The leftist British rock group Chumbawamba once sang the immortal lyrics "I get knocked down, but I get up again." Well, on Monday night against the Chiefs, Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence fell down, tried to get up again, fell down, and then got up and ran for the game-winning touchdown. Catchy!
It really doesn't seem possible, looking at the freeze-frame above, that Jacksonville could have achieved from this scenario anything better than a chance at another play. Instead, the leader of the now 4-1 Jags persevered until the end zone, delivering a victory that equaled the team's win total from all of last year—and a defeat that means Kansas City is already guaranteed a worse record than they finished with in 2024.
I didn't tune in until I'd savored every last home-crowd "Boo!" in Dodgers-Phillies, but Chiefs-Jags was a fun little back-and-forth second half highlighted by linebacker Devin Lloyd swiping this goal-line Patrick Mahomes pass, Malcolm Butler–style, and then escaping multiple would-be tacklers as he marathoned the length of the field for the pick-six.
Kansas City outgained Jacksonville 476-319, and won the turnover battle 2-1. But the Jaguars made the right plays at the right times—and KC made the wrong ones, like a 13-yard penalty with half a minute to play that put Lawrence on the one-yard line, down by four. It was here that the five-year starter stumbled his way into some magic. Lawrence tripped on the snap when his offensive lineman stepped on his foot, hit the ground, tried to hurry back up but just sort of flopped again and then more carefully rose to his feet. A couple of defenders were right up in his personal space, but as Lawrence ran to his left, the second-closest guy got blocked off by his own man, and the closest just kind of slipped off the QB's back. From that point, Lawrence had a clear dive into the end zone, and even though he was hit from the side on his way in, there was no doubt that he'd scored the go-ahead touchdown. The play was so strange and stunning that Chiefs tackle Chris Jones, No. 95, could only stand still and watch it unfold.
"I mean, I just panicked, honestly," Lawrence said after the game.
For the Jaguars, this is a "Whoa, cool!" kind of win that should give them momentum ahead of what looks like it could be a very entertaining game against Seattle. The Chiefs, on the other hand, are living through the reverse of last season, where every bizarre bounce went their way in close game after close game. Their two convincing wins this year, against the Giants and the Ravens, aren't that impressive, while their three losses have all come in the kind of scenarios where the 2024 group would have squeaked out something improbable. To quote a more modern hit song, karma's on their scent like a bounty hunter.
