JACKSONVILLE – Senior writer John Oehser, senior correspondent Brian Sexton and team reporter Kainani Stevens offer quick thoughts on the Jaguars’ 31-28 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in a 2025 Week 5 game at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville Monday.
John Oehser, Jaguars Senior Writer…
Wow. Just wow. This is one of the biggest, most-memorable regular-season victories in Jaguars history – and perhaps one of its most important. The Jaguars' third consecutive victory and their first over the Chiefs since 2009 was that big. It was that improbable. It was that dramatic. And that memorable. The Jaguars not only rallied for a last-minute victory over the three-time defending AFC Champions, they became the first team in 24 games to beat the Chiefs after the Chiefs led by 14 or more points. The Jaguars did what they have done throughout the first five games of the season, playing with guts and effort and belief. They not only rallied from the original 14-point deficit, they rallied again from a 28-24 deficit after the Chiefs took that lead with 1:45 remaining. This is the sort of game the Chiefs win. That's how you play in five Super Bowls in six seasons. This is the sort of game the Jaguars in recent seasons have lost – either in blowout fashion or falling just short. Not this team. If you've been saying "Same Old Jags," it's time to stop already. "Kansas City has been the team to beat over I don't know how many years, and they're still a great team," linebacker Devin Lloyd said. "For us to win this on Monday Night Football is a big win for this organization." Make no mistake: This Jaguars team is good. They win close games. They beat good, traditional teams. Welcome to this new era. This is fun stuff.
Credit T-Law. This wasn't perfection for Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, but perfection isn't needed in the NFL. Clutch plays in big moments win, as do guts and resiliency – and Lawrence had plenty of the latter two on Monday. He not only threw for a touchdown, he ran for two more – including the 1-yard game-winner with :23 remaining when he fell after guard Patrick Mekari stepped on his foot at the snap. He got up, slipped again and broke two tackles before scoring on one of the most unlikely, crazy, memorable plays in franchise history. But it was what Lawrence did before that – running for a 10-yard touchdown to tie the game, then throwing clutch passes of 33 yards to wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. and 13 yards to wide receiver Dyami Brownon the game-winning drive – that made this game notable for Lawrence. "He wasn't going to lose," Head Coach Liam Coen said. "Yeah, it was a goofy finish, but what a tough moment for him. That's what it comes down to. He wasn't going to lose. He made an unbelievable individual effort that hopefully can continue to springboard us." A huge game for Lawrence. Good for him.