<
>

Jaguars overcome adversity, Bengals and send message that they're for real

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars' best offensive player was deactivated because of a violation of a team rule.

They didn't have one of their starting offensive linemen because of an injury, and their best offensive lineman aggravated an ankle injury.

They lost their best defensive player -- and arguably their best overall player -- because he was ejected for fighting.

Yet the Jaguars still beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-7 at EverBank Field on Sunday afternoon.

So in the span of three hours, the Jaguars proved that their roster is finally good enough to overcome the kind of adversity that doomed the team to loss after loss over the past decade. They also delivered a message about the team's culture and discipline and showed the rest of the NFL that they are for real.

The Jaguars played Sunday without several key players. Ninety minutes before the game, they announced that running back Leonard Fournette would not be active because he violated a team rule. Sources told ESPN that among the reasons he was punished was he missed the team photo Oct. 24.

Right guard A.J. Cann missed the game with a triceps injury he suffered Friday, but the Jaguars were able to shuffle the lineup and put center Brandon Linder at right guard and have Tyler Shatley start at center. Shatley had started at center the previous three games when Linder was out with an illness.

In addition, left tackle Cam Robinson aggravated a left ankle injury and had to leave the game for several plays, but he managed to return.

Then there was Ramsey, who was ejected along with Bengals receiver A.J. Green for fighting late in the first half. The two had been trash-talking throughout the half, and things came to a head after a running play with less than 30 seconds to play. Green put his left arm on Ramsey's right shoulder after the play, and Ramsey responded by shoving Green to the ground. Green jumped back up, grabbed Ramsey around the neck and threw him to the ground. Green punched Ramsey multiple times while they were both on the ground, as players from both teams rushed to break up the fight.

None of that stopped the Jaguars, however.

Chris Ivory, T.J. Yeldon and Corey Grant filled in capably for Fournette. The trio combined to run for 128 yards, which was nearly 30 yards better than Fournette's average through his first six games (99.3 yards per game). Ivory ran for 69 yards on 20 carries and caught three passes for 34 yards.

"I've been doing it throughout my career," Ivory said. "The only time I probably didn't have as many touches was probably my second year. A lot of things get overlooked with me, which is fine. I've been dealing with this since I first got in the league, so it's nothing new for me. It's just being more noticed when you pick up big chunks of yards on passes.

"There's a reason why I've been in the league for eight years, and I'm looking to get more. So all I've got to do is stay focused and continue to grow."

The Jaguars were the NFL's top-ranked rushing team entering the game (169 yards per game) and finished with 148 rushing yards on Sunday. In addition, quarterback Blake Bortles, who threw for 195 yards in the first half and finished with 259 yards and a touchdown, was not sacked.

The defense held the Bengals to 148 total yards and sacked quarterback Andy Dalton twice. Cincinnati managed just eight first downs, went 1-for-8 on third down and finished with 29 yards rushing. The Jaguars came in with the NFL's worst rush defense (138.6 yards per game).

Special teams chipped in, too, with Jaydon Mickens returning a punt for a touchdown and Josh Lambo kicking three field goals, including a 56-yarder.

"It's just a testament to the team," cornerback Aaron Colvin said. "We've got guys from top to bottom that can play and we've got a lot of guys that aren't dressing out that I believe could go somewhere and start, so I believe that's what happened. You see it each and every week: When guys go down, other guys are stepping in."

Jacksonville (5-3) maintained pace with Tennessee (5-3) in the AFC South. But by routing the Bengals at significantly less than full strength, the Jaguars will certainly make the rest of the NFL take notice that they are not only a legitimate playoff contender but a team that has the potential to do some damage.

They still have issues, however. Although Bortles has put together back-to-back good games, he has an up-and-down history that cannot be ignored.

Even so, this was the kind of game that used to get away from the Jaguars, especially over the past four seasons. But on Sunday they showed that they are going to be a tough out.