T
he Cincinnati Bengals are 2-1 to begin the 2026 NFL season after losing in heartbreaking fashion to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3. The Bengals lost 30-27 thanks to some late game blunders on defense and were unable to fend off future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers and company. Making it all the way to the Super Bowl in 2021, the franchise has since struggled to live up to expectations of being a top AFC team in recent seasons.
But if you look at Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, you would think that the Bengals are the best team in the league. Lawrence has been in the NFL since 2021 and has experienced some ups and downs but over the last two seasons, he has found major success. But even though he is starting to win consistently, the Bengals are the one franchise that has given him problems.
The Bengals are the one AFC team Lawrence has never beaten
Lawrence and the Jaguars are 2-1 heading into their Week 4 game against the Bengals. After a dominant win against the New England Patriots, the Jaguars have major momentum and want to build off of that. Lawrence has another thing on his mind though. He has beaten every single AFC team in his career except for one– the Bengals. And heading into this week, he is determined to put that stat to bed and conquer something he has failed to do in the three times he has played the Bengals.
“We’ve got to make it turn,” Lawrence told reporters. “We’ve got to go win it. It’s definitely something that, when you’re going into the game, you think about. You’re not sitting there thinking about it every second of the day and all week, but I’ve thought about it. It’s a team that we haven’t beat. We lost a tough one there early in the season last year and that’s one that we definitely we want back. All those things you think about and you move on. You have to put your energy toward something that actually does something for you, which is preparing and getting ready to go.”
Lawrence first faced off against the Bengals as a rookie in 2021, losing 21-20 despite a turnover-free game from him. The next time he played the Bengals was in 2023, where he and the Jaguars fell 34-31 in overtime. Lawrence’s most recent matchup against the Bengals was last season, where despite a 13-4 season, the Jaguars still lost 31-27. Each game has been close, but could this be the year he finally gets over the hump against the Bengals?
Lawrence’s NFL Career
Lawrence only lost two games in college at Clemson, with both coming in the College Football Playoff. Because of his elite college tenure, he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and quickly became the face of the Jaguars. Lawrence struggled early on in his NFL career though, going 3-14 in his rookie season and leading the entire NFL in interceptions (17). Lawrence rebounded nicely in 2022, earning his first career Pro Bowl selection after leading the Jaguars to a division title and throwing for 4,113 yards, 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions. For his career, he has a 37-43 win-loss record with 18,438 passing yards, 105 touchdowns and 60 interceptions.
Trevor Lawrence has an interesting career history against the Bengals