JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars are AFC South champions for the first time in five years. They secured the title with a 20-16 victory against rival Tennessee on Saturday night in a win-and-in game that turned on Josh Allen’s 37-yard fumble return for a touchdown with 2:51 remaining.
Rayshawn Jenkins forced Josh Dobbs’ fumble, and Allen scooped up the bouncing ball and ran, untouched, the other way for a lead that held up against the Titans in the regular-season finale for both. Dobbs fumbled again on the ensuing possession, and the Jaguars started to celebrate their most significant regular-season victory in franchise history.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence completed 20-of-32 passes for 212 yards and a touchdown. The win over the Titans came four years to the day when Lawrence led Clemson to a win over Alabama in the national championship.
The Jaguars are the first team since the 2013 Kansas City Chiefs to reach the postseason after selecting No. 1 overall in the draft, and are the first team since the 2008 Miami Dolphins to win their division the season after posting the league’s worst record. Jacksonville finished 3-14 last season but a six-win improvement has Lawrence in the playoffs in his second year in the league.
“I just think this whole journey from where we were to where we are now, to earn this opportunity to go play in the playoffs, it’s special,” Lawrence said after the game.
“You ask a lot of guys that have played for five, six, seven, eight plus years and a lot of guys have only been to the playoffs once, twice, three times in their career. When you think about that too, it really puts it into perspective that it’s not easy to win in this league. And, especially, to do what we’ve been able to do the past five games and give ourselves a chance, that’s really hard to do. So, I’m just proud of the team, of the staff, just everybody, all the work that’s been put in to be here. It’s taken a lot of work, and it’s going to take more to keep going, and we’re excited for that and ready for it. But, yeah, it makes it special for sure.”
With the number four seed locked in and a home playoff game on the horizon, the Jaguars will now sit back and watch Sunday’s action to learn who they will face next weekend at TIAA Bank Field.