Trevor Lawrence's wild run lifts
the Jaguars to a 31-28 win over Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs
[October 07, 2025]
By MARK LONG
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Trevor Lawrence tripped and fell to the
ground, stumbled trying to get up, finally got back on his feet and
then scrambled for a 1-yard touchdown with 23 seconds remaining —
turning a comical miscue into an improbable score — and the
Jacksonville Jaguars beat Kansas City 31-28 on Monday night.
“What a crazy, crazy finish,” said Lawrence, who was serenaded by
teammates in the locker room to celebrate his 26th birthday.
The chaos ended with the Jaguars (4-1) snapping an eight-game losing
streak to the Chiefs (2-3) and matching their win total from last
season.
Patrick Mahomes, who drove the Chiefs into position to take a 28-24
lead with 1:45 to play, had a final chance with 16 seconds
remaining. But he failed to muster much of a threat, and his final
throw was incomplete, setting off a raucous celebration for the home
team.
“We like to make things very interesting,” Jaguars coach Liam Coen
said. “But the resiliency is really what I think this team has."
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. 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 the quarterback fell several yards into the
backfield. His first thought was “throw it away.” But when he got to
his feet, he saw a lane and took it. He broke a tackle and somehow
found the end zone.
“It's a goofy finish, but what a tough moment for him,” Coen said.
“He wasn't going to lose.”
It helped that several defenders, including Chiefs defensive tackle
Chris Jones, stopped on the play.
“We’ve got to finish that play," Jones said. "It was a fluke play
for him to be able to break that many tackles. I put it on us as a
defense. We’ve got to finish. We’ve got to bring him down right
there.”
Lawrence completed 18 of 25 passes for 221 yards. He also ran for a
team-high 54 yards.
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.
Jacksonville's comeback got a huge boost from linebacker Devin
Lloyd, the AFC defensive player of the month for September. Lloyd
returned an interception 99 yards for a touchdown in the third
quarter. It was the longest interception return in the regular
season by a linebacker in NFL history.
[to top of second column] |
Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd (0) runs the ball 99
yards for a touchdown after intercepting a pass during the second
half of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Monday,
Oct. 6, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Lloyd 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.
“It's a big win," Lawrence said. "Obviously it's a good team.
They've been a good team for a long time. They're hard to beat, they
really are. ... At the end of the game, they're always in it and
they always seem to make the plays.
“So it was cool for us to go take it and have to win it at the end,
put together a good drive. And showing up a big stage does say
something.”
Travis Hunter makes a rookie splash
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 WR 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 LT Josh Simmons played
despite being added to the injury report shortly before kickoff with
an illness.
Jaguars TE Brenton Strange left the game in the first half with left
hip injury and did not return. Jacksonville played without DE Travon
Walker, who had surgery last Monday to repair an injured left wrist.
Up next
The Chiefs host Detroit on Sunday night.
The Jaguars host Seattle on Sunday.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
