NFL Beast

The Best Damn NFL News Site Ever!


AFC Divisional Playoffs: Jaguars lose to Chiefs, 27-20

4 min read
   

#NFLBeast #NFL #NFLTwitter #NFLUpdate #NFLNews #NFLBlogs

#Jacksonville #Jaguars #JacksonvilleJaguars #AFC

By: Ryan O’Bleness

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ 2022 season is over.

The Jaguars were on the road for an AFC Divisional round matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL playoffs, and lost by a final score of 27-20.

The Jaguars received the football to begin the game, but immediately went three-and-out. Jacksonville punted the ball back to Kansas City and the Chiefs didn’t take long to get on the scoreboard.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce led Kansas City on a 12-play, 83-yard drive, which ended with the two connecting on an eight-yard touchdown pass.

The Chiefs took an early 7-0 lead with 7:56 to go in the first quarter.

The Jaguars got a spark on the ensuing kickoff as kick returner Jamal Agnew took the ball 63 yards up to the Chiefs’ 39-yard line. Jacksonville quickly took advantage of the good field position, scoring in five plays when quarterback Trevor Lawrence found wide receiver Christian Kirk for a 10-yard touchdown.

The game was tied at 7-7 with 5:04 left to play in the first quarter.

The Chiefs would get on the scoreboard again on the team’s next possession, but it didn’t come without drama. Kansas City’s 11-play, 43-yard drive ended in a 50-yard field goal by kicker Harrison Butker, but Mahomes injured his ankle late in the first quarter during the drive.

Butker’s kick gave the Chiefs a 10-7 lead with 14:09 left in the second quarter, but obviously Mahomes’ injury was the storyline of the drive and the game.

On the next possession, the Jaguars were forced to punt after seven plays and punter Logan Cooke pinned Kansas City at its own 2-yard line.

Quarterback Chad Henne entered the game for the Chiefs and drove his team 98 yards in 12 plays, thanks in part to a 39-yard run by rookie running back Isiah Pacheco. Henne hit Kelce for a one-yard touchdown to give Kansas City a 17-7 lead with 3:54 left in the second quarter.

Jacksonville got the ball back and added to the scoring column before halftime. Kicker Riley Patterson knocked through a 41-yard field goal to make the score 17-10 and that score would hold at the break.

The Chiefs received the ball to start the second half, and Mahomes returned to the game. However, the Jacksonville defense forced a punt after six plays and the Jaguars got the ball back.

The teams traded several punts back-and-forth in the third quarter before the next score happened. Butker added another 50-yard field goal with just eight seconds remaining in the third quarter to take a 20-10 lead.

The Jaguars responded with a seven-play, 75-yard drive that ended in a four-yard touchdown run by running back Travis Etienne Jr. Following Patterson’s extra point, the Jaguars brought the game to within three points at 20-17 with 11:49 left in the fourth quarter.

The Chiefs answered with a 10-play, 75-yard drive that took 4:41 off of the clock. Mahomes found wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster for a 16-yard touchdown to cap off the possession.

Kansas City took a 27-17 lead with 7:08 left to play.

The Jaguars then drove 49 yards in eight plays, breaking deep into Kansas City’s territory, before disaster struck. The Jaguars reached the Chiefs’ 6-yard line when Agnew fumbled and Kansas City recovered. That would be the turning point.

The Jaguars added a 48-yard field goal with 25 seconds left to make the score 27-20, but Jacksonville could not recover the onside kick. That was the game.

Surprisingly, the Jaguars finished the 2022 NFL season with a 9-8 regular season record, AFC South title and a playoff win. Perhaps the future is bright in Jacksonville.

Originally posted on Big Cat Country – All Posts