Nate TaylorMichael DiRoccoCloseMichael DiRoccoESPN Staff WriterMichael DiRocco is an NFL Nation reporter at ESPN and covers the Jacksonville Jaguars. He previously covered the University of Florida for over a decade for ESPN and the Florida Times-Union. DiRocco graduated from Jacksonville University and is a multiple APSE award winner.Follow on XOct 6, 2025, 11:45 PM ET
play0:31Travis Hunter jukes his way down sideline for impressive catchTravis Hunter celebrates with teammates after fooling Chiefs defenders on his way down the sideline.
Trevor Lawrence slips and falls, still scores go-ahead TD (0:32)Trevor Lawrence stumbles to the ground on the snap but recovers and finds his way in for the go-ahead score for the Jaguars. (0:32)
Travis Hunter jukes his way down sideline for impressive catchTravis Hunter celebrates with teammates after fooling Chiefs defenders on his way down the sideline.
Travis Hunter celebrates with teammates after fooling Chiefs defenders on his way down the sideline.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars won a thriller over the Kansas City Chiefs 31-28 at EverBank Stadium on Monday night.
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence had an efficient night, completing 18 of 25 passes for 221 yards and a touchdown and adding two more scores on the ground.
Travis Hunter jukes his way down sideline for impressive catch
The Jaguars’ last-second victory over the Chiefs snapped an eight-game losing streak in the series (including playoffs).
Jacksonville got another turnover and big play from its defense — Devin Lloyd’s 99-yard interception return for a TD — and Lawrence scored on a stumbling 1-yard TD run with 23 seconds to play to beat Kansas City for the first time since 2009.
At 4-1, the Jaguars and rookie coach Liam Coen are tied with the Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts for the best record in the AFC one season after finishing 4-13.
Stat to know: Lloyd’s 99-yard interception return, which put the Jaguars ahead 21-14 in the third quarter, was the longest defensive touchdown in Jaguars history, surpassing the two 90-yard TDs scored by Aaron Beasley (fumble return in 1998 and pick-six in 1999). That was Lloyd’s fourth touchdown in his past four games. — Michael DiRocco
But this time, he was outdueled by Lawrence, who made impressive pass after impressive pass in the final two minutes to lead his team to the winning score. Even when Lawrence stumbled under center, with the Jaguars at the 1-yard line, he was still able to get up and dive in for the TD.
Biggest hole in the game plan: Steve Spagnuolo is the NFL’s most decorated defensive coordinator, but he didn’t blitz Lawrence enough in the first half, which allowed the Jaguars to stick around for their comeback victory. Spagnuolo also never put a spy defender on Lawrence, who did just enough with his legs to make the Chiefs’ defense pay. Lawrence, who is not known for his speed or scrambling ability, led the Jaguars with 54 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. — Nate Taylor
What to make of the QB performance: The pass game and offense were struggling early, so Trevor Lawrence got things jump-started with his legs. On the Jaguars’ first TD drive, Lawrence had runs of 16 and 14 yards — the 14-yarder converted a third down — and finished the drive with a 3-yard pass to WR Parker Washington. Lawrence didn’t run the ball on the Jaguars’ second TD drive until the final play, when he took it 10 yards for a score. Lawrence hadn’t run the ball much in the first three weeks of the season but ran it seven times for 7 yards in Week 4 against San Francisco. He converted another third down with his legs in the fourth quarter and scored again late to finish with 54 yards on 10 carries. Lawrence’s interception in the fourth quarter came on a play that appeared to be a missed pass interference penalty against the Chiefs.
Biggest hole in the game plan: WR/CB Travis Hunter clearly needs to be more involved in the offense. The rookie touched the ball three times for 64 yards, which included a 44-yard catch. That came on a scramble by Lawrence, and Hunter outjumped two Chiefs defensive backs for the ball, grabbed it and held on to it when he hit the ground hard. That set up the Jaguars’ game-tying touchdown in the third quarter. Hunter has made impact plays in each of the past two games — he had a 28-yard catch on third down against San Francisco that jump-started a TD drive — and Jacksonville must get him more involved offensively.
Trevor Lawrence slips and falls, still scores go-ahead TD (0:32)Trevor Lawrence stumbles to the ground on the snap but recovers and finds his way in for the go-ahead score for the Jaguars. (0:32)
Trevor Lawrence stumbles to the ground on the snap but recovers and finds his way in for the go-ahead score for the Jaguars. (0:32)
CloseMichael DiRoccoESPN Staff WriterMichael DiRocco is an NFL Nation reporter at ESPN and covers the Jacksonville Jaguars. He previously covered the University of Florida for over a decade for ESPN and the Florida Times-Union. DiRocco graduated from Jacksonville University and is a multiple APSE award winner.Follow on X
Here are the most important things to know from Monday night for both teams:
It also sent a message to the rest of the AFC: The Jaguars sure look like legitimate contenders.
Next game: vs. Seattle Seahawks (1 p.m. ET, Oct. 12)
Next game: vs. Detroit Lions (8:20 p.m. ET, Oct. 12)
play0:21Mahomes calls his own number for Chiefs TDPatrick Mahomes cruises to the end zone early in the second quarter as the Chiefs go up by two possessions.
Mahomes calls his own number for Chiefs TDPatrick Mahomes cruises to the end zone early in the second quarter as the Chiefs go up by two possessions.
Patrick Mahomes cruises to the end zone early in the second quarter as the Chiefs go up by two possessions.