The Jacksonville Jaguars needed every last bit to beat the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
Right down to the final crucial play, the Jags stopped the Bengals just a foot or so short of the first down that would’ve extended the game. But Cincy was short, so it was a turnover on downs and a win for the Jags.
The final scoreboard read 22-17 in favor of the Jaguars, and it was a big early-season victory.
Both teams entered Sunday at 2-1, and while they don’t share a division, they do share a conference. Wins in games like this can be big statements.
In the end, the Jaguars made the statement.
In the process, they proved who the team to beat is in the AFC South Division.
JAGUARS 4TH DOWN STOP FOR THE WIN
JAXvsCIN on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/FoNQrBIUEs— NFL (@NFL) October 4, 2026
AFC South Standings
All four AFC South teams played in the early window on Sunday (well, the Colts played earlier, in London), so the standings are already completely through four weeks.
This is how the standings look at this point through four weeks:
- Jaguars 3-1
- Colts 2-2
- Texans 0-4
- Titans 0-4
Jacksonville obviously has a long way to go, and it’s too early to talk about a team controlling their own destiny, but that is the feeling here.
Early on, Jacksonville seems to be the best team in the AFC South, and so they don’t have any excuse to not claim a division crown here.
The Jags went 13-4 last season. They’re on pace to do similarly this season, and if they do that again, they’ll almost certainly take the division crown again.
Texans Surprise
The team expected by many to be the biggest threat in this division was the Houston Texans.
Instead, the Texans are 0-4.
They’ve had a brutal schedule to begin the season, but it’s still a costly start that’ll be tough to come back from.
The Texans led the Cowboys for much of Sunday, but they lost on a late touchdown catch by CeeDee Lamb, who had a massive day.
The Titans look lost, with Cam Ward not looking like he has improved much.
The Colts have rebounded, at least, from an 0-2 start. They beat the Texans last week and then the Commanders on Sunday in London.
This division race could still have some twists and turns, but the Jaguars couldn’t have drawn up a much better spot to sit in at this stage of the season.
Jaguars Already Control AFC South Standings