CINCINNATI — Joe Mixon ran for 151 yards and two touchdowns and caught Joe Burrow’s pass for another score as the Cincinnati Bengals rolled up 505 yards to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars, 33-25, on Sunday for their first win of the season.
The Bengals (1-2-1) worked around their recent offensive line problems and Mixon broke through with his first big game of the season, which opened up the field for Burrow to hit some big passes. The Heisman Trophy-winning rookie was sharp again, throwing for 300 yards and the touchdown to Mixon, but also made significant mistakes.
After being hit 18 times and sacked eight times last week in the 23-23 tie against the Philadelphia last week, Burrow went about his business without much trouble from the Jaguars pass rush.
But the start was inauspicious for Cincinnati. After linebacker Jordan Evans intercepted a tipped Gardner Minshew pass, the Bengals started on Jacksonville’s 40 and got nowhere, Burrow overthrowing an open A.J. Green on third down.
Late in the first quarter Burrow had a 16-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Boyd negated by a holding penalty, settling for Randy Bullock’s a 35-yard field goal instead. Then, looking at third-and goal from the Jacksonville 1, Burrow threw one up for grabs and was intercepted by linebacker Myles Jack in the end zone.
The Bengals started getting out of their own way on a drive late in the first half that ended in a 20-yard touchdown pass to Mixon on a wheel route. Mixon then got free and tore down the right side for a 34-yard score to cap the first drive of the second half, giving the Bengals their first lead 17-13.
Mixon scored his third TD of the day on a run right up the middle of the defense.
The Jaguars (1-3) cut it to 30-22 with 6 minutes, 14 seconds left, but their 2-point conversion attempt failed. Bullock kicked his fourth field goal with under two minutes left.
The Jags added a field goal with 8 seconds left, but the ensuing onside kick was unsuccessful.
