The Cincinnati Bengals lost wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins (groin) during Sunday’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, stripping Joe Burrow of his two primary targets before a final possession that could have changed the game. Chase left after a facemask sequence, while Locked On Bengals co-host Joe Goodberry said a report from ESPN’s Ben Baby identified Higgins’ issue as an adductor injury. Their absences reshaped a 22-17 loss that dropped Cincinnati to 2-2.
Burrow still drove the Bengals into scoring range late without Chase or Higgins, connecting on difficult throws to Mitch Tinsley and tight end Mike Gesicki. But the offense could not finish. Locked On Bengals host Jake Liscow pointed to a potential go-ahead touchdown that Burrow missed to Gesicki, followed by a fourth-down throw short of the sticks. Cincinnati had four chances in the red zone to produce the winning score and came away empty.
The injury fallout matters beyond one possession because the offense already struggled to create dependable answers before Chase and Higgins departed. Goodberry described the late-game concepts as low-percentage plays built around contested catches and tight-window throws. Without its top two wideouts, Cincinnati had less ability to dictate coverage or force Jacksonville to account for a featured receiver.
Burrow’s final line — 39 completions on 54 attempts for 428 yards — underscored both the production and the burden placed on him. Goodberry said Burrow played well for long stretches but cited his two interceptions, including one in the red zone, and several late misses as the defining failures. The hosts’ larger point was not that Burrow lacked volume, but that Cincinnati’s shorthanded offense had no room for the mistakes that erased scoring opportunities.
Chase and Higgins now sit at the center of the Bengals’ immediate outlook. If either absence extends beyond this game, Burrow will need more from Tinsley, Gesicki and the rest of a receiving group that was pressed into major snaps on the final drive. Cincinnati showed it could move the ball after losing its top targets; it did not show it could consistently convert those possessions into points.
Cincinnati’s next set of injury updates will determine whether this loss becomes a one-game breakdown or the start of a more significant test of Burrow’s supporting cast.
Bengals News and Notes
– Running back Chase Brown and the ground game never gave the offense a workable counterpunch. The Bengals finished with 15 carries for 23 yards, and Goodberry said poor blocking and a lack of missed tackles forced the offense into predictable shotgun passing.
– Burrow’s interceptions proved costly in a game with limited possessions. Goodberry said the second pick and the missed opportunity to Gesicki outweighed an otherwise productive passing performance because Jacksonville turned Cincinnati’s errors into a late-game deficit.
– Offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. emerged as another concern after repeated pressure issues, according to Liscow. The hosts also questioned whether Dalton Risner’s mobility was affected after he appeared hobbled, a development that could help explain the run game’s collapse.
