The Jacksonville Jaguars have pulled off the third largest comeback win in NFL playoff historical past to beat the LA Chargers with a discipline aim as time expired.
The Jaguars had a primary half horrorshow as second-year QB Trevor Lawrence’s first playoff recreation began with 4 picks within the first half because the Chargers ran out a 27-0 lead.
However the nice ones are by no means achieved.
After going from an NFL worst season in 2022, the Jaguars took out the AFC South division and Lawrence’s efficiency was panned, as “disastrous”.
The second half was a totally totally different story as Lawrence grew to become the second participant in historical past to have 4 touchdowns and 4 interceptions in a playoff recreation after Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger in 2020.
The consequence was the third largest comeback in playoff historical past, behind solely the Payments over the Oliers in 1993 after the Payments had been down by 32, and the Colts being down 28 in opposition to the Chiefs in 2014.
“They couldn’t have written a greater script,” Lawrence stated after the sport. “We’re by no means out of the combat.
“I used to be breaking, not a very good file within the first quarter, I had a few interceptions, we weren’t trying good offensively however we simply stored believing in each other.”
The sport had all of the hallmarks of a blowout because the Chargers took benefit of Jacksonville’s turnovers, with a pair of speeding touchdowns within the first quarter from Austin Ekeler.
Asante Samuel had grabbed three of the picks for the Chargers, who prolonged their benefit to 27-0 with Gerald Everett accumulating a 9 yard landing go from Justin Herbert and Cameron Dicker changing a 23-yard discipline aim.
The Jags gave themselves some hope simply earlier than the interval with Lawrence discovering Evan Engram with a 9 yard landing go, however there was no signal of what was to return.
Jacksonville started the second half with a 14-play, 89-yard drive which ended with Lawrence discovering Marvin Jones within the nook of the top zone.
After a Cameron Dicker 50-yard discipline aim for the Chargers, Lawrence threw a 39-yard landing go to Zay Jones.
With 5:25 left within the fourth, Lawrence linked with Christian Kirk after which reached throughout the road for a two-point conversion.
That left Jacksonville needing only a discipline aim to finish the beautiful consequence and a ten-play, 61-yard drive left Riley Patterson to transform from 36-yards and set off the wild celebrations.
Followers had been blown away by what they’d seen.
A devastated Chargers head coach Brandon Staley stated: “That is the hardest means you’ll be able to lose within the playoffs. Actually the way in which we began the sport, that’s the staff I do know we’re able to being and within the second half, we simply didn’t end the sport.
“We’re going to study rather a lot from this. Sadly that is the powerful aspect of issues. Our season is over however I like everyone in that change room. This was a step for us and we’re going to study rather a lot from it.”
49ers rookie stuns
Earlier, rookie quarterback Brock Purdy led the San Francisco 49ers previous the Seattle Seahawks 41-23 within the NFL playoffs on Saturday.
San Francisco quarterback Purdy, who solely took on the beginning position final month after damage to Jimmy Garoppolo, grew to become the primary rookie quarterback with three landing passes and a speeding landing in a playoff recreation.
Placing any early nerves apart, Purdy threw for 332 yards and no interceptions whereas operating again Christian McCaffrey rushed for 119 yards.
The 49ers made a robust begin, opening up a 10-0 lead when McCaffrey rushed three yards into the top zone to complete off a drive that had seen him produce a blistering 68-yard run.
Seattle responded early within the second quarter with Kenneth Walker III’s seven-yard speeding TD.
A 33-yard discipline aim from Robbie Gould for the 49ers made it 13-7, however Seattle received themselves in entrance when quarterback Geno Smith discovered DK Metcalf with a 50-yard scoring go.
One other Gould discipline aim restored San Francisco’s benefit however then some ill-discipline from the usually rock stable Niners defence allowed the Seahawks to go in at halftime with a 17-16 lead.
Smith was sliding when Jimmie Ward inexplicably dived right into a low deal with conceding a 15-yard penalty that led to Jason Myers’s 56-yard discipline aim.
However San Francisco began the second half in emphatic trend with a 13-play drive ending in a quarterback sneak from Purdy.
Smith was than sacked by Charles Omenihu with Nick Bosa recovering the ball for a decisive turnover.
Purdy linked with Jauan Jennings with a 33-yard go after which discovered Elijah Mitchell with a brief go which the operating again took into the top zone.
The 49ers went for the two-point conversion, Purdy discovering tight-end George Kittle to make it 31-17.
Seattle fell additional behind after they left Deebo Samuel in acres of area to gather a go from Purdy and burst down the left for a 74-yard landing.
When Smith was picked off by Deommodore Lenoir it was throughout for a Seattle staff who had snuck into the playoffs when the Inexperienced Bay Packers misplaced their ultimate recreation of the common season.
— AFP
