Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence said recently that he doesn’t think his team gets the respect they deserve, but that should change after Sunday’s performance.
Lawrence threw three touchdowns and ran for another to help the Jaguars to a 34-20 win in Denver. The win is the sixth in a row for the Jaguars and it put an end to the Broncos’ 11-game winning streak.
Lawrence had four touchdown passes in last Sunday’s win over the Jets and he has 12 over the last four games. He set a career-high with 26 touchdown passes for the season and also has a career-high seven rushing touchdowns. All in all, he has looked like the franchise quarterback that many in Jacksonville have been aching to see over the last couple of seasons and his ascension could not be coming at a better time for the Jags.
Wide receiver Parker Washington was the chief beneficiary of Lawrence’s accuracy on Sunday. He had six catches for 145 yards and a score to continue his breakout third NFL season.
Denver has been adept at pulling off comebacks this season, but a pair of turnovers dashed those hopes this week. A botched handoff to Jaleel McLaughlin led to a lost fumble and quarterback Bo Nix got picked off by Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones after a Jaguars three-and-out kept the door open for some last-minute heroics.
Wide receiver Pat Bryant was injured late in the game on a big hit by Jaguars defensive back Montaric Brown and he was carted off after extensive attention from the team’s medical staff. Linebacker Dre Greenlaw also left the game with an injury.
The win lifts the Jaguars to 11-4 on the season and they will clinch a playoff spot if the Colts lose on Monday night. The win also opens the door to a run at the top seed in the AFC and opens the door to the Patriots moving back up the pecking order if they can beat the Ravens on Sunday night.
Lawrence got his ankle retaped late in the game, so his practice status will be something to watch heading into the Jags’ Week 17 road game against the Colts. They’ll also be keeping eyes on cornerback Greg Newsome, right guard Patrick Mekari and cornerback Jourdan Lewis after they left the game with injuries.
The 12-3 Broncos have already clinched a playoff berth, but they have not sewn up the AFC West title. They’ll face the ailing Chiefs on Christmas, which should help their chances of righting the ship after their first loss since September. If they can’t, a Week 18 date with the 11-4 Chargers looms as a potential battle for the divisional crown. That keeps things more interesting than Sean Payton and company would have liked as the end of the regular season comes into view.
