JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Florida National News) – The Jacksonville Jaguars (2-10) lost to the Houston Texans (8-5) 23-20, eliminating the Jags from the playoffs. Today’s game marked the Jaguars’ return to the field after a week 12 bye. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence started the game after missing the last two with an injury to his non-throwing shoulder, but left the game late in the second quarter after suffering a concussion in a heated moment between the two AFC South rivals.

QB Trevor Lawrence (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

The first quarter set the tone for today’s defensive battle, with no scoring by either team. Texans’ K Ka’imi Fairbairn was the first to put points on the scoreboard with a 53 yard field goal early in the second quarter. Fairbairn later added a 30 yard field goal to put the Texans ahead 6-0. A few plays later, QB Trevor Lawrence had to be taken off the field in a cart, after a rough helmet-to-helmet hit by Texans’ LB Azeez Al-Shaair. Al-Shaair and Jaguars’ CB Jarrian Jones were both ejected after the ensuing brawl between the teams. Lawrence was ruled out for the remainder of the game with a concussion, so QB Mac Jones entered the game to take his place. On that same drive, K Cam Little kicked a 33 yard field goal, to leave the Jaguars trailing 6-3 at halftime.

QB Mac Jones (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

Little added a 30 yard field goal early in the third quarter, to tie the game at 6-6, extending his streak to 15 consecutive field goals made, the longest by a rookie in Jaguars’ franchise history. The Texans’ next drive ended with a 7 yard touchdown run by RB Joe Mixon and extra point by Fairbairn, putting Houston up 13-6. Fairbairn kicked a 28 yard field goal late in the third quarter, extending their lead to 16-6.

Early in the fourth quarter, Little missed a 55 yard field goal attempt, ending his franchise rookie streak at 15 consecutive field goals made. The Texans scored on a 22 yard pass by QB C.J. Stroud to TE Dalton Schultz, followed by Fairbairn’s XP, extending their lead to 23-6. Jaguars TE Evan Engram joined Jeremy Shockey and George Kittle as the only three tight ends in NFL history to record at least 40 receptions in each of their first eight seasons. Soon after, the Jaguars added a 22 yard touchdown pass by Jones to WR Parker Washington. A failed two point conversion attempt left the Jags down 23-12. Jones later connected with WR Brian Thomas Jr. for a 6 yard touchdown pass, tying Thomas for first place in receiving touchdowns by a rookie in franchise history (six). A two point conversion narrowed the deficit to 23-20. But the Texans were able to run out the clock to seal their victory, and knock the Jags out of the postseason.

During today’s game, players, coaches, and staff wore customized cleats and sneakers in support of various charitable organizations that they support, as part of the NFL’s “My Clause My Cleats” campaign. In all, more than fifty charitable causes were represented, including youth health and wellness, cancer research, and social justice.

Mac Jones finished with 235 yards and two TDs. Travis Etienne Jr. led the Jaguars’ rushing with 46 yards. Parker Washington was the leading receiver with 103 yards and 1 TD. Today’s attendance was 62,588.

The Jaguars head to Tennessee to face their AFC South rival Titans on Sunday, 12/8. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. The Jaguars’ next home game will be against the New York Jets on Sunday, 12/15 at 1:00 p.m. Be sure to follow www.FloridaSportsChannel.com and www.FloridaNationalNews.comfor more.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Florida National News) – The Jacksonville Jaguars (2-8) lost to the Minnesota Vikings (7-2), 12-7, effectively ending the Jaguars’ chances of making the playoffs this season. QB Mac Jones, a Jacksonville native who was traded by the New England Patriots in March, made his first start for the Jaguars today, as Trevor Lawrence recovers from a shoulder injury he suffered last week. The Jags also signed QB C.J. Beathard from the Miami Dolphins’ practice squad this week to back up Jones. Beathard played in 13 games for the Jaguars from 2021-2023.

C.J. Beathard signed with the Jaguars this week. (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

The Vikings were the first to score, on a 45 yard field goal by K John Parker Romo. But the Jaguars responded with a touchdown as Mac Jones dove one yard into the end zone to put the finishing touch on their scoring drive. K Cam Little’s extra point put the Jags up 7-3. Despite a pair of interceptions of QB Sam Darnold passes by LB Foyesade Oluokun and CB Montaric Brown, the Jaguars were unable to score on either of those subsequent drives, and the score remained 7-3 at halftime.

In the third quarter, the Jaguars got another interception of a Darnold pass by S Darnell Savage to stop a Vikings drive that would have likely ended in points, but the Jags were unable to score. The Vikings next drive ended with a 33 yard John Parker Romo field goal, to narrow their deficit to 7-6 at the end of the third quarter.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Romo added a 34 yard field goal to put the Vikings ahead 9-7. A Mac Jones fumble two downs later returned the ball to the Vikings, and Romo’s 29 yard field goal extended their lead to 12-7. An interception by Byron Murphy Jr. of a Mac Jones pass gave the ball back to the Vikings. The Jags’ defense shut down Minnesota’s drive, giving the Jaguars one more chance to score, but a Hail Mary pass by Jones was intercepted by S Camryn Bynum. The final score remained 12-7.

Mac Jones starts his first game with the Jaguars. (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

Mac Jones finished with 111 yards and no passing touchdowns, but he did have a rushing TD. Travis Etienne Jr. led the Jaguars’ rushing with 44 yards. Evan Engram was the leading receiver with 40 yards. Today’s attendance was 65,695.

The Jaguars head to Detroit to face the Lions on Sunday, 11/17. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. After a bye in week 11, the Jaguars’ next home game will be against the Houston Texans on Sunday, 12/1 at 1:00 p.m. Be sure to follow www.FloridaSportsChannel.com and www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.

Former UCF football players Shaquem Griffin and Joey Grant have partnered with GMTM to launch their Search for Greatness Combine at UCF on Saturday, November 9th. They’re giving local athletes a chance to showcase their talents and explore new sports opportunities. Griffin will be inducted into the UCF Hall of Fame on Saturday, November 2nd, during halftime of the Arizona vs. UCF football game. He is remembered for his tenacity, setting an NFL Combine record with the fastest 40-yard dash by a linebacker, and playing four seasons in the NFL, overcoming the challenge of only having one hand. He is now training to make the USA Paralympic Track and Field Team and hopes to compete in the 2028 Olympics. Joey Grant, the co-founder and CEO of GMTM, is a former UCF team captain, playing mostly Center for the Knights from 2011-2015.

Participation at the upcoming combine is free and invite-only, targeting athletes over the age of 18. To be considered, athletes must submit a highlight video via GMTM’s platform, showcasing their athleticism. GMTM will evaluate submissions and invite the most promising athletes to participate in the combine. The goal for this year’s event is to get 1,000 athletes to submit videos and be part of the combine process. Athletes chosen will receive personalized invites with further instructions, including event time slots and details. The athletes will be evaluated for their key athletic traits, to identify opportunities for them across multiple Olympic sports or professional sports programs. To learn more, or to apply for the combine, visit: https://gmtm.com/articles/the-search-for-greatness-at-ucf-with-shaquem-griffin-what-you-need-to-know.

Florida National News spoke with Shaquem and Joey about the combine, college football in the era of NIL and the transfer portal, and Griffin’s hall of fame induction. You can watch the full interview here:

Shaquem Griffin and Joey Grant interview

Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com and www.FloridaSportsChannel.com for more.