By MARK LONG AP Pro Football Writer
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Trevor Lawrence tripped, got up and scrambled for a 1-yard touchdown with 23 seconds remaining – turning a laughable miscue into an improbable score – and the Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Kansas City Chiefs, 31-28, on Monday night.
The crazy ending halted the Jaguars’ eight-game losing streak to the Chiefs (2-3).
Lawrence ran for two touchdowns on the night and also threw for a score, helping balance a performance that included two turnovers.
He was perfect when it mattered most for the Jaguars (4-1). Lawrence dropped a precision pass to Brian Thomas Jr. for a 33-yard gain on the go-ahead drive and then hit Dyami Brown for another big gain. Chamarri Conner was flagged for pass interference against Thomas on the next play, setting up Lawrence’s trip and score.
Right guard Patrick Mekari stepped on Lawrence’s right foot as he took the snap, and he fell several yards in the backfield. But he got up and somehow found the end zone. It helped that several defenders, including Chris Jones, stopped on the play.
“Sheer panic on the ground,” Lawrence said. “We didn’t have any timeouts. … I was just gonna throw it out of bounds to stop the clock. There was really no one around me. So, went and made a play.”
Lawrence completed 18 of 25 passes for 221 yards.
Patrick Mahomes accounted for two touchdowns, and Kareem Hunt ran for two more scores for Kansas City, which had won 23 straight when leading by at least 14 points. The Chiefs took an early 14-0 lead, thanks in part to a fumble by Lawrence at the goal line.
The Jaguars led 21-14 in the third quarter and 24-21 in the fourth before Mahomes rallied the Chiefs.
Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd, the AFC Defensive Player of the Month for September, returned an interception 99 yards for a touchdown in the third. It was the longest interception return by a linebacker in NFL history.
Lloyd’s interception looked like it might be a game-changer. He stepped in front of Mahomes’ pass intended for JuJu Smith-Schuster at the goal line and took off the other way for his league-leading fifth takeaway.
He juked Mahomes and Hunt, then got up to full speed along the Jaguars’ sideline. He picked up a block from Josh Hines-Allen and then held the ball tight as Tyquan Thornton tried to knock it loose at the 5-yard line.
Jaguars two-way standout Travis Hunter made two big-time plays, including the fourth-longest reception by a rookie this season. Hunter hauled in a 44-yarder in the third quarter – and it was no easy catch.
The Heisman Trophy winner jumped and reached over Conner to snare the ball and then held on despite getting his legs wiped out by Bryan Cook. The Jaguars scored four plays later to tie the game at 14-all.
His catch-and-run in the second quarter was nearly as good. He took a short pass in the left flat and juked two defenders en route to a 12-yard gain.
KEY INJURIES
Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy hobbled off the field in the third quarter after appearing to tweak an ankle but returned a few plays later. Worthy had been listed as questionable because he got off the team flight with a swollen ankle. Chiefs rookie left tackle Josh Simmons played despite being added to the injury report shortly before kickoff with an illness.
Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange left the game in the first half with left hip injury and did not return. Jacksonville played without defensive end Travon Walker, who had surgery last Monday to repair an injured left wrist.
More to come on this story.
UP NEXT
The Chiefs host Detroit on Sunday night.
The Jaguars host Seattle on Sunday.
