Trevor Lawrence had every chance to lead the Jacksonville Jaguars into the playoffs for a second straight year as the AFC South champions. He wound up stopped short of the goalline with 7:13 left, and he also turned the ball over on downs with 1:47 left as the Tennessee Titans eliminated the Jaguars from the playoff hunt in the final Sunday of the regular season.
The Jaguars (9-8) came in needing a win to clinch a second straight AFC South title for their first back-to-back crowns since 1998 and 1999. Their 28-20 loss makes Houston the division champs, costing the Jaguars their only way into the postseason after Pittsburgh also won on Saturday.
Jacksonville controlled their fate after starting 8-3 but finished losing five of six. Lawrence, who returned after missing last week with a sprained shoulder, was intercepted twice on Sunday. The Jaguars also turned the ball over on downs three times – twice in the final seven minutes.
awrence tried to rally the Jaguars from a 15-point deficit with a 14-yard TD pass to Evan Engram at the start of the fourth quarter.
The Titans, with the NFL’s stingiest defense inside their 20, stopped Lawrence a foot short as he tried to reach the ball to the goalline on fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line.
The Jaguars had one final chance, getting the ball back with 2:18 remaining and no timeouts left. Lawrence’s deep pass went off Calvin Ridley’s fingertips, then Lawrence threw incomplete on the next two downs with the last nowhere close to Engram.
Tennessee’s win makes the Texans the AFC South champs and the No 4 seed. They will host No 5 seed Cleveland in the wildcard round. Pittsburgh and Buffalo both clinched playoff berths with Jacksonville eliminated.
Left for dead in mid-December, the Steelers are heading back to the playoffs anyway. Pittsburgh clinched a wildcard spot when Tennessee upset Jacksonville, giving the Steelers a playoff berth that seemed unlikely following a three-game skid that included losses to lowly Arizona and New England. Pittsburgh bounced back to finish the season with a three-game winning streak, culminating in a victory over rival Baltimore in Week 18. Pittsburgh haven’t won a postseason game since beating Kansas City in the divisional round in 2016.
awrence tried to rally the Jaguars from a 15-point deficit with a 14-yard TD pass to Evan Engram at the start of the fourth quarter.
Buffalo Bills 21-14 Miami Dolphins
Josh Allen threw a go-ahead touchdown pass to Dawson Knox midway through the fourth quarter, and the Buffalo Bills won their fourth straight AFC East title, rallying past the Miami Dolphins. Allen made things difficult for the Bills with three turnovers in Miami territory, but he came through at the end to help Buffalo earn the No 2 seed in the conference. The Bills will host Pittsburgh in the wildcard round on Sunday. Buffalo went 6-1 down the stretch. Miami fell to the sixth seed and will play at Kansas City on Saturday night.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-0 Carolina Panthers
Chase McLaughlin kicked three field goals, the Tampa Bay defense pitched a shutout and the Buccaneers won their third straight NFC South title with a 9-0 victory on Sunday over the Carolina Panthers.
Tampa Bay (9-8) were facing an all-or-nothing scenario entering Sunday’s game with a win clinching a playoff spot and a loss resulting in elimination.
The Buccaneers weren’t exactly impressive on offense with Baker Mayfield held to 137 yards, but the defense – aided by some self-inflected wounds by Carolina – did just enough to keep the Panthers off the board.
The Panthers finished with a league-worst 2-15 record and do not even have the consolation of the No 1 overall pick in this year’s draft after trading it to the Chicago Bears so they could move up and select Bryce Young in 2023.
