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Jaguars LB Devin Lloyd's 99-yard INT for a TD started by outsmarting Patrick Mahomes
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- Jaguars LB Devin Lloyd's 99-yard INT for a TD started by outsmarting Patrick Mahomes
Patrick Mahomes was caught off guard.
The Jacksonville Jaguars (4-1) out-smarted the reigning AFC champions, the Kansas City Chiefs (2-3). A decision that was weeks in the making led to a play that helped propel the team to a 31-28 victory .
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On 2nd-and-3 from the Jacksonville 3-yard line, Mahomes quickly changed the play. The Jaguars were showing a "zero" blitz with seven players at the line of scrimmage, all expected to blitz the QB.
The look gave Mahomes plenty of confidence because he'd seen the play before.
In Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals , the Jaguars showed quarterback Joe Burrow a similar look. The team brought seven players to the line of scrimmage. The ball snapped, and Jacksonville sent the house, only to be burned by Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chasefor a three-yard touchdown. Chase ran a slant on the left side of the field for an easy catch.
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Because of that look the team showed in Week 2, Mahomes had the Jags all figured out — at least he thought he did.
Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd showed pressure, but instead of rushing the quarterback, he popped out, playing to the passing strength of the offense, Jaguars head coach Liam Coen explained after the game. He was in the right place at the right time by doing exactly what Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile wanted him to do.
Lloyd picked the ball off and ran it back 99 yards , a feat he has never accomplished. It's unlikely he'd do it again.
"It was a great call by them defensively, and obviously a great play by [Devin Lloyd] getting the pick. I've got to find a way to tackle him or slow him down after the interception," Mahomes said after the game Monday.
In a rare moment, Mahomes was fooled.
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"Honestly, they got me," a defeated Mahomes said.
Lloyd's play-making ability wasn't a surprise to his head coach, and it's something Coen has seen throughout training camp and through the first month of the season.
"Really proud of Devin as a competitor, as a leader. He's somebody that is walking around the facility with a chin up and really confident right now, for a reason," Coen said when asked about the AFC Defensive Player of the Month after the game Monday.
FINALLY: Jacksonville Jaguars finally break the Kansas City hex in 31-28 Monday Night victory
What were Lloyd's first words to the sideline? He didn't say much.
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"He didn't have anything to say; he was too tired," Jaguars WR/CB Travis Hunter said with a laugh when asked in postgame.
From Lloyd's point of view, it was how the team drew it up.
"It was just a great call. It was a zero look, and I was able to pop out. We know the ball is coming out quick, so it's really about me getting my eyes back and getting in the right vicinity," Lloyd explained.
"So, the ball was right there, thankfully, and picked up a couple blocks. Those were big. I don't know if I would have made it if I didn't get those. Grateful for everybody who helped me get into the end zone," he added.
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Lloyd has been one of the team's best players this year, forcing a turnover in every game since Week 2. Lloyd's four interceptions through Week 5 are tied for the second most by a linebacker through the first five games of a season since at least 1970 (Washington linebacker Jack Pardee — five interceptions in 1971).
Through the first five games of the season, Lloyd has recorded 25 tackles, four interceptions (NFL high), a fumble recovery and two quarterback hits.
According to NextGenStats, Lloyd's pick-six swung Jacksonville's win probably by 42 percentage points (from 28% to 70%), and Lloyd has added +95.4% win probability across his four picks this year.
Jaguars continue resilient effort, defense playing winning football
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) cheers on wide receiver Parker Washington (11) for his touchdown score during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
The Jaguars aren't the same old team they'd been in years past.
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Typically, they'd lose on a last-second touchdown, or quarterback Trevor Lawrence would have stumbled twice and probably fumbled at the end of the game instead of scoring a go-ahead TD. No, this Jaguars team stayed true even after falling 14-0 early on with no end in sight.
"I'm just super proud of this team for finding a way to win. I know we've been in situations like this and weren't always able to capitalize in the past, but this is a completely different team, and I'm just proud of everybody for believing and executing when we needed it," Lloyd said of the team's performance and his emotions from the victory.
The Jaguars are 4-1 this season by playing complementary football on all three phases . On Monday night, kicker Cam Little booted a 52-yard kick to give the team three points and a 24-21 lead in the fourth quarter. The team's defense showed off its playmaking ability yet again and Lawrence found a way to get into the end zone against all odds.
"That's when you know God has his hand on this team. We've got a lot of guys that just keep fighting, keep swinging, guys that believe. So, I'm really grateful to be a part of this team," Lloyd said.
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Jacksonville's in-sync cast of players can feel a difference this season and with each win, their confidence gets that much bigger.
"Yeah, it's growing that belief and confidence in our team that it doesn't matter what happens, it's always about what's next and the next play. The coaches preach that and the players believe in that. We have the confidence that we can make any play out there and we can hang around in any game regardless even if we start bad," Lawrence said.
"Obviously you don't want to start down 14, and offensively we've got to clean some stuff up, but being able to kind of manage the emotions of the game, not get too low, not get too high. There was a lot of back-and-forth in that game, and I think this team has done a good job of staying pretty level-headed and making the big plays when we need them," the starting QB added.
Monday night's win marked the first time since 2007 the team began the year 4-1. They improved to 3-0 at home for the first time since 2006 and Coen became just the sixth coach in the last 10 seasons to win at least four of his first five games as a head coach.
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Next up: Jaguars to take on Seattle Seahawks
Oct 31, 2021; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks defensive back Ryan Neal (26) sacks Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) during the first quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
The Jaguars will return to EverBank Stadium to face off against the Seattle Seahawks (3-2) in Week 6 before taking on the Los Angeles Rams in London in Week 7.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky @ Demetrius .
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Devin Lloyd's 99-yard interception pivotal to Jacksonville Jaguars win
