In the second quarter of the Jacksonville Jaguars' Week 13 game against the Houston Texans, quarterback Trevor Lawrence exited the game after he was hit while sliding by Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair. Al-Shaair was suspended three games for the late hit, and it was announced the following Wednesday morning that Lawrence was in concussion protocol.
Then, later that same day, Lawrence was placed on injured reserve in a decision that gave the quarterback "a chance for him to get healthy right now as he looks into the offseason and next season as well," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said.
Lawrence had missed the Jaguars' previous two games with a left shoulder injury (his non-throwing shoulder) sustained in Week 9, and Pederson said Lawrence was placed on injured reserve for reasons more to do with the shoulder injury than his concussion. Lawrence is expected to schedule shoulder surgery after he clears concussion protocol.
"Our main focus right now is to make sure he's 100 percent and getting healthy and getting himself ready for the offseason," Pederson said.
That meant it was time, once again, for backup quarterback Mac Jones to step up. Prior to Week 13, Jones had played in four games in the 2024 season – all of them losses.
On Sunday, the Jacksonville, Fla. native got his first win in his hometown as he led the Jaguars to a 10-6 win over the Tennessee Titans. It wasn't a pretty win – both teams are now 3-10 and have been battling in the basement of the AFC South all season – but a win is a win, and the Jaguars see it as proof that they still have some fight in them.
"It's excited, and it's sort of relieved in a way," Pederson explained postgame. "It's the excitement, the joy, the work you put in and you're finally rewarded for a win. They battled their tails off...I'm just so happy for the players and for the work that they've put in to finally get rewarded."
Sunday marked the first Jaguars victory since Oct. 20.
Jones finished 23-of-31 with 220 passing yards and two interceptions, running back Tank Bigsby totaled 18 carries for 55 yards and a touchdown (the only touchdown of the game) and wide receiver Brian Thomas led the Jaguars with 86 yards on eight receptions.
As for the Titans, quarterback Will Levis completed 19-of-32 passes for 168 yards and running back Tony Pollard had 21 carries for 102 yards, but the Titans couldn't make the most of their limited opportunities in the red zone. Only twice did they make it inside Jacksonville's 10-yard line, and on both occasions they turned the ball over on downs.
The Titans held a 6-0 lead heading into halftime thanks to kicker Nick Folk, but Jones stayed calm and collected to lead back-to-back scoring drives in the beginning of the fourth quarter. An eight-yard touchdown run from Bigsby with just under seven minutes to go put the Jaguars on top, and their defense made key stops on fourth down to keep the Titans from mounting a comeback of their own.
"It sucks," Levis said. "We have to be better in the red zone. I feel like I played one of my cleanest games all year, except for two plays where we could have scored on both of them."
"I'm getting tired of saying the same (expletive)," defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons said. "We're not doing enough to win games...It's frustrating. At the end of the day, I'm tired to saying we have to do better, play better, I don't have any answers."
The Jaguars will next play the New York Jets at EverBank Stadium, while the Titans will take on the Cincinnati Bengals at Nissan Stadium. The Colts play the Titans in Week 16 and close out the regular season against the Jaguars with both games taking place at Lucas Oil Stadium.
