The Jacksonville Jaguars’ ugly 20-game losing streak has finally ended thanks to a 23-20 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. It was their first win since Week 1 of the 2020 season, and it’s safe to say it didn’t come easy.
The Jags found themselves down 13-3 late in the first half but managed to turn the game around by scoring two touchdowns. The first one was especially impressive, with rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence connecting with Marvin Jones Jr. for a 28-yard score.
The Dolphins went ahead again in the fourth quarter after QB Tua Tagovailoa, playing in his first game since Week 2, led a quick 91-yard drive that ended with him throwing a TD pass to rookie Jaylen Waddle.
After the two teams exchanged punts, Jacksonville tied the game 20-20 with a 54-yarder from Matthew Wright. This was the longest field goal for Wright at both collegiate and professional levels.
Miami took possession of the ball once again with less than four minutes left in regulation and managed to get to their own 46-yard line before facing a 4th&1. The Dolphins decided to go for it, but the Jags’ defense came up big and made the stop to force a turnover on downs.
The Jaguars managed to make it hard for themselves as a false start penalty and a sack pushed them all the way to their own 44 yards. Facing a 3rd&20, Lawrence completed a 12-yard pass for wideout Laviska Shenault, but it was still not enough for a realistic field goal attempt.
At that point, the Jags let the clock get down to five seconds, and it seemed they would be attempting a Hail Mary pass. But instead, Lawrence once again found Shenault for a 9-yard gain and a new set of first downs. Jacksonville called a timeout to stop the clock at 0:01 and give Wright a chance to end the game with a 53-yard attempt.
The UCF product once again came through and sent the ball between the uprights to make it 23:20 and kickstart a huge celebration on the Jags’ sidelines.
“Obviously, there’s still so much more work to do, but it feels good to get a win,” said Lawrence after the game. “I wasn’t a part of the other 15 [losses], but I was a part of the first five here. We hate losing. It’s been tough… So to get a win and especially in that fashion, I mean, it’s just crazy, so it feels good.”
