The Cincinnati Bengals are walking into Week 4 against the Jaguars with a *mess* of an injury report, including a potentially gutted safety room. This isn’t just a few bumps and bruises, folks; four players sat out entirely from Wednesday’s practice, and that could spell real trouble for a team looking to bounce back from a tough divisional loss.
Jaguars Are Trending Toward Full Strength
On the flip side, the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1) are riding high after a statement win over the Patriots, and they are looking to keep that momentum rolling in a crowded AFC field. Their injury report looks a bit crowded, sure, but it seems like a lot of it is just maintenance work. Seriously, no DNPs for Duuuval, which is always a good sign!
Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (thumb) has been limited all season, managing that nagging injury from way back in training camp. He’s been playing through it though, so you know he’s tough. Offensive tackle Cole Van Lanen (knee) is in a similar boat, limited every week as he works his way back to form from last year’s knee injury. It sounds like they’re managing these guys’ snap counts more than anything. Defensive tackle Davon Hamilton (back) and cornerback Montaric Brown (hamstring) are also listed as limited, but their statuses seem more about maintenance than actually keeping them off the field on Sunday. Rounding out the limited group are running back LeQuint Allen Jr. (hip), cornerback Christian Braswell (knee), and defensive tackle Albert Regis (elbow). The best news for Jacksonville’s secondary, which will need to be sharp against Cincy’s dynamic passing attack, is that cornerback Jarrian Jones got a full practice in, shaking off his hip issue.
Cincinnati’s Back End Is a Serious Question Mark
Now, for the Bengals (2-1), this is where things get dicey. They’ve got some real question marks all over the place. Four players didn’t practice at all on Wednesday: safety Kyle Dugger (quadricep), defensive tackle B.J. Hill (Achilles), right guard Dalton Risner (knee), and wide receiver Colbie Young (knee). Risner’s absence is a big deal for their offensive line, which might have to shuffle things around a bit.
But the *biggest* story for Cincinnati has to be their safety room. Kyle Dugger flat out didn’t practice! And if that wasn’t bad enough, *both* starting safeties Jordan Battle (hamstring) and Bryan Cook (ankle) were limited. That’s a huge problem. You’ve got your entire starting safety corps either out or banged up. That leaves the Bengals’ back end in some serious question-mark territory heading into the week. If that uncertainty holds up into Sunday, you can bet the Jaguars’ passing attack will be looking to attack that weakness.
This Week 4 matchup is shaping up to be a pivotal one for both 2-1 teams trying to keep pace early in the season. The Jaguars are feeling good and seem to be getting healthier, while the Bengals are dealing with some major headaches, especially in their secondary. Keep your eyes on that Bengals safety situation because if they can’t get those guys on the field, or they’re playing at less than 100%, the Jaguars could have a field day with their passing game. Sunday’s gonna be a wild one!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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