No. 29: Jacksonville Jaguars win 27-17 over Cincinnati Bengals

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We’re counting down to the 2020 NFL preseason opener what would have been the Jacksonville Jaguars preseason opener by ranking all 51 regular season wins over the past decade.

Today at No. 29? Staying close with a very, very, very bad Cincinnati Bengals team.

Week 7 — October 20, 2019

After finding ways to lose in consecutive weeks against the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints, respectively, the Jaguars found a cure-all for their troubling times in the form of the 0-6 Cincinnati Bengals and a turnover-prone Andy Dalton, to notch their third win of the season.

While the day saw a so-so performance by rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew, who finished 15-for-32 for 255 yards and a touchdown, it was a combination of running back Leonard Fournette and a defense who finally feasted on a bad offense to the tune of four turnovers, that propelled the Jaguars back into the win column.

Fournette had another game in which he showed forceful runs and decisive cuts that has allowed him to leap into the league-lead in rushing yards on the year. The third-year back finished with 131 yards on 29 carries, and was the cog that kept an often times sputtering Jags offense moving in the right direction, when the wheels could’ve potentially fell off with Minshew’s inconsistency. The game marked Fournette’s third 100-yard rushing day in seven games. He had combined for zero in his eight appearances last season.

Much like last week against New Orleans, with the offense being up and down, the defense for the most part showed up in huge ways. At one point in the first half, the Bengals had amassed a total of 13 yards in four drives, as the defense did it’s part to keep an A.J. Green-less offense to one score in the first half.

The group turned up another notch in the second half, as rookie Josh Allen amassed his fifth sack of the year and Abry Jones got in on the action to account for two more sacks on the season for the team. It was the sudden change in turnovers for the defense, however, that made the difference. After going six weeks with just one interception, the defense accounted for three picks, including a game deciding pick six by Yannick Ngakoue and added a fumble recovery by safety Ronnie Harrison, who himself also picked off Dalton, to finish the game plus four in the turnover category for the first time in 2019.

The win moves the Jaguars to a 3-4 record, and they remain within range of the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts in the division, with a lot of work still to do.

Why the ranking at No. 29?

Staying tight with what would turn out to be the worst team in the NFL that year until the final quarter when a light switch turned on is above average Jaguars.

Up tomorrow?

Kicking five field goals in a game and beating the winless Buffalo Bills back in 2010.