Jaguars open post-Ramsey era at winless Bengals

In the end, both Jalen Ramsey and the Jacksonville Jaguars got what they wanted.

Ramsey wanted out of town, and the team accommodated him on Tuesday. They shipped him to the Los Angeles Rams for a hefty return -- first-round picks in 2020 and 2021, plus a fourth-rounder in 2021.

Jacksonville (2-4) goes about resuming its season without him on Sunday when it travels to Cincinnati to face the winless Bengals (0-6).

Ramsey requested a trade after a Week 2 loss to Houston, and last played on Thursday night in Week 3, a victory over Tennessee. He's been sidelined the last three games with a back injury, so it's not like the Jaguars aren't used to playing without him.

But the news still hit his teammates hard. They were hoping against hope that Ramsey and management would find a way to set their differences aside.

"In the back of my mind," linebacker Myles Jack said, "I just figured one of these weeks Jalen was going to be back, and we were going to be back playing with him. That's kind of where I was at with it, but we've just got to move on and keep pushing."

If nothing else, the schedule-maker gave Jacksonville an ideal foil to keep pushing. Cincinnati is one of two winless teams and is also battling a serious injury wave. The Bengals will probably be without five starters on Sunday, including cornerbacks Dre Kirkpatrick (knee) and William Jackson III (shoulder).

Left tackle Andre Smith (ankle) will likely be absent, though Cordy Glenn -- who was expected to start on the blind side in Week 1 -- practiced for the first time Wednesday since a preseason concussion. If he plays, he'd face a defense that is tied for fourth in the NFL with 19 sacks. The Bengals struggled to protect against the 49ers and Steelers, who teed off on quarterback Andy Dalton.

"We're still working to find that chemistry up front," first-year Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor said. "These guys need reps side-by-side. That hasn't happened. We need to find a way to get those reps together and find that consistency.

"I have full belief that we will. There's no one that doubts that. We face some tough times in some tough games. We just need to find a way to get through it and find an answer."

One possible answer to nearly any question still hasn't suited up for a game. Star receiver A.J. Green (ankle) didn't practice on Wednesday after seeing limited practice time last week. The Bengals want to make sure he's ready to play the rest of the season before clearing him for games.

While Cincinnati is still looking for any kind of success, the Jaguars are aiming to snap a two-game losing streak. They slugged it out with New Orleans last week at home, but an early fourth-quarter touchdown pass by Teddy Bridgewater snapped a tie and led to a 13-6 decision.

Jacksonville managed only 226 total yards, with rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew held to 163 yards on 14-of-29 passing. Marrone is emphasizing cleaning things up on offense.

"Frustration's not going to help us," he said. "It's early in the season, and we're going to have to fight our way out of this."

--Field Level Media