JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2013 The Jacksonville Jaguars don\u2019t expect to get much credit for their 3-1 start. They prefer it that way.<\/p>\n
They overwhelmed Cleveland<\/a>, embarrassed New England<\/a> and handled Cincinnati<\/a> on the road \u2014 beating three teams that are .500 or better after four games. The lone loss: The Jags led Denver 13-3 in the third quarter before fading in mile-high altitude.<\/p>\n Yet much of the talk was about the struggles of Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson<\/a> and Patriots quarterback Drake Maye<\/a> and the Bengals playing most of the game without All-Pro receiver Ja\u2019Marr Chase<\/a>.<\/p>\n Jacksonville\u2019s defense, meanwhile, has been mostly overlooked. That surely will change if the unit keeps playing like this.<\/p>\n \u201cWe really care about the credit,\u201d safety Antonio Johnson said Monday. “If you don\u2019t look at us as an imposing defense, then we\u2019re going to impose our will on you. If you don\u2019t respect us, then we\u2019re going to make you respect us. … We don\u2019t care about the respect.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t respect us? Cool. We\u2019re going to make you respect us, so we\u2019re not even tripping about that.\u201d<\/p>\n The Jaguars have allowed 53 points, the second fewest in the NFL and the second fewest in franchise history through four games. They\u2019ve been so stout against the run \u2014 they haven\u2019t allowed a 75-yard rusher in 21 consecutive games \u2014 that the Bengals essentially abandoned the ground game early in Jacksonville’s 22-17 victory Sunday.<\/p>\n The Jags also rank second in the league with eight takeaways, including three in the red zone.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d like to believe it\u2019s a part of our DNA at this point,\u201d coach Liam Coen said.<\/p>\n It started last season under first-year defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, whose unit found its rhythm in early November and allowed an average of 14.5 points during an eight-game winning streak.<\/p>\n The Jaguars returned 10 defensive starters this season, creating a lot of continuity. It has shown up in every win, none bigger than stopping the Bengals on a fourth-and-10 play in the final minute. Third-string safety Rayuan Lane tackled Chase Brown a yard short of the first-down marker.<\/p>\n \u201cTo be able to come down to the last drive and finish the game playing complementary football, the defense not breaking at the end, that\u2019s huge for us,\u201d defensive end Josh Hines-Allen said.<\/p>\n What\u2019s working<\/p>\n Jacksonville ran for 111 yards against the Bengals, topping the century mark for the third time in four weeks. Second-year running back Bhayshul Tuten has been solid, topping 65 yards in every game while averaging 4.6 yards a carry. And backup Chris Rodriguez Jr. delivered one of the key plays against Cincy when he broke through the line of scrimmage for a 25-yard TD run with six minutes to play.<\/p>\n What needs help<\/p>\n Penalties were a problem for the first time all season. Jacksonville was flagged 13 times for 125 yards against the Bengals. Cincy was penalized 11 times for 108 yards, making for a choppy game at times, especially in the first half.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s wild. I\u2019ve never been a part of anything like that before in my life,\u201d Coen said. \u201cI\u2019m not going to say anything that will get me fined. But that was just mental.\u201d<\/p>\n Stock up<\/p>\n Travis Hunter played every defensive snap for the first time in his two-year career, and Coen said he \u201cballed out.\u201d Hunter finished with four tackles and two pass breakups.<\/p>\n \u201cHe played his (butt) off,\u201d Coen said.<\/p>\n Stock down<\/p>\n Parker Washington finished with one reception for 7 yards, although the play initially gained 39 yards before replays showed he stepped out of bounds. Washington also gained 3 yards on a run. Still, it his worst outing in terms of total yards since being held without a catch at San Francisco in Week 4 of last season.<\/p>\n Injuries<\/p>\n S Eric Murray (concussion) and his backup, Caleb Ransaw (knee), left the game, adding to a lengthy injury report for the secondary. CBs Montaric Brown (hamstring) and Christian Braswell (knee) missed the game, and Jarrian Jones played through a sore hip.<\/p>\n Key number<\/p>\n 9 \u2013 Number of times the Jaguars have started a season 3-1 or better. This is the third time they have done it in consecutive years.<\/p>\n Next steps<\/p>\n Jaguars travel to London for back-to-back \u201chome\u201d games against Philadelphia and Houston.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n