington more than earns a slay for his efforts in the Jaguars vs. Bengals matchup.

Evan Engram

For the first time all season, Evan Engram had a touchdown. In the Jaguars vs. Bengals game, Evan Engram put together a performance that showed how much of an x-factor Engram can be. Engram had nine receptions on nine targets, for 82 yards and a touchdown.

It was his best performance of the season, and he was one of the two positional groups that was the focus in the preview of the Jaguars vs. Bengals matchup. Engram was the highest-graded receiver for the Jaguars according to PFF, and also was lined up in the slot on 60% of his routes. That’s something to monitor as the Jaguars lost Christian Kirk, who lined up in the slot plenty when he was healthy.

Josh Allen

Another week, another slay from Josh Allen. In what’s becoming a defensive player of the year candidate performance, Jsoh Allen is putting together a huge season. Allen has been the topic of discussion for an extension, and the Jaguars should be ecstatic to offer Allen a long-term deal with the way Josh Allen has been playing.

In the Jaguars vs. Bengals matchup, Josh Allen had five pressures, three quarterback hurries, and most importantly two sacks. Josh Allen is now up to 13.5 sacks on the season, tied for the third most sacks in the NFL in 2023 with Danielle Hunter. With Trevor Lawrence going down, the defense will have to pick up some of the slack. As one of the leaders of the defense, Josh Allen is more than capable of leading the defense.

The performance of Josh Allen will be overshadowed by the injuries and the loss, but the Jaguars’ star outside linebacker has proven his worth week in and week out. There might be no more consistently valuable player on the Jaguars roster than Allen, and if Josh Allen continues to play the way he has, then he’ll be making weekly appearances on the Slay section.

Jaguars vs. Bengals: Bomb

Tyson Campbell

In what’s the most disappointing performance of the whole season for the Jaguars, Tyson Campbell was one of the biggest blemishes. With a tough matchup against a great wide receiving corps of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd, the Jaguars needed to have all of their cornerbacks play at a high level. Unfortunately, Tyson Campbell struggled throughout the whole game.

In coverage in the Jaguars vs. Bengals game, Tyson Campbell was taken advantage of. According to PFF, Campbell was targeted seven times and allowed five receptions. On those five receptions, he allowed 135 yards and a touchdown. The 76-yard receiving touchdown from Ja’Marr Chase was made at the expense of Tyson Campbell.

When Campbell was targeted, he allowed Jake Browning to have an incredible 153.3 passer rating, which is only a couple of points away from a perfect rating. Overall, Tyson Campbell earned a 36.2 defensive grade and a 31.1 coverage grade. Both were the lowest on the team.

It was the textbook definition of a ‘bomb’ performance from Tyson Campbell. Allowing a ton of yards, and not contributing much positive momentum for the team. It’s incredibly disappointing after a fantastic 2022 from Campbell for him to play this poorly against a backup quarterback.

Brandon McManus

It’s a little more nit-picky to put Brandon McManus here after the kind of season he’s had, but his mistake is still very noticeable and consequential. In the fourth quarter with the game tied at 28, Brandon McManus missed a field goal from 48 yards out. The worst part of that miss was it came right on the heels of Trevor Lawrence being stepped on and going down with an injury. Missing the field goal not only gave the Bengals good field position with the game still tied, but it also continued to onslaught of negativity with the injury to Lawrence.

The injury isn’t McManus’ fault, nor is the overall emotion in the stadium before his kick, but his miss after he had been near perfect was brutal for the chances the Jaguars had at winning the game. McManus has only missed four field goals on the season, and he just missed what could be the most costly one. With the bleak future outlook for Trevor Lawrence a possibility, winning any game becomes much more important with the Texans right on the heels of the Jaguars. A missed kick, which in turn leads to a loss, is a brutal result.

Brandon McManus earned this bomb due to his performance, but it hurts a lot more because of how good he can be. When the stars underperform, it hurts doubly so. Now, with a seemingly uphill battle against some good defenses, the Jaguars desperately need McManus to hit all of his kicks, as points will be a premium against a couple of their future opponents.

Final Thoughts on Jaguars vs. Bengals

Overall, it was a disappointing performance that is overshadowed by the two major injuries to key offensive players. Both Trevor Lawrence and Christian Kirk have been invaluable assets for the Jaguars, and the fear that one, if not both might be out for an extended period is very real. Christian Kirk is all but done for the season, with a slim chance of returning in the playoffs. Trevor Lawrence has had seemingly positive news and might end up being back sooner rather than later.

But, the damage was done all the same. Two massive injuries on a night that featured a brutal loss for the Jaguars. With the Jaguars vs. Bengals matchup coming on Monday Night Football, the Jaguars had a chance to prove themselves as being one of the elite teams in the NFL. Instead, there are major concerns with the team, and those concerns are warranted after a disappointing performance in the Jaguars vs. Bengals week 13 matchup.