The Cincinnati Bengals moved to 3-1 with a Thursday Night Football, 24-21 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Cincinnati came out flat and fell into a two-touchdown hole, only to climb right back out of it in a hurry after some halftime adjustments. The game featured some head-scratching play calls and defense, but also some wicked plays by Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and a random outburst from tight end C.J. Uzomah.

Here’s a look at everything we know coming out of the victory.

Final score: 24-21

Sep 30, 2021; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9 )runs during the first quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

Keys to the game

Sep 30, 2021; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Shaquill Griffin (26) tackles Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (1) in the first half at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

Ground game: The Jaguars had eleven first-down runs in the first half while getting out to a 14-0 lead and ran for 140-plus on the night as a whole…Burrow: Enough said, right? Burrow was wicked-efficient again and went off-script a few times for big plays, including a second touchdown to C.J. Uzomah to tie it up 21-21…Play-calling: The first half saw the Bengals run in predictable (and often bad) situations and just generally look disinterested after the first drive. Whatever the team did to open up the playbook in the second half kicked things into gear (most of it was spamming the ball at Ja’Marr Chase).

It was over when...

Sep 30, 2021; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (1) reacts after moving the ball down the field against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first half at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

…Rookie kicker Evan McPherson knocked through a field-goal attempt as regulation ended, fully making up for his miss earlier in the game. Cincinnati bled the clock down from about 5:30 left in the fourth, then hit the game-winner.

Bengals' Top Performers

Sep 30, 2021; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Eli Apple (20) reacts after breaking up a pass intended for Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. (10) in the first half at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

QB Joe Burrow: 25/32, 348 yards, 2 TD

RB Joe Mixon: 16 carries, 67 yards, 4.2 average, 1 TD

WR Ja’Marr Chase: 6 catches, 77 yards, 2 TD

WR Tyler Boyd: 9 catches, 118 yards

TE C.J. Uzomah: 5 catches, 95 yards, 2 TD

LB Logan Wilson: 10 tackles, one sack

LB Germaine Pratt: 8 tackles

Injuries

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (1) catches a pass before the NFL football game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021, at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati.
Jacksonville Jaguars At Cincinnati Bengals 115
Syndication The Enquirer

Larry Ogunjobi briefly left with a knee injury, was labeled as questionable to return, then eventually did. Joe Mixon was walking off some sort of injury during the final two minutes of the game.

Important game notes

Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Mixon (28) celebrates a touchdown run during the second half of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

— Logan Wilson picked up right where he left off, continuing his epic tear with a sack on the first Jaguars drive of the game.

— Huge opening drive for Zac Taylor and Joe Burrow. The first play was a wicked fake-pitch that ended up being a 33-yard gain for Tyler Boyd. Auden Tate had two key catches and Chase had one. So much for that vanilla, conservative play-calling.

— Bengals defense collapsed on its second drive, allowing four runs of double-digit yardage before coughing up a score.

— An almost funny, in the worst way possible, first half for the Bengals. Zac Taylor calling runs on 2nd-and-long and going run, run, pass and punt every drive hurt. So did Trae Waynes getting burnt like toast for a bomb of 50-plus yards in his debut with the team.

— At halftime, Bengals were 1-of-5 on third downs and outgained 240-107. Jaguars picked up 11 rushing first-downs.

— Huge turnaround for a Bengals offense that is so dangerous when called well. Taylor and Co. made the right adjustments and sprinted to a pair of quick touchdowns, mostly by emphasizing the passing game.

— Ja’Marr Chase had yet another play of 40-plus yards, which set up one of those touchdowns that went to C.J. Uzomah.

— Uzomah got in the endzone again, capping off the best game of his career and making for one heck of a story given the massive injury comeback he had to make this offseason, too.

— Burrow went way off script on that second touchdown to Uzomah. If there was any doubt remaining that he’s not back to 100 percent, it should be wiped out now.

— As we pound the drum on every week, Logan Wilson looks like a star in the middle of that defense. He’s constantly around the ball, putting up big tackle numbers and looking good in coverage, too.

What's next?

Cincinnati Bengals’ Sam Hubbard (94) reacts during the first half of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

The Bengals get an extended break after a short week here and next play on October 10 for a Week 5 matchup against the Green Bay Packers.

They stay at home for that one and will need every bit of extra prep they can get to take on Aaron Rodgers and an explosive offense.

1

1