Seven weeks ago, the Jaguars were standing still Which Team: loose, fun, unreliable. The kind that can light up a quarter and then spend the next three nullifying it. Now, they are a bandwagon.
After beating the Broncos on Sunday, the Jaguars are on a six-game winning streak. They have won 11 regular-season games for the first time since 2007. With two winnable games at the conclusion of the season, they have a strong path to the No. 1 seed, with the AFC possibly passing through Jacksonville.
It’s some transformation. It wasn’t until just two months ago that Jacksonville chipped away at Houston, falling to 5-4 and losing four of five. In most Jaguar seasons, this is the moment when the floor falls. He starts complaining. Then the leakage, the infighting, and the familiar feeling of misalignment. You know how it goes. If there’s one unifying thread in Jaguars football, it’s that their best teams are finding new ways to disappoint.
But this is no Jaguars regular season. Instead of folding, it hardened. A smart trade and a timely bye week gave the Jags a chance to pause. After adding receiver Jacoby Myers at the trade deadline, first-year coach Liam Quinn was able to recalibrate his offense. He doubled down on the team’s strength, relied on the reliability of Myers, and allowed Trevor Lawrence to play his most natural style — throwing the ball downfield and taking off with his legs.
By reworking the offense and a stifling defense, the Jags dismantled the Chargers, albeit while seeing a healthy dose of Trey Lance at quarterback. Then they settled in and beat up the dregs of the league: the Cardinals, Titans, Riley Leonard-led Colts and the Tanktastic Jets.
Earning wins over the bottom half of the AFC is one thing. But Sunday was different. Behind a balanced performance from Trevor Lawrence, the Jaguars went into Denver and dismantled one of the best teams in the league, coming away with a 34-20 win that shook the Broncos and their broader playoff picture.
Lawrence was the constant. He completed 23 of 36 passes for 279 yards, threw three touchdowns, ran for another and rarely looked erratic against a defense designed to make quarterbacks uncomfortable. A week earlier, he had torn apart the Jets team with the best performance of his career. But it is easy to dismiss the ignition of the wretched planes. Doing so in Denver, at this point, is more indicative of where Lawrence and the Jags are at.
This wasn’t a blast from the start. Denver matched Jacksonville’s punch during the first half and into the third quarter, tying the game at 17-17.
The pivot on the Jaguars’ opening drive came after halftime. Two penalty kicks did the damage. First, a passing lbw call caused Lawrence to flip the pitch position. Then, in the end zone, Jahdae Barron was flagged for pass interference while trying to recover against Parker Washington. The noise rose. Lawrence calmed down by running untouched into the end zone for a 24-17 lead.
From there, the Broncos never regained their footing. There was no magic in the second half from Bo Nix, no late surge to save the afternoon. Denver went three-and-out. Jacksonville scored again. A botched handoff between the Knicks and Jalil McLaughlin led to the Broncos’ first turnover, which the Jaguars turned into a field goal. When the Knicks forced a onside punt late in the fourth quarter, Jarian Jones intercepted it and effectively sealed the game.
Quinn was brought to Jacksonville to unleash Lawrence’s potential. He was the prince who was promised, the No. 1 overall pick with a lot of potential. The early returns of the pairing were difficult. There was obvious tension. Quinn’s choreographed, plan-bound style did not mesh with Lawrence’s freewheeling ways. The Jaguars struggled to line up. They struggled to get shots. They have committed more penalties than any other offense in the league. Once the ball was in play, the passing game was disrupted by drops, Brian Thomas Jr. falling behind, and not being able to figure out what to do with Travis Hunter. Despite the big-name firepower, Quinn built his unit around a directed offensive line and tight end Brenton Strange. This was not the flamethrower offense envisioned when partnering one of the best offensive minds in the league with Lawrence’s untapped potential.
Now, these early teething problems are gone. Myers brought a sense of reliability. He does all the dirty work a receiver does: blocking, blitzing down the middle of the field, making room for others and making tough catches. Since the acquisition of Myers The Jags are eighth in EPA/Play And fifth in retraction success rate. Sometimes, having a receiver who knows where he is and catches the ball is all we need.
Lawrence has gone supernova. In his last four games, he has 13 touchdowns to zero turnovers. He has been encouraged to use his legs more and regularly makes seemingly impossible throws.
There’s something else too. There is a system in his game – control. Even at his best, Lawrence always played with a degree of chaos. He makes hard things look easy, and easy things look hard. But in a tight system with reliable pass rushers, he discovered his magic. He roams the middle zone of the court, a place he has struggled throughout his career, rarely putting the ball in harm’s way.
Pair the reshaped offense with a defense that thrives on turnovers, and suddenly the Jaguars look like a legitimate contender.
