Trevor Lawrence and Jaguars dominate dismal Jets to keep playoff hopes alive | NFL

[ad_1]

Trevor Lawrence jumped for a touchdown and the Jacksonville Jaguars continued to propel them into the playoffs with their third straight win, 19-3 over an embarrassing Zack Wilson and the New York Jets on a rainy and windy Thursday night.

The second game between last year’s top two draft picks—#1 Lawrence and #2 Wilson—wasn’t even close.

Lawrence finished 20 of 31 for 229 yards and ran for 51 yards and a score on seven carries for the Jaguars (7-8), who moved through half a game from Tennessee’s AFC South skid. Jacksonville won the division title with wins in its last two games – including the season finale against the Titans.

While Lawrence cut through the Jets’ normally staunch defense, Wilson could get nowhere and was booed frequently – all the way to the bench. Chris Streveler, who had been elevated from the practice squad prior to the game, replaced Wilson late in the third quarter.

Wilson went 9 of 18 for 82 yards with an interception and a dismal 41.9 rating for the Jets (7-8), whose playoff hopes took a devastating blow with their fourth straight loss. This is the worst slip under second year head coach Robert Saleh.

It came in the final game of their regular season at home – in front of a national television audience.

Wilson, who returned from a three-game run last Sunday in place of an injured Mike White, was unable to make any plays and his offensive line gave him little protection.

Things really got off to a promising start for the Jets when Koenen Williams sacked Lawrence on the Jaguars’ third play from scrimmage. Carl Lawson recovered to put New York on Jacksonville’s 16th. It was Williams’ 12th career sack and the eighth NFL sack by Lawrence.

But the Jets couldn’t get into the end zone and settled for a 37-yard field goal from Greg Zuerlein after Andre Sisko Wilson sacked a safety offense on third down.

Riley Patterson kicked it 32 yards tying on Jacksonville’s second possession.

Lawrence jumped over the mound for a one-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter to cap an impressive 16-play, 96-yard drive. The Jaguars only faced a third on the road – based on Lawrence’s score. It was the first time Jacksonville had scored 95 yards or more since 2018.

Patterson extended a 45-yard run with 2:55 left before halftime to lead the Jaguars to 13-3.

The Jets had only 66 yards of offense in the first half and three first downs. As boos rained down throughout the first half, the poncho-clad crowd let New York – and Wilson – get it when Devin Lloyd intercepted a Hail Mary just before halftime.

After Patterson added 41 yards midway through the third quarter, Wilson was booed again when he ran down the field with the offense. But then the Jets instead put Streveler at quarterback — and fans went wild. And the New York offense finally found a short-lived spark.

There were cheers after the 30-yard duck catch that CJ Uzomah caught for the first time. The crowd loved Streveler’s consecutive runs of 14, 10, and 8 yards before he was stopped for a two-yard loss. On fourth down, Streveler completed a four-yard pass to Garrett Wilson and led the Jets to the Jaguars 13.

But the drive stalled when his throw to Wilson sailed past the receiver, and he turned the ball over on downs.

Streveler, who pitched 10 of 15 for 90 yards, became a fan favorite over the summer when he led the Jets to three fourth-quarter wins in the preseason. He also helped lead the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to a Gray Cup win during the 2019 season, but fell short of a Jets victory this season.

Instead, Lawrence — who lost 26-21 to Wilson and the Jets last season — and the Jaguars maintained control.

[ad_2]