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Jaguars rally back against Dallas Cowboys, win 40-34 in overtime. Here are our takeaways.
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- Jaguars rally back against Dallas Cowboys, win 40-34 in overtime. Here are our takeaways.
The Jaguars (6-8) went into the game against the Dallas Cowboys (10-4) with everything on the line. After battling back from a 27-10 deficit during the second half of the contest, the Jaguars kicked a 48-yard field goal to send the game into overtime, tied at 34-34.
In stunning fashion, the Jaguars defeated the Cowboys in overtime after safety Rayshawn Jenkins picked off Cowboys QB Dak Prescott , returning the ball 52 yards for a touchdown. Jenkins ran right into the north end zone as the crowd went wild. The Jaguars punted the ball to the Cowboys in their opening drive of OT.
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The win snaps an NFL-record 20-straight losses to NFC opponents, dating back to 2018.
It was the first overtime the Jaguars have been apart of since Dec. 5, 2020, against the Minnesota Vikings when Jacksonville lost 27-24. It was the team's first home overtime game Dec. 26, 2010. They lost to Washington 20-17.
More game coverage:
Postgame recap: Jacksonville Jaguars stun Dallas Cowboys with 17-point rally, OT pick-six
Trevor Tracker 2022: How do Trevor Lawrence's first 14 starts compare to 2021? Here's how
Though Jacksonville entered Sunday with an extensive injury report, which included quarterback Trevor Lawrence (toe) along with five other starters, they only missed one player, rookie outside linebacker Travon Walker.
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He was inactive for the first time this season after suffering an ankle injury in last week's win over the Titans.
At halftime, the Jaguars held a naturalization ceremony for 75 Florida residents to complete their final step in their journey to U.S. citizenship. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Jacksonville Field Office Director Lisa Bradley presented the ceremony.
With a huge matchup and the Cowboys in town, the Jaguars announced that 69,050 tickets were distributed for the game, just short of a record number of 69,442 set during the team's playoff game against the Buffalo Bills during the 2017-18 season.
It was the largest number of tickets distributed during the regular season for Jacksonville since their matchup against the New England Patriots in 2018 when 68,527 tickets were distributed.
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Lawrence follows career-best game with another stellar performance
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence hadn't thrown an interception in 204-straight passing attempts, just four short of the franchise record 208 attempts set in 2007 by former Jaguars QB David Garrard. Against the Cowboys, Lawrence tossed a pick to Cowboys nickel cornerback DaRon Bland, which set up a field goal for the Cowboys late in the third quarter.
Lawrence more than made up for it on the Jaguars' next drive, though. Trailing 27-17, Lawrence found a wide-open Zay Jones streaking down the right side of the field for a career-long 52-yard touchdown toss. It was the longest touchdown pass of Lawrence's career and the longest pass this season.
Prior to that, Lawrence's longest TD toss was a 42-yard pass to former Jaguars WR DJ Chark Jr. in Week 1 of the 2021 regular season against the Houston Texans .
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) looks to pass before a regular season NFL football matchup between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Dallas Cowboys Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
At one point, Lawrence had completed 18-of-29 passes for 241 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. Receiver Zay Jones caught three touchdowns in regulation. His final score in regulation gave Jacksonville a 31-27 lead. Jones caught six passes for 109 yards and three total touchdowns.
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Lawrence finished the game by completing 27-of-42 passes for 318 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. Lawrence fumbled the football one time, which gave Dallas an opportunity to take a late-game lead. Still, the QB remained poised, driving the team down the field to convert a game-tying 48-yard FG by Riley Patterson to tie the game 34-34.
Ceedee Lamb tears into Jaguars secondary
The Jaguars have tried to find an answer for their secondary issues since cornerback Shaq Griffin went down with a back injury following the team's loss to the New York Giants . In recent weeks, Jacksonville deployed veteran CB Tre Herndon as the team's nickel cornerback. That meant Darious Williams and Tyson Campbell manned the outside positions for the Jaguars.
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) pull is a late first quarter pass for a first down while being defended by Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Tre Herndon (37). The Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Dallas Cowboys at TIAA Bank Field Sunday, December 18, 2022. The Jaguars trailed 21 to 7 at the half. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]
With that, the Cowboys took advantage of what they likely perceived as a weak link, putting their top receiver CeeDee Lamb in the slot for the majority of the contest. Lamb finished the game with seven catches for 126 yards during the day.
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Devin Lloyd gets starting nod over Muma
During the week, there was skepticism about whether or not Jaguars' third-round rookie LB Chad Muma would be able to suit up after missing last week's game with an ankle injury. Muma was active but still took a backseat after initially earning a place as the team's starter.
That was reiterated earlier in the week by Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson, who said that Muma has played well, and he'd make the decision to keep him in. But it was Lloyd, the team's second first-round pick from the 2022 NFL Draft, that earned the start.
Muma played in packages that included three linebackers on the field, a set that the team used to slow down the Cowboys' rushing attack.
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Pederson continues creativity against aggressive Cowboys defense
The Jaguars have been one of the more creative teams this season as far as utilizing motions and other heady plays that require some thought from the opposing defense. That didn't change Sunday when the Jaguars did that to drive down the field multiple times against the Cowboys.
On multiple occasions, Pederson called receiver screens and end-around plays to players, particularly to receiver Jamal Agnew . Agnew carried the ball thrice for 52 yards while catching two passes for 12 yards. One of the better plays of the game came during the fourth quarter of the contest. Facing a third-and-4 with just over
Jaguars can't let win/loss overshadow short week
Regardless of today's outcome, the Jaguars will have to remain focused on what's ahead of them. There isn't a 24-hour rule as the team will have to turn around and face off against the New York Jets in a road contest on Thursday Night Football in Week 16.
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The team entered Week 15 down two games to the Tennessee Titans in the playoff race and a win against the Jets will go a long way in allowing the team to get back in the hunt.
The game will take place at Metlife Stadium next week, aired on Amazon Prime, the team's first contest on the live-streaming network.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on Twitter at @Demetrius82 .
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars take down Dallas Cowboys in thrilling come-from-behind victory