The win moves Jacksonville to 11-4, with games still to come against the Philip Rivers-led Colts and Titans. The idea of a conference divider route running through Jacksonville is no longer a moot point.
Player of the week
Justin Herbert, QB, Chargers. Sunday was a gentle reminder of what Herbert is like when he’s not under constant siege. Despite rolling out their 12th offensive line diversity of the season, the Chargers limited the Cowboys to a 39% pressure rate, which says as much about the Cowboys’ pass rush as anything else. But for a quarterback who routinely pressured more than half of his running backs, it must have seemed like an easy day’s work for Herbert. It certainly seemed that way. Even with a broken right hand, Herbert torched Dallas, completing 23 of 29 pass attempts for 300 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-17 win. He added another 42 yards and a score with his feet.
Video of the week
“chaos.” That’s how Aaron Rodgers described the Steelers-Lions’ finish, which led to Pittsburgh’s 29-24 road win.
While driving to win the game, the Lions moved the ball to the Steelers’ goal line. They scored an emphatic goal with 25 seconds left before being pulled again for an offensive pass interference call. Detroit then missed three shots in the end zone, leaving a fourth goal of the game — and perhaps their season. Jared Goff hit Amon-Ra St. Brown short of the end zone, who was pushed back before passing the ball back to the quarterback at the eight-yard line. Goff took to the field and raced across the volley to score the game’s score. But the play was once again He was called back for OPI, clearing the touchdown and ending the game, but not before the main official did his best WWE impression, Detroit fans excited that they won. “I was part of a game that saw this kind of chaos 13 years ago,” Rodgers said after the match. “However, there were some substitute referees.”
Statistics of the week
And now for the throw of the year:
59.6 yards. That’s how far Caleb Williams’ touchdown strike to DJ Moore traveled through the air. Saturday night’s finale was a classic. The Bears once again chipped away at a late deficit and found a way once again, outscoring the Green Bay Packers to win 22-16 in overtime. They have trailed six times so far in the final two minutes of regulation, and six times they have come away with a win, more than any team has done in a single season since the merger. This time, they needed an onside kick recovery (only the second recovery this season), a Packers coverage, and a laser from Williams to get the job done.
Football is better when the Packers vs. Bears rivalry is alive and healthy. There is a good chance we will see a third match in the Wildcard Round.
Elsewhere around the league
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Playoffs are shaping up. Five teams have now clinched: Seahawks, Bears, Eagles, Rams and 49ers. In the AFC, only the Broncos and Patriots are undecided, with seven spots still up for grabs.
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After Thursday’s disappointing collapse to the Seahawks, the Rams fired special teams coach Chase Blackburn. Special teams played a role in three of the Rams’ four losses this season, with consistent breakdowns in the kicking game and on returns. It’s the first coaching change Sean McVay has made during the season in his career. “We’ve been focused on that left field return, the field return, all week,” Seahawks returner Rashard Shaheed said after the touchdown that led to Seattle’s comeback. “We knew they had a weakness with their special teams and we were able to corral the punt team and make a big play.” The Rams rank first in offensive and defensive DVOA through 16 weeks, but 30th in special teams DVOA. You can’t ignore one phase of the game and expect to win close playoff games.
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The stubborn streak continues as it always has. The Steelers won their ninth game of the season in Detroit, meaning Mike Tomlin has secured his 19th straight winning season as a coach. As questions mount about Tomlin’s future — even chants of “fire Tomlin” at home — he continues to answer the only way he has: winning.
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The NFL will investigate the confrontation between Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf and a Detroit fan. Metcalf appeared to punch a Lions fan after exchanging words near the end zone. That’s a fan, Metcalf told former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson Metcalfe called it a racial slur He abused his mother. “My words don’t matter because they were on camera,” the fan told. Detroit Free Press. When asked about his name, the fan said: “My name is the biggest.” Detroit Lions A fan who was attacked by DeKaylin Zecharius Metcalf. “My full name is not DeKaylin Zecharius Metcalf,” he said. “He doesn’t like his government name. I called him that and then he grabbed me and tore my shirt.”
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If you need a reminder of the greatness of Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs provided one in a crushing loss to the Giants. With Mahomes lost for the season, the Chiefs looked unprepared and disorganized, losing 26-9 to one of the worst teams in the league. The Chiefs lost backup quarterback Gardner Minshew to an ACL injury in the first quarter, forcing former undrafted quarterback Chris Oladokun into action. But despite Oladokun minimizing errors, the Chiefs looked lifeless in attack. Next up, a Christmas Day game against the Broncos. Gather the family around!
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Pirates season is on the brink. After losing to the Panthers 23-20, Carolina now owns the division lead in the NFC South. The two will face each other again in two weeks in a matchup that could determine the division and their playoff hopes. But the Bucs are in free fall. They have lost six of their last seven, and appear to be devoid of ideas on how to turn the season around.