The Green Bay Packers celebrate after former Jaguar Brandon McManus converted a short field goal at the buzzer to lift Green Bay to victory on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
Published on October 27, 2024 at 4:45 pm
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As the Jaguars broke huddle after the 2-minute warning, Trevor Lawrence looked over the situation. The Jaguars were down by 7 to the Green Bay Packers and playing without nearly half of the men who began the season starting on the Jaguars’ offense.
Travis Etienne was a game day inactive. Left tackle Cam Robinson was cleared from concussion protocol but did not play. During the game, wide receivers Brian Thomas, Gabe Davis and Christian Kirk all left the game with injuries and did not return.
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Still, despite the injuries, turnovers and mistakes, the Jaguars were 14 yards away from a game-tying touchdown. On first down, Lawrence threw toward Parker Washington. Incomplete. Good defense.
Second down.
Lawrence took the snap, surveyed the field and threw to the back right corner of the endzone, where three Packers’ defensive backs were covering tight end Evan Engram.
But Engram rose above all three and made a highlight-reel catch. The game was tied at 27.
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But as has happened so often this season, the Jaguars could not close the deal.
With Green Bay’s backup quarterback Malik Willis in the game, the Packers drove downfield and positioned for a game-winning field goal. Former Jaguars’ kicker Brandon McManus booted a 24-yard field goal as time expired, kicking the Packers to a 30-27 win.
The loss drops the Jaguars to 2-6 and with the next four games on the schedule against playoff contenders. The road to a winning season looks bleak for Jacksonville.
The Jaguars’ offense struggled mightily to open the game. The Jaguars didn’t gain a first down until less than 6 minutes remained in the first half, when Lawrence hit Kirk on a 33-yard pass. The play seemed to wake up the Jacksonville offense. Lawrence directed a six-play, 70-yard drive and ran it in from 6 yards out to give the Jaguars their first score of the game.
With 1:12 to play in the half, the Packers lined up for a field goal on fourth-and-5. The Jaguars were called for the rare defensive delay of game, giving Green Bay a first down. It led to a 38-yard McManus field goal. But the Jaguars offense kept the positive momentum and added a Cam Little field goal just before halftime to trail 13-10 at the break.
Packers starting quarterback Jordan Love was helped off the field with 11:41 to play in the third quarter and Willis came in. After a punt, the Jaguars drove downfield on a 10-play, 93-yard drive that included a fourth and one quarterback sneak by Lawrence. Lawrence then connected with Brian Thomas on a 14-yard touchdown that gave the Jaguars their first lead of the game: 17-13.
Early in the fourth quarter, Lawrence was hit and fumbled the ball inside the Jaguars’ 5-yard line. Green Bay capitalized two plays later to take a 27-17 lead.
On the following drive, with Thomas sidelined with a chest injury, Kirk went down with a broken collarbone. He won’t return this season.
The Jaguars offense did not convert a third down until just before the 2-minute warning in the fourth quarter. Yet, they were still in the game until the final second.
In the NFL, eventually, a team’s depth will be tested.
That will be an issue for the Jaguars as they look ahead to a challenging month of November.
Cole Pepper has covered sports in Jacksonville since 1996, most recently for News4Jax. He is currently broadcast director for Sporting Club Jacksonville and has called play-by-play for a number of teams, including the Suns, Tomcats, Jacksonville University, Sharks and The Bolles School football. He also served as the studio host for the Jaguars Radio Network.
