Big Cat Country
The Jacksonville Jaguars are officially two games into the Travis Hunter experiment with plenty to consider heading into the young star’s third game this coming weekend.
Sunday’s 31-27 slopfest loss to the Cincinnati Bengals was Hunter’s biggest showing, playing 85 total snaps. His offense to defense split was almost dead even, with 43 snaps at corner and 42 as a wide receiver.
Unfortunately for Hunter, while he played largely fine defense, his day will forever be remembered by the pivotal pass interference call he was flagged for on fourth down. Hunter’s flag extended Cincy’s final drive which resulted in a touchdown and a shocking loss for the Jags. While that one play wasn’t the sole reason for the defeat, it was certainly Hunter’s ‘Welcome to the NFL’ moment early in his young career.
“I can’t leave it up to the refs,” Hunter said postgame Sunday of his play on the ball. “I have to do my job and put myself in a better position.”
Defensively, Hunter was thrust into a position potentially the Jags coaching staff didn’t exactly want. Jarrian Jones got dinged up early and Hunter filled in for him. Hunter also played his usual increasing allotment of snaps, resulting in 31 total coverage snaps. Head coach Liam Coen said after the Panthers win he wanted Hunter on defense more, but there is no telling if he wanted him out there this much. To Hunter’s credit, he played well.
The best play of Hunter’s defensive day came with him swiping a ball out of Andrei Iosivas’ hands for his first career pass breakup. It was later Iosivas who drew the PI flag but that’s the ups and downs of the league.
“I was prepared for the moment. I just have to do my job,” Hunter said, “make a couple more plays. They told me I would play a lot more defense, so I was prepared and ready.”
Obviously the marquee offensive players for the Bengals outside of future Hall of Fame quarterback Jake Browning are Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Just two plays after Hunter’s flag, Chase got the best of Hunter for a 16 yard reception furthering the final scoring drive. That catch was the only one given up by Hunter in coverage.
While Chase and Higgins made barbecue chicken of veteran Tyson Campbell, the rookie embraced the experience and said he plans to use it to get better moving forward.
“It was great for me early in my career to go against those two guys,” Hunter said. “They did their job. They did what their team needed them to do.”
The offensive side of the ball is where Hunter’s numbers are disappointing for what his expected production could have, or should have, been.
Hunter caught three of his six targets for 22 yards. So far this year, Hunter has nine catches for 55 yards, including two drops. Coincidentally, two would-be touchdown passes to Hunter from quarterback Trevor Lawrence have been picked off this season.
For comparison, through...
