After career days from the back of their depth chart on both sides of the ball nearly led them to an improbable fourth-quarter comeback win over the Jaguars at Paycor Stadium Sunday, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor and quarterback Joe Burrow responded with fire and ice.

Taylor's emotional "You didn't quit," postgame remarks left an impression on his team that fought to the last round without heavyweights Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins while Burrow's cold mathematical calculations shrugged off another loss at the bell.

"We're very confident. You know, we're 2-2, but nobody wins a championship after week four," said Burrow, who declared the end of the world, never mind the AFC North race, a bad rumor.

"This isn't Armageddon or anything. We're still in a great spot, feel really good about our team and (we'll) come back to practice next week and keep getting better. That's what the NFL is all about. You can't ride the roller coaster week-to-week."

Indeed, more calculations fired him up when he was asked about a stat sheet that read the Bengals had rushed for 23 yards, the fewest in his 81 starts.

"My response to that would be, 'Let's throw it more,'" said Burrow after already hitting 39-of-54 passes for 428 yards in his biggest passing day since the 2024 game in Baltimore.

"Because I know we're great at it. Because I know that's what I do best, and we're really pass-protecting really well right now. Obviously, we'd like to get more out of the run game, but you know I know we'll make it work."

There was no shortage of confidence after the Bengals had their chances despite losing their All-Pro wide receiver Chase (concussion) 18 minutes into the game and then his running mate Higgins (abductor), leaving with five minutes left and taking 157 yards and his career year with him.

Not only that, their defense, without starting safety Bryan Cook (ankle), nickel cornerback Jalen Davis (hamstring) and backup safety Kyle Dugger (quad), reached down and gave them a stand at the Jags 45 and the bionic leg of Cam Little looming that got the ball back to Burrow with 1:44 left.

"Before that, I was encouraging everybody. 'We'll have a four-minute opportunity,' and we did what we were  supposed to do," said defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II, who did his part on second down when he found his "long-lost brother," Jags quarterback Trevor Lawerence, for his third fourth-quarter sack in two weeks.

"The fight and improvement at the end of the game is what I like to see. We had opportunities. We just have to be better. It's nothing to hang your heads on. That's a good team. We just have to play better. A complete game as a team."

The defense fought through two Burrow interceptions. One at midfield when edge Josh Hines-Allen hit him while throwing at the two-minute mark of the first half that turned into a touchdown and one in the red zone that became a punt (courtesy of edge Boye Mafe’s tackle for loss).

The Bengals and Jags came into the game tied with scoring the most points off turnovers in the league with 31 each. The Jags now lead with 38. But Dexter Lawrence was confident the Bengals had Jacksonville's number with 1:44 left.

"We're going to win," Lawrence thought. "I like that situation 100% all the time. Every time. Every time.

"Because it's Joe Burrow."

Even without Chase and Higgins for that last drive as Burrow sent the Jags' estimable veteran defense reeling with new names and sets.

Chase was nowhere to be seen after two taking vicious hits on one play. Higgins had his helmet off. No. 3 receiver Andrei Iosivas had his hand in a cast after last week's thumb surgery. Fourth-round pick Colbie Young (knee) also was in sweats on the sideline.

At the tail end of his streak of 10 straight completions, Burrow hit his first three passes of the drive for 62 yards. And, if the officials had done what they did all day and thrown a flag on the 11^th pass when Jags cornerback Jarrian Jones appeared to arrive early at wide receiver Dohnte Meyers over the middle at the Jacksonville 10, it would have been quite interesting.

Old friend Mitch Tinsley, who arrived back in town Tuesday off the Houston practice squad, started it all racing down the right sideline for a 29-yard circus catch going out-of-bounds when  he baked Jones one-on-one.

Then tight end Mike Gesicki, who caught his third touchdown pass in four games earlier as they adjusted to life without Chase, made himself available on a Burrow scramble when he did what Gesicki does and found a hole in the zone on the right sideline for 18 more.

Then Burrow, getting crazy protection despite everyone in and outside Paycor knowing he was dropping back, went to the right side again, where a leaping Meyers made an astounding one-armed grab that he yanked from Jones for 15 more that put them at the Jags 21.

"Guys came in and really stepped up. Dohnte, Mitch, (tight end) Tanner (Hudson) and Mike and, really, Tee for a good part of the game too balled as well," Burow said. "And then Tee went out, and then Tanner and Mike, Mitch and Dohnte ... I mean, I can't say enough about those guys."

Tinsley had career-highs of three catches for 49 yards. Same with Meyers on seven catches for 82 yards. Gone for 30 days to the Texans practice squad after not making the final cut, Tinsley didn't forget the playbook.

"I just went up to Mitch and said, 'Great job.' He did a fantastic job," Gesicki said. "That go-ball there to keep us alive, and on that last drive."

Tinsley may not have a lot catches in the pros, but he's caught enough professionalism for Burrow and the men love. His blink-quick catch on a slant set up Burrow's one-yard touchdown run because, "I didn't want to stretch it out and fumble."

"Business as usual," Tinsley said of the huddle. "We know what we're capable of. We can't make the moment bigger than it is. We just have to out there and ball."

Taylor deployed Tinsley and Meyers in all kinds of spots.

"I was all around the place. So was Dohnte. We both know the whole offense," Tinsley said. "There were little nuances. The playbook is still the same. I just try  to handle it like a professional and go show up to work every single day.

"Dohnte and I were in all three positions. We knew  where to go, moving parts. I think that's what (Burrow) has a lot of confidence in."

The Jags went man-to-man without Chase and Higgins out there, and Tinsley and Meyers nearly made them pay.

"I don't know if they really thought that we would be able to make the plays," Tinsley said. "For me, it was about getting open, holding my ground and making the play.

"I can't speak for everybody else, but for me it was an opportunity to show what I believe I am, so when I get my opportunities, make the most of it. I think everybody else had that same mindset during the game. When your number is called, go make a play, get open."

Meyers, coming off a 1,000-yard season in the CFL, was thinking the same thing as he replayed that wondrous catch against Jones. Back shoulder. Maybe not the classic Burrow to Chase manuscript, but they were on the same improv page.

"Joe trusted me in that situation. I just want to come down with it. However it shakes out," Meyers said. "We recognized the back-shoulder. Whatever it takes. It's a do-or-die moment."

They couldn't get ten more yards as Burrow took one more shot at all three of them on three of the final snaps before the fourth-down pass to running back Chase Brown was half-a-yard shy of a first down.

"It was pretty chaotic, so I have to go back and watch the tape and figure out what happened on those first three downs before that fourth down," Burrow said. "But we moved into a good spot and gave ourselves a chance."

For Tinsley, who went from being in sweats on the Houston sidelines last Sunday to making the biggest play for the Bengals this Sunday with his sideline catch, it was all about a chance.

"It's crazy how it goes," he said after another whacky day in the league.