The Jaguars got a couple of early touchdowns from Travis Etienne on Thursday night, but their offense spent the rest of the first half and most of the second half in a deep freeze.
A 17-6 halftime lead became a 24-9 advantage on an interception return for a touchdown, so the Jaguars were in a good place before the Saints finally found some offensive momentum. New Orleans tied the game while the Jaguars went four straight possessions without scoring, but any issues moving the ball became a secondary thought thanks to a big play by wide receiver Christian Kirk.
Kirk turned a short pass from Trevor Lawrence into a 44-yard touchdown with just over three minutes left to play in the game and the Jaguars were able to make it hold up as the game-winning play. It’s more speed than we’re used to seeing from Kirk and he said after the game that it’s been a while since he moved that fast.
“I don’t think I ran that fast since like college,” Kirk said, via Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com.
The deal the Jaguars gave Kirk as a free agent last year was questioned by many, but he had a big year in 2022 and he showed his value to the team again on Thursday night.