I was just nervous': Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence's 'stupid' touchdown handed Chiefs another painful loss

 'I was just nervous': Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence's 'stupid' touchdown handed Chiefs another painful loss

A "stupid" late touchdown by quarterback Trevor Lawrence dealt the Kansas City Chiefs another blow as the Jacksonville Jaguars secured a thrilling 31-28 victory on Monday Night Football.

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With just 30 seconds left on the clock, Lawrence appeared to have made a major mistake when he fell to the ground not once, but twice after the snap. But the 26-year-old made a remarkable comeback, regaining his footing and racing into the end zone for a one-yard touchdown, sparking celebrations at EverBank Stadium.

Lawrence – who had already scored another run in the third quarter and had completed 18 of 25 passes that night, throwing for 221 yards and a touchdown – described the game as "crazy." His head coach, Liam Coen, offered a different description.

"It was a stupid ending," said Coen, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator who led the Jags to a 4-1 record in his first NFL head coaching job since 2007.

"But what a tough moment it was for him to say he wasn't going to lose, and that's really the point.

"He wasn't going to lose, and he put on an incredible individual effort that hopefully will help us move forward."

Chiefs superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes was brilliant that evening, throwing 29 of 41 passes for 318 yards and a touchdown, and adding a team-high 60 yards and another score. However, he couldn't complete an ambitious Hail Mary on the final play of the game, leaving his team 2-3 on the year.

After a 27-21 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil and a 20-17 loss at home to the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, all three of Kansas City's losses this season have been by a single score.

This is a dramatic turnaround from last season, when the Chiefs and head coach Andy Reid overcame 11 one-score games in a bid to achieve a historic three-win streak. He enjoyed his reputation as the King of the Worlds.

"We have the players, and we've played well and really well at times in games, but we've let ourselves get crushed by penalties and mistakes," Mahomes said.

"We've done that to ourselves all season. It's been one player here and there. In this league, the games are so close that these (moments) change the game. We have to get better. We've already lost a lot of games."

"I was just nervous."

Everything seemed to be going well for Mahomes, but after he had already connected with Travis Kelce, Mahomes scored early in the second quarter, giving the Chiefs a 14-0 lead.

After a rough start to the season, Lawrence responded strongly, tying the game in the third quarter with a three-yard touchdown toss to Parker Washington and a rushing touchdown of his own.

Mahomes then found himself in trouble when his touchdown pass intended for JuJu Smith-Schuster was picked off by Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd. He then evaded the fumbling Chiefs quarterback and returned the interception for a spectacular 99-yard touchdown, giving the home team a 21-14 lead for the first time.

The Chiefs came back early in the fourth quarter with a five-yard field goal by running back Kareem Hunt, tying the game.

A field goal by the Jaguars put the hosts back in front. With 8:13 left in the game, Mahomes and the Chiefs returned to the field and capped an 86-yard drive with another quick shot from Hunt into the end zone, giving Kansas City a four-point lead with less than two minutes remaining in the contest.

Still, Lawrence took charge and led the Jaguars on a 60-yard winning drive, including a 33-yard pass to Brian Thomas Jr., before making his own fumbling trip to the end zone.

"Honestly, I was just nervous, really," Lawrence said of the game-winning play.

"I was trying to get up to get the ball out of my hands. We had no timeouts left, so I was just going to stand up and throw it out of the back of the end zone."

After struggling to catch just two touchdowns in his first four seasons in the NFL, according to ESPN, the 2021 first overall pick equaled that feat in just 60 minutes on Monday.

"I figured that out within the first couple of weeks. I think I've had some opportunities to use my legs and extend the play," Lawrence, who had a team-high 54 yards on 10 carries, said.

"Besides finding open players in coverage, that's our biggest strength on third down. The defensive schemes are really good, and sometimes they cover all the players, and our O-line is blocking really well, so being able to escape, use our legs, and make the defense defend the entire field... made a huge impact for us tonight."

Up next for both teams in Week 6, the Jaguars are at home again on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks (3-2), after which the Chiefs will host the aggressive Detroit Lions (4-1) later in the day.