Trevor Lawrence guided Jacksonville in a surprising comeback—helped by Philadelphia’s reluctance to take easy points—and had a crucial road win within reach. Instead, he wasted his last opportunity to spark the Jaguars’ biggest victory of the season.
His pass intended for running back D’Ernest Johnson was intercepted in the end zone by linebacker Nakobe Dean, a costly mistake that ended Doug Pederson’s hopes for a win during his return to Philadelphia, allowing the Eagles to secure a 28-23 victory on Sunday night.
“They made the plays in the back of the end zone,” Pederson said. Lawrence dropped back from the Eagles’ 13-yard line and threw a long pass toward Johnson, going for it all on first down with 1:42 remaining.
“It’s just something you have to try to do, right? If you can stay in bounds, you stay in bounds,” Pederson said. “Or if it’s incomplete, you play another down, whatever it is.
But the bottom line is we still needed to score and I felt good with the way our defense had played, they would give us a shot.”
Pederson has been coaching for his job as the Jaguars—called the “best team assembled by the Jacksonville Jaguars, ever” by owner Shad Khan in the preseason—struggle through a season that needs a minor miracle to reach the playoffs.
“It’s just been the same thing so many times this season,” Lawrence said.
Pederson led the Eagles to their only Super Bowl championship, and a banner celebrating the 2017 World Champions hangs in the stadium, along with a statue in his honor.
His bronze statue was about as effective as Jacksonville’s offense in the first half, with only 32 total yards and one first down. Lawrence and the Jaguars didn’t even reach midfield until the third quarter, but then a series of late scores—including two touchdowns in the third quarter and one in the fourth—gave the team a boost.
The Jaguars have struggled so much this season that a game originally set for Sunday night was moved to a late-afternoon start.
As the game went on and it got darker, the Jaguars finally played like a team that resembled the one full of promise early in the season. Few coaches know how to secure late victories in Philadelphia as well as Pederson.
Before the game, Pederson had a joyful reunion, talking with Eagles general manager Howie Roseman and coach Nick Sirianni. He had a record of 42-37-1 during his five seasons with the Eagles, including a Super Bowl win over New England in his second season with backup quarterback Nick Foles stepping in after Carson Wentz got injured.
The Jaguars were already set to be the underdogs, but injuries and even a trade left them at a disadvantage right from the start.
The team lost Christian Kirk for the rest of the season after he had surgery for a broken collarbone, which pushed second-year player Parker Washington into the starting lineup. Washington ended up with three catches for 41 yards.
Wide receiver Gabe Davis was out due to a shoulder injury, and Brian Thomas Jr. played through sore ribs, managing to catch two passes for 22 yards.
Walker Little started at left tackle after Cam Robinson was traded last week, and left guard Ezra Cleveland missed the game with an ankle injury. The Jaguars lost three more players to injuries during the game.
These are the kinds of losses a team like the Jaguars can’t afford against an Eagles team competing for first place in the NFC East. However, the Jaguars showed some determination late in the game.
Lawrence sparked Jacksonville’s second-half comeback when he scored on a 1-yard run and threw a 2-point conversion pass late in the third quarter to make the score 22-8.
Saquon Barkley, who had 199 total yards for the Eagles, then fumbled on the next drive, and Travon Walker picked up the loose ball and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown. The Jaguars narrowed the score to 22-16 after another successful 2-point conversion.
Lawrence finished 16 of 31 for 169 yards and threw two interceptions, both to Eagles linebackers. He also added a 4-yard touchdown run with 4:04 left, making it 28-23. His interception at the end sealed the game for Jacksonville.
The Jaguars have now lost 12 of their last 15 games, which is surprising after starting 8-3 last year. Slow starts, costly errors, and failing to perform in crucial moments have marked the Jaguars’ decline, and all of these issues were evident in Philadelphia.
