Jacksonville Jaguars vs Las Vegas Raiders

LAS VEGAS -- — Trevor Lawrence went into Sunday's game at Las Vegas battling an illness, and then had trouble getting the Jaguars' offense going. He even threw an interception into double coverage in the end zone. A third consecutive defeat was growing more likely. But Lawrence shined when the Jaguars needed him most, and it was his pinpoint passing and two rushing touchdowns — including the winning sneak in overtime — that gave Jacksonville a much-needed 30-29 victory over the Raiders. “He was pale as a ghost throughout the whole game,” Jaguars coach Liam Coen said. “Obviously the frustrating interception down on the goal line, but man I'm very proud of the way he responded, the way that he played, especially later on when the game really was on the line.” Nose tackle DaVon Hamilton secured the victory when he batted down Geno Smith's pass to deny the Raiders a winning 2-point conversion. Jacksonville’s Cam Little broke an NFL record with a 68-yard field goal at the end of the first half, and his 48-yarder with 16 seconds left sent the game to OT. With 3:24 left in the extra period, Lawrence jumped over the pile and stretched the ball just over the goal line for a 30-23 lead with 3:24 left. Smith responded by hitting Brock Bowers for a 2-yard TD, but his throw on the 2-point try never even reached the end zone because the 335-pound Hamilton got his hands up and swatted it away. Smith said the Raiders got the look they wanted — and new acquisition Tyler Lockett was wide open in the end zone. “Hats off to (Hamilton),” Smith said. “He made the play.” The Jaguars (5-3) ended a two-game skid and improved their playoff chances. Las Vegas (2-6) has lost six of seven. Lawrence completed 23 of 34 passes for 220 yards, and his 7-yard run early in the fourth quarter put the Jags ahead 13-9. He was 11 of 15 for 120 yards in the second half and OT. “I feel a little bit better after getting the win,” Lawrence said. “That was a fun one, so I'll definitely feel better on this plane ride back, but it will be nice to rest up and get off my feet a little bit.” Travis Etienne rushed for 84 yards on 22 carries for Jacksonville. For the Raiders, Smith passed for 284 yards and four TDs. Bowers, who missed the previous three games because of a knee injury, caught 12 passes for 127 yards and three touchdowns. He became the first player in NFL history to have five games with at least 10 catches in his first two seasons. Bowers also is the third Raiders tight end and first since Todd Christensen in 1983 with three touchdown catches in a game. He made up for lost time. “Mentally, it hurt not playing,” Bowers said. “I wanted to be out there so bad. It sucked not being able to help the team.” The game began slowly before Bowers came down with a one-handed, falling-backward 7-yard touchdown catch with 35 seconds left in the first half. The play, which completed a 13-play, 95-yard drive, was initially ruled incomplete, but a video review showed Bowers' hip landed inbounds. Daniel Carlson missed the extra point to the right, keeping the Raiders' lead at 6-0 — a mistake that proved costly. The Jaguars moved the ball to the 50, and Little made his 68-yard field goal to cut the Raiders' lead to 6-3. It was 2 yards longer than the previous NFL record, set by Baltimore's Justin Tucker to beat Detroit on the final play on Sept. 26, 2021. The game became a shootout in the second half and overtime, with six lead changes. The Jaguars were without two-way rookie standout Travis Hunter, the No. 2 pick in the NFL draft, after he injured his right knee in Thursday's practice. Jacksonville placed Hunter, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, on injured reserve. Wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. didn't play in OT because of an ankle injury. Josh Hines-Allen had 1 1/2 sacks to give him the Jaguars franchise record of 55 1/2, surpassing Tony Brackens' mark. Bowers extended his streak with at least two receptions to 22 games, making it the longest for a tight end to open a career. Detroit’s Sam LaPorta set the previous record in 2023-24. Jaguars pass rusher ejected for punch Jaguars defensive end Travon Walker was ejected with 6:29 left in the third quarter for throwing a punch at Raiders left tackle Stone Forsthye, who was penalized for unnecessary roughness. That cost Jacksonville one of the league's top pass rushers; Walker has 20 1/2 sacks over the past two seasons. He has just two this season, however. Raiders rookie receiver inactive Raiders wide receiver Dont’e Thornton Jr., who was drafted in the fourth round out of Tennessee, was inactive. Thornton had a promising training camp, but that didn’t translate into results. He has five catches for 94 yards, and the acquisition of Lockett on Monday made it an easier decision to sit Thornton. Injuries Jaguars: LB Devin Lloyd (calf), as expected, did not play. CB Jourdan Lewis (shoulder) was injured in the first quarter. TE Hunter Long (hip and knee) was hurt in the second quarter but later returned. WR Dyami Brown (concussion protocol) was injured in the fourth quarter. Up next Jaguars: Visit Houston next Sunday in an AFC South matchup, Jacksonville's fourth true road game in five weeks. Raiders: Las Vegas has a short turnaround with a game at AFC West rival Denver on Thursday night. ------ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL