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Jacksonville Jaguars

Season on the Line for Ravens and Jags

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JACKSONVILLE – Ravens QB Lamar Jackson is hearing his name mentioned in the MVP conversation, but that doesn’t impress him much. The Baltimore star is more interested in making a run for the Super Bowl and Lombardi Trophy, and his top-seeded AFC team can take a big step in that direction when the Ravens visit the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday night.

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Baltimore (10-3) holds a one-game lead over the Miami Dolphins at the top of the conference. There are nine scenarios in which the Ravens can clinch a playoff spot Sunday should they defeat the Jaguars (8-5).

Linebacker Patrick Queen is one of many Baltimore players eyeing the top seed and first-round bye, especially with the Ravens winning three straight games and seven of their past eight.

“We want it bad,” Queen said. “If we don’t get it, we make the playoffs. We’re still in there.”

Jackson was the NFL MVP in 2019 and appreciates the praise for his 2023 individual season, which includes 2,934 passing yards and 16 touchdown throws. He also has 644 yards and five scores on the ground.

But Baltimore hasn’t won a playoff game since the 2020 season, and Jackson is focused on changing that.

“It’s an honor just being acknowledged — to be in the conversation with great guys,” Jackson said. “But I’m just trying to stay locked in trying to win, because I want (the Lombardi) trophy.”

Jackson is coming off a superb performance in which he passed for 316 yards and three touchdowns and tacked on 70 rushing yards in last week’s 37-31 overtime home win over the Los Angeles Rams.

Baltimore won that contest on a 76-yard punt-return score by Tylan Wallace. The third-year-pro was only handling the duties because two-time Pro Bowl selection Devin Duvernay injured his back earlier in the season.

Duvernay was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, and Wallace now will be the team’s main returner.

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Jacksonville will look to end a two-game slide in which it lost to the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns by a combined seven points.

The Jaguars have seen their lead in the AFC South shrink to one game over the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans. But Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence said he’s not concerned.

“We’re in a fine position, record-wise,” Lawrence said. “We have to take care of business this week and moving forward. We have to take it one week at time. We need to get back on track this week for sure.”

Lawrence has been dealing with a high ankle sprain sustained against the Bengals on Dec. 4. He was questionable for last week’s game against the Browns before playing and getting mixed results — 257 passing yards and three touchdowns but also throwing three interceptions.

He practiced in full on Wednesday and said he’s making progress.

“It’s feeling better. Thankfully, I made out of the game pretty clean,” Lawrence said. “I didn’t re-aggravate it anymore. I’m just trying to keep getting better every day; hopefully it feels even better this week. I was able to move around decent on Sunday, so that was positive.”

As per containing Jackson, the Jaguars rank fourth in the NFL in rushing defense at 92.2 yards per game.

Jacksonville also features two standouts. Pass rusher Josh Allen is tied for third in the NFL with 13.5 sacks, and linebacker Foyesade Oluokun ranks second in tackles with 138. Oluokun led the league in tackles each of the past two seasons.

Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith is tied for third with 136 tackles, while safety Geno Stone is second with six interceptions.

Baltimore safety Kyle Hamilton (knee) was injured against the Rams but was a limited practice participant on Wednesday. Smith (back) also was limited.

For Jacksonville, safety Andre Cisco (groin) and cornerback Tyson Campbell (quadriceps) didn’t practice. Cisco was hurt against the Browns while Campbell missed the contest.

The Jaguars notched a dramatic 28-27 home win over the Ravens last season. Lawrence tossed a 10-yard scoring pass to since-departed Marvin Jones with 14 seconds left, followed by a winning two-point conversion pass to Zay Jones.

–Field Level Media

NFL MNF: Bengals Upset Jaguars

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JACKSONVILLE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Bengals PK Evan McPherson kicked a 48-yard field goal with 1:45 left in overtime to lift the visiting Cincinnati Bengals to a 34-31 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday night.

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The Jaguars (8-4) lost quarterback Trevor Lawrence to a right ankle injury after left tackle Walker Little stepped on Lawrence late in the fourth quarter. The QB tossed his helmet aside in frustration and left the game for backup C.J. Beathard. Lawrence could not put any weight on his ankle as he left the field.

Lawrence completed 22 of 29 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns before exiting the game.

Beathard fumbled on his first play, but it was recovered by Jaguars receiver Parker Washington. Beathard then directed a drive that ended when Brandon McManus connected for a 40-yard field goal with 26 seconds left in regulation to make it 31-31 and force overtime.

Beathard completed a 43-yard pass to Calvin Ridley down to the Cincinnati 2 in overtime, but Anton Harrison was called for holding to bring the play back. Two plays later, Jacksonville punted.

Cincinnati quarterback Jake Browning, making his second career start due to Joe Burrow’s season-ending wrist injury, then led the Bengals (6-6) on a drive that ended with McPherson’s game-winning field goal.

Browning had a career game, completing 32 of 37 passes for 354 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for a score.

Cincinnati receiver Ja’Marr Chase had 11 catches for 149 yards, including a 76-yard touchdown.

McPherson kicked a 54-yard field goal with 2:28 left in regulation to give the Bengals a 31-28 lead.

The Jaguars went down the field with little resistance on their first drive of the game, which was highlighted by a 26-yard pass to Christian Kirk. However, Kirk sustained a groin injury on the play. He left the game and did not return.

Travis Etienne ended up capping the drive with a 4-yard TD run for a 7-0 lead.

Things were tied at 14-all at the break after a pair of rushing touchdowns by the Bengals’ Joe Mixon — from 6 and 2 yards out — sandwiched Lawrence’s 22-yard scoring strike to Evan Engram.

The Bengals captured the momentum early in the third quarter when Browning tossed a perfect pass down the left sideline to Chase, who gave Cincinnati a 21-14 lead with his 76-yard TD.

Lawrence threw for a touchdown and rushed for another to put the hosts ahead 28-21 with 3:10 left in the third quarter. Browning plunged into the end zone from the Jacksonville 1 early in the fourth to set up the tight finish.

Lawrence Leads Jags Over Saints

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NEW ORLEANS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Ailing Jacksonville QB Trevor Lawrence threw a tie-breaking 44-yard touchdown pass to WR Christian Kirk late in the fourth quarter and the visiting Jaguars made a goal-line stand to win their fourth consecutive game, defeating the New Orleans Saints 31-24 Thursday night.

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Lawrence, whose status was uncertain until pregame warmups because of a nagging knee injury, completed 20 of 29 passes for 204 yards and the one score. He found Kirk on a crossing route that enabled the Jaguars (5-2) to overcome a fourth-quarter comeback by the Saints (3-4).

Saints QB Derek Carr, who completed 33 of 55 for 301 yards, drove New Orleans to a first-and-goal at the 6 in the final minute, but threw four straight incompletions. Saints tight end Foster Moreau was wide open in the end zone when he dropped a third-down pass with 25 seconds left.

Down by 11 at halftime, the Saints drove to Blake Grupe’s 42-yard field goal on the first possession of the third quarter to get within 17-9.

Foyesade Oluokun made the Jaguars’ NFL-leading 16th takeaway when he intercepted Carr and returned 24 yards for a touchdown that pushed the lead to 24-9.

On the second play of the fourth quarter, Taysom Hill ran 1 yard on fourth down for a touchdown that reduced the lead to 24-16.

Jacksonville’s RB Travis Etienne Jr., who rushed for two touchdowns, was stopped for no gain on fourth-and-1 at the New Orleans 47 midway through the fourth. Three plays later, Carr threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Michael Thomas and connected with Alvin Kamara for a two-point conversion that tied the score with 6:38 remaining.

The Jaguars received the opening kickoff and drove 75 yards, scoring on Etienne’s 2-yard touchdown run.

The Saints moved into scoring range on the ensuing possession, but Grupe was wide right on a 51-yard field-goal attempt.

New Orleans recovered a fumbled punt at the Jacksonville 17 but could drive only 12 yards. Grupe kicked a 23-yard field goal to trim the lead to 7-3 at the end of the first quarter.

On the fourth play of the second quarter, Etienne ran 17 yards for a touchdown and a 14-3 lead.

Grupe added a 35-yard field goal and Brandon McManus answered with a 43-yard field goal, leaving the Jaguars with a 17-6 halftime lead.

–Field Level Media

NFL in London: Bills vs Jaguars

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Bills (3-1) vs. Jaguars (2-2), in London: The Jaguars will become the first NFL team to play two consecutive games overseas; they are the designated away team after beating the Atlanta Falcons 23-7 last week in their home away from home. It’s Buffalo’s second-ever trip overseas after it lost to Jacksonville 34-31 in London in 2015. The Bills have won three straight and rank second in the league at 34.8 points per game. Their veteran edge rusher, Von Miller, has indicated he expects to be activated from the physically unable to perform list to make his season debut. A Jaguars-Bills game also offers the rare opportunity for Josh Allen to sack Josh Allen: The Jacksonville linebacker by that name already has six sacks this season, tied with Khalil Mack and T.J. Watt for the league lead.

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Jaguars Ready to Rock with Lawrence

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CLEVELAND – The Jacksonville Jaguars made it official last night when the 2021 NFL Draft started to Rock n’ Roll in the City of the Rock Hall of Fame. The Jags selected Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the first overall pick of the annual college draft.

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The 6-foot-6 Lawrence is the team’s first choice under new head coach Urban Meyer and immediately is expected to make an impact as a starter.

Lawrence, the Heisman Trophy runner-up went (34-2) as a starter at Clemson and led the Tigers to the national championship as a freshman in 2018. He passed for 10,098 yards, 90 touchdowns with only 17 interceptions. He also ran for 18 touchdowns.

Lawrence was the first of five quarterbacks selected in Round 1. Immediately following his selection at No. 1 overall, the New York Jets – after their dismal 2-14 2020 season – picked BYU QB Zach Wilson with the No. 2 overall choice. The San Francisco 49ers moved up to No. 3 via trade and selected QB Trey Lance of North Dakota State while the Chicago Bears grabbed Ohio State QB Justin Fields at No. 11 overall, four picks before New England closed-out the rush on quarterback selections when they picked Mac Jones of Alabama.