The Jacksonville Jaguars won their third straight game in Week 16, as they downed the New York Jets in rainy MetLife Stadium, 19-3. The Jets scored the first points of the game, but it was all Jacksonville after that. Trevor Lawrence and Co. reeled off 19 straight points, leading to Zach Wilson’s benching in the third quarter. He was replaced by Chris Streveler.
Thursday night was truly a disaster for New York. Wilson struggled to complete passes, the Jets’ lead rusher, Zonovan Knight, recorded -2 yards on six carries and the defense had a hard time stopping the Jaguars offense all night long. Wilson was benched for Streveler on the third drive of the second half, and the practice-squader gave the Jets offense an instant boost — picking up four first downs on a drive that ended on downs at the Jaguars’ 13-yard line. Prior to that possession, New York had recorded just three first downs all game. However, the QB change did not result in any points, as the switch was made too late.
Wilson finished with 92 passing yards and one interception. Streveler threw for 90 yards, but rushed for 54. Michael Carter was the Jets leading receiver with five catches for 44 yards.
Lawrence completed 20 of 31 passes for 229 yards. He was also effective on the ground, rushing for 51 yards and one touchdown on seven carries. His Clemson teammate had a solid game as well, as Travis Etienne rushed 22 times for 83 yards. Evan Engram recorded his second 100-yard performance in the last three games, as the former New York Giant caught seven passes for 113 yards.
This was an important victory for the Jaguars, as their seven wins now tie the Tennessee Titans in the AFC South. Jacksonville controls its own destiny with two weeks remaining in the regular season, and sportsbooks believe Doug Pederson’s squad will indeed finish this run with their first division title since 2017. Check back soon, as this piece will be turned into a takeaways article which dives more deeply into what transpired in the first game of Week 16.