The Colts and the Jacksonville Jaguars are once again tied for first in the AFC South, with both teams sitting at 4-1 after an impressive comeback by Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars to beat the Kansas City Chiefs 31-28 on Monday night at EverBank Stadium.
The Jaguars have now won three consecutive games and remain undefeated at home this season.
Lawrence completed 18-of-25 passes for 221 yards and one touchdown with one interception. He also led the team with 10 carries for 54 yards and two touchdowns, as he's started to realize what he can do for his team on the ground with the right opportunities.
The perfect play to encapsulate the game was Lawrence's second rushing touchdown of the night, when the quarterback – after being stepped on by his right guard – tripped and fell before stumbling and diving over the goal line to score.
Head coach Liam Coen called it a "goofy finish," and he was right.
The touchdown put the Jaguars up 31-28 and gave the Chiefs just 16 seconds to try to make it down the field for a game-tying field goal; the Jaguars defense didn't let them even get close.
"There was really no flinch or blink," Coen said postgame. "It really took all three phases. All three phases really impacted the game. The toughness and resiliency is really something I'm proud of."
"What a crazy finish," Lawrence said. "It's a big win. They're a good team. They've been a good team for a long time. They're hard to beat. They're always in it and they always seem to make the plays...it was cool for us to go take and go win it at the end."
The two teams traded momentum – and scoring drives – throughout the first half, but the turning point that gave the Jaguars that extra edge came in the third quarter when linebacker Devin Lloyd intercepted what very well could have been a touchdown pass from Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes a yard away from the end zone and took the football all the way down the field for a 99-yard touchdown to give the Jaguars a 21-14 lead.
For the rest of the game, the Jaguars stayed confident as the Chiefs scored two more touchdowns of their own and put themselves in position to win the game. And while Lawrence's touchdown wasn't the prettiest – or the play the Jaguars drew up – it did the job, and that was what mattered.
Mahomes' performance was the kind the quarterback has become known for as he navigated around blitzes and got the ball almost anywhere he wanted, completing 29-of-41 passes for 318 yards and a touchdown and adding another 60 rushing yards and a touchdown. But he couldn't make up for his errant pick-six throw, and couldn't land a last second Hail Mary pass on the final play of the game.
The last time the Jaguars started a season 4-1 was in 2017, and the last time they beat the Chiefs was in 2009.
Another thing to note: rookie wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter played 39 of 58 total offensive snaps and 25 of 64 total defensive snaps. Hunter had three receptions on three targets for 64 yards and recorded two tackles and one pass defensed.
"The resiliency is what this team has, and has continued to show," Coen said. "It's a huge moment for our team, our organization. "Huge win. I'm proud of the guys."
The Jaguars will next play the Seattle Seahawks at EverBank Stadium in Week 6.
