JACKSONVILLE — It’s not so much the Jacksonville Jaguars’ eight-game losing streak against the Kansas City Chiefs, which certainly stung.
It’s what the Chiefs cost them with the victories. Promising seasons were dashed with early losses. A berth in the AFC Championship game was thwarted. Nick Foles, the Super Bowl-winning quarterback the Jaguars once thought would help them turn a corner, lasted nine plays until Chiefs’ tackle Chris Jones crushed his collarbone.
As recently as 2023, the Jaguars welcomed the Chiefs to EverBank Stadium with high hopes that a victory would keep them relevant in the AFC.
In every instance, it was the Chiefs, winning close games or blowouts, their fans taking up too many seats at the Bank and then protecting their own house, who turned the Jaguars away.
Not on this Monday Night.
Jaguars overcome turnovers, mistakes to win
Overcoming injuries, penalties and turnovers, as well as Patrick Mahomes rolling up 378 yards of offense by himself, the Jaguars beat Kansas City for the first time since Barack Obama was in the first year of his first term as President, 31-28 in front of 69,329 — including a large contingent of Chiefs fans who saw their team fall to 2-3 and the Jaguars improve to 4-1.
They left the stadium stunned and possibly realized that there might be a new AFC contender in the Jaguars, with Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Buffalo all having problems of their own.
“That was a crazy, great experience with my teammates,” said wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., whose 33-yard reception from Trevor Lawrence on the final scoring drive converted a third-and-seven, with Lawrence scoring on his improbable winning touchdown on a fumble, two slip-and-falls and a desperation run into the end zone with 23 seconds left that did not call to mind the word “graceful.”
“Ups and downs … [we] continued to fight to be the best that we can be each and every day,” Thomas said.
Coach Liam Coen, who has instilled a mental toughness in the Jaguars not seen since Tom Coughlin’s playoff teams, admitted it was sloppy at times.
But perfection can be found in a victory every time.
“It wasn’t perfect by any means, but the resiliency is really what I think this team has and has continued to show,” Coen said. “There was really no flinch or blink when you’re down 14-0. I think early on, we might have had a little bit of bright eyes in a kind of big game, that you can understand a little bit, in some ways. The guys stuck with it.”
The Jaguars had two turnovers, including Lawrence’s fumble at the 1-yard line. They had four pre-snap penalties on offense. The defense gave up a 97-yard TD drive. Mahomes was 14 of 17 in the first half — all recipes for defeat against the Chief in the past.
This year’s team found a way to win, beating Kansas City for the first time since a 24-21 victory in 2009 in Jacksonville.
Before that it was a red sea of heartbreak, especially beginning with the fourth game of the Chiefs’ winning streak.
Chiefs 30, Jaguars 14, Oct. 7, 2018
The Jaguars, coming off their run to the AFC Championship game the year before, started the season 3-1 by sweeping both New York teams and then beating Tom Brady and New England at home. Blake Bortles threw four interceptions and the Jaguars went on a seven-game losing streak.
Chiefs 40, Jaguars 26, Sept. 8, 2019
After parting ways with Bortles and signing Foles in free agency, the Jaguars opened the season at home against Kansas City. On the ninth play of the game, Foles threw a beauty of a 35-yard touchdown pass to DJ Chark. After releasing the ball, Jones knocked Foles to the ground and broke his collarbone. The Jaguars had to go to rookie sixth-round pick Gardner Minshew, who showed some flash and dash but the Jaguars lost four of their first six games and went 6-10.
Chiefs 27, Jaguars 17, Nov. 13, 2022
Jags coach Doug Pederson was going against his mentor and former boss, Andy Reid. The Jaguars fell behind 20-0 at Arrowhead Stadium and never recovered, taking a 3-7 season into the bye week.
Chiefs 27, Jaguars 20, Jan. 21, 2023
To Pederson’s credit, he rallied his troops, the Jaguars won six of their last seven games to win the AFC South, then stunned the Chargers 31-30 in the first round of the playoffs at home. The Jags returned to Arrowhead and had an early opening when Mahomes injured his ankle. But former Jaguar Chad Henne dragged his 37-year-old body off the bench and led a 98-yard scoring drive until trainers got Mahomes ready for the second half.
Chiefs 17, Jaguars 9, Sept. 17, 2023
The Chiefs came back to Jacksonville, and the Jags were 1-0 with another chance to score a statement victory. The defense played well enough and forced three turnovers, the Chiefs had 12 penalties for 94 yards, but the Jaguars’ offense never took advantage.
But that was then, said defensive end Josh Hines-Allen.
This is now.
“Doesn’t really matter,” he said. “What happened is in the past. We’re trying to go 4-1 today, we played our ball, played our (butts) off today and we won today.”
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars finally break the Kansas City hex in 31-28 Monday Night victory
Reporting by Garry Smits, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
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