The Jacksonville Jaguars (4-1) spent much of their Sunday hurting themselves. Somehow, they still found a way to win.
Playing overseas at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, the Jaguars overcame a series
of penalties, offensive miscues and a late Philadelphia Eagles comeback to pull off a dramatic 19-17 win on Cam Little's last-second 57-yard field goal.
Jacksonville looked undisciplined and at times outmatched, even as Philadelphia (2-3) at one point used four backup offensive linemen.
Perhaps no drive better illustrated the Jaguars' struggles than one late in the fourth quarter. Trailing 14-10, quarterback Trevor Lawrence connected with Brenton Strange for 27 yards, setting up first-and-goal at the Eagles' 1-yard line.
Instead of taking the lead, Jacksonville committed three pre-snap penalties, including two delays of game, before eventually turning the ball over on downs at the 5-yard line.
The Jaguars got another chance when Lawrence found Parker Washington for a spectacular 27-yard touchdown on fourth down. But Little's missed extra point kept Philadelphia within two, and a late field goal gave the Eagles a 17-16 lead.
With only seconds remaining, Ameer Abdullah's kickoff return gave Jacksonville one final opportunity. Little made the most of it, connecting on the game-winning field goal to give the Jaguars a 19-17 victory in a game they nearly gave away.
The Jaguars finished with 13 penalties for 100 yards.
Jaguars open with fight, strike first vs. Eagles
The Jaguars got off to a poor start Sunday against Philadelphia. On the team's opening kickoff return, rookie receiver Josh Cameron took the ball back 90 yards for a touchdown. However, officials overturned the TD for a hold on linebacker Branson Combs.
The Eagles also had to re-kick after an offsides penalty. After the play, Jaguars rookie defensive end Bryan Thomas Jr. was ejected for an altercation at midfield with Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. Trotter was also ejected.
On the ensuing series, after a first down, Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter stripped and sacked Lawrence, setting up a second-and-40. Jacksonville went on to punt.
On the team's next drive, Jacksonville recalibrated, scoring in three plays after receiver Parker Washington made a 51-yard catch-and-run. The drive also saw cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter net his first offensive touch since Week 1: a nine-yard snag that set up the Washington score.
Eagles take advantage of Jaguars pass coverage; Jalen Carter forced fumbles
After holding Philadelphia to 21 net yards on its first two drives, Jacksonville's inconsistent back end showed up.
After forcing a fumble on the first drive, Carter stripped Lawrence on the team's third drive. Lawrence recovered, but Jacksonville was forced to punt. The Eagles turned Jacksonville's miscue into a three-play, 62-yard drive, including a 62-yard pitch-and-catch from Eagles QB Jalen Hurts to receiver Darius Cooper.
The touchdown showed cornerback Montaric Brown in coverage with second-year safety Rayaun Lane deep in the defensive backfield. Lane couldn't make the tackle, letting Cooper walk into the end zone. The 62-yard strike was the longest pass Jacksonville's secondary has given up this year.
The score gave Philly a 14-7 lead entering halftime. The Eagles' first touchdown came on their third drive after Hunter was called for pass interference, giving them the ball at the three-yard line. Eagles third-string back Will Shipley carried the ball into the end zone.
Jaguars struggle to protect Trevor Lawrence, stay on the field
Although the Eagles sacked him only twice in the first three quarters, Lawrence faced pressure for much of the day.
Jaguars offensive linemen drew multiple holding penalties and allowed far too much pressure inside and out.
With Jacksonville's rushing woes at 36 net rushing yards through three quarters, Lawrence was rushed to throw on the team's seventh series of the day and threw an interception. Lawrence threw deep to Brian Thomas Jr., but Eagles corner Quinyon Mitchell picked it off. It was Lawrence's third interception of the season.
The turnover marked Jacksonville's third failed drive in four attempts. The team scored a field goal on its first drive after halftime to make it 14-10 Eagles.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @Demetrius82 or on BlueskyatDemetrius.
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars win on last second field goal despite fight, 100 penalty yards
