A “goofy” late touchdown from quarterback Trevor Lawrence handed the Jacksonville Jaguars a thrilling 31-28 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Monday Night Football at EverBank Stadium.
With just 30 seconds remaining, Lawrence appeared to have blundered when he tripped twice after the snap. But the 26-year-old quickly recovered, scrambled to his feet, and ran into the end zone for a one-yard touchdown that sent the home crowd into wild celebrations.
‘I just panicked’
Lawrence later admitted the play was far from planned.
“I mean, I just panicked, honestly,” he said. “I was trying to get up to get the ball out of my hands. We didn’t have any timeouts left, so I was really going to just stand up and launch it out of the back of the end zone.”
Head coach Liam Coen, however, praised the quarterback’s determination.
“It’s a goofy finish,” Coen said. “But what a tough moment for him to say he wasn’t going to lose. It was an unbelievable individual effort.”
Lawrence completed 18 of 25 passes for 221 yards and a touchdown while adding 54 rushing yards and two scores — matching his career tally of rushing touchdowns from his first four NFL seasons.
Chiefs’ struggles continue
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes delivered another strong performance, throwing 29-of-41 for 318 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for a team-high 60 yards and a score. But his last-second Hail Mary fell incomplete, sealing Kansas City’s third loss of the season — all by single digits.
“We crush ourselves with penalties and mistakes,” Mahomes said. “It’s been one guy here or there. In this league, it’s so close that those moments change games. We’ve got to be better.”
After defeats to the Chargers in Brazil and the Eagles at home, the reigning Super Bowl champions now stand at 2-3 — a stark contrast to last season’s dominance in tight contests.
Turning point
The Chiefs had led 14-0 early, with Mahomes connecting with Travis Kelce before running one in himself. But the Jaguars fought back through a Parker Washington touchdown catch and a Lawrence rushing score to level the game in the third quarter.
Momentum swung when linebacker Devin Lloyd intercepted Mahomes’ pass intended for JuJu Smith-Schuster and returned it 99 yards for a touchdown, giving Jacksonville its first lead at 21-14.
Kansas City responded through Kareem Hunt’s two rushing touchdowns, including one that gave them a late 28-27 advantage. Yet Lawrence led a composed 60-yard drive in the final two minutes — capped by his chaotic, game-winning dash.
What’s next
With the victory, the Jaguars improved to 4-1 for the first time since 2007 under new coach Liam Coen. They next host the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, while the Chiefs return home to face the high-flying Detroit Lions.
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