The Bengals return to Paycor Stadium for an AFC clash against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. The game kicks off at 1 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on CBS (Cincinnati’s channel 12).

Here is what to watch for:

Former No. 1 Picks Lead Explosive Offenses

Sunday will feature the top overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Joe Burrow, leading the Bengals' offense while the No. 1 selection in 2021, Trevor Lawrence, pilots the Jaguars' attack. Burrow is coming off his best individual performance of the young season in Week 3 at Pittsburgh, when he posted season highs in completions (28), passing yards (282), passing touchdowns (three) and passer rating (123.9). Through three games, his 70.9 completion percentage ranks fourth in the NFL, and he has thrown for six touchdowns compared to just one interception.

On the other side, Lawrence has performed as one of the top quarterbacks in the league dating back to the middle of last season. Since Week 11 of 2025, he ranks second among all QBs in touchdown passes (26) and passer rating (106.5), while helping lead Jacksonville to wins in 10 of its last 11 regular-season games.

"They've got a really good offense," said head coach Zac Taylor. "They've got a really good team. Well-coached, well-coordinated. A lot of talent. You see those guys play as a whole and they can really challenge you. I've got a lot of respect for what they do."

This week marks the third matchup as starters between Burrow and Lawrence, who rank fourth and fifth, respectively, in passing yards among AFC quarterbacks since the start of the 2021 season. Burrow helped lead the Bengals to a home win on Thursday Night Football over Jacksonville early in Lawrence's 2021 rookie campaign. In Week 2 of last season, Burrow threw a first-quarter touchdown before exiting in the second quarter due to a toe injury, but Cincinnati was able to come out on top, 31-27, in a back-and-forth affair at Paycor.

Versatile Secondary Takes New Shape

With starting nickel cornerback Jalen Davis placed on the Reserve/Injured list this week, Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden had to shuffle his personnel in the secondary. Perhaps most notably, Dax Hill is slated to move inside after lining up primarily as a boundary corner since transitioning from safety ahead of the 2024 season.

"I'm going to be ready regardless of where I'll be at, inside or outside," Hill told reporters on Wednesday. "That's something I know I'll be prepared for. I'm excited for the matchup."

Hill looks to build on a strong start to the season, as his five passes defensed lead the Bengals and are tied for fourth in the NFL. A candidate to fill his spot on the outside is fourth-year pro DJ Ivey, who has primarily contributed on special teams throughout his career but has shown flashes in preseason opportunities on defense.

"I'm excited about him," said Golden, when asked by reporters about Ivey this week. "I thought he had a great camp, and he's very versatile for us. He does a great job on special teams in addition to what he did for us in dime (packages), so I'm excited for his opportunity."

The Cincinnati secondary takes on a Jaguars pass-catching group led by WR Parker Washington, whose 221 receiving yards rank sixth among all AFC players. Receiver Jakobi Meyers is coming off a season-high seven catches for 64 yards and a touchdown in Jacksonville's Week 3 win over New England.

Red Zone Clash

A key area of Sunday's game could unfold when the Bengals' offense reaches the Jaguars' 20-yard line. The Jacksonville defense has allowed a touchdown on just two of its opponents'10 appearances in the red zone, good for the second-best rate in the NFL this season. While Cincinnati's offense has come away with points on seven out of eight red zone trips, it has scored a TD on just four of those opportunities. The opportunity for Burrow and company to finish drives with seven points instead of three may prove to be crucial in a tightly contested matchup of 2-1 teams.

On the other side, the Bengals' defense ranks third in the league in red zone defense, just behind Jacksonville at a rate of 27.3 percent (three touchdowns allowed on 11 red zone drives). Defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II has provided his biggest plays of the season to this point when the defense is backed up. His tackle for loss on a fourth-and-one in Week 2 at Houston, and both of his sacks last week at Pittsburgh occurred when the ball was snapped inside the red zone.

Jacksonville's offense has been highly efficient in this area, with touchdowns on eight of it's nine red zone drives (second-best rate in the NFL). The Jaguars are coming off a dominant Week 3 win over the Patriots in which they found the end zone all five times they entered the red zone.

Amarius' Ascension

Third-year right tackle Amarius Mims has been playing at a Pro Bowl level through the first three weeks of this season. According to Pro Football Focus, he has yet to allow a single quarterback pressure on 113 pass-blocking snaps. His matchups have included Pittsburgh All-Pro edge rusher T.J. Watt, Houston's vaunted duo of Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, and Tampa Bay's first-round pick in this year's draft, Rueben Bain Jr.

This week, Mims will take on a Jacksonville defensive front that has eight sacks on the season (tied for ninth in NFL), including three in last week's win over New England. DEs Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker both have 1.5 sacks, posing Mims another dual in the pass rush.

Extended Field Goal Range

Fans will be treated to two of the top long-range kickers in the NFL on Sunday in Cincinnati's Evan McPherson and Jacksonville's Cam Little. McPherson, who is coming off AFC Special Teams Player of the Month honors in September, leads the NFL with five field goals from 50+ yards this season. Little has 13 career made field goals from beyond 50 yards since entering the league in 2024, including the two longest made kicks in NFL history — a 68-yarder in Week 9 of last season, and a 67-yarder in Week 18.

McPherson's long this season is a 58-yarder, which he converted in the opener against Tampa Bay. He has made each of his last 20 attempts overall dating back to Week 11 of last season, the second-longest streak in Bengals history behind 21 consecutive field goals by Shayne Graham in 2007.

Burrow Nears Completion Milestone

Burrow enters Sunday with 1,994 career completions. With six against the Jaguars, in what will be his 81st regular-season game, he would tie Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes as the fastest quarterbacks in NFL history to reach 2,000 completions. Burrow previously was the second-fastest QB ever to reach 1,500 completions (61 games), and tied for the second-fastest to 1,000 (41 games).

Burrow also is 21 completions shy of tying Boomer Esiason (2,015) for the fourth-most in Bengals history, and 30 shy of matching Carson Palmer (2,024) for third-most. Burrow so far this season is tied for seventh in the NFL with 73 completions.

Extra Points

• Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase enters the game with 7,022 career receiving yards, and is 79 shy of tying Ring of Honor member Isaac Curtis (7,101) for third in Bengals history.
• Cornerback DJ Turner II has 21 passes defensed since the start of the 2025 season, tied for the second-most in the NFL.
• Defensive tackles Dexter Lawrence II and Jonathan Allen both are tied for ninth in the NFL with four tackles for loss this season.
• The Bengals are one of three teams this season with at least 10 sacks and five takeaways, alongside Minnesota and Las Vegas.

Check out the Bengals 2026 Schedule.