Josh Lambo kicked four field goals, including the game-winner from 33 yards out as time expired, and Leonard Fournette rushed for a career-high 225 yards as the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars edged the Denver Broncos 26-24 on Sunday afternoon.
Rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew II passed for 213 yards and two touchdowns for the Jaguars (2-2).
Jacksonville scored 20 unanswered points to take a 23-17 fourth quarter lead before Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco rallied his team down the stretch, connecting with Courtland Sutton for a tying 8-yard score with 1:32 remaining. The extra point put the Broncos ahead 24-23.
Denver, which led 17-6 at halftime, fell to 0-4 for the first time since 1999.
Jacksonville consumed nearly the entire third quarter with one scoring drive, covering 75 yards on 16 plays over 10 minutes, 24 seconds. Minshew capped the drive with a scrambling, 7-yard touchdown pass to Ryquell Armstead, escaping two would-be tacklers before firing the ball near the back left corner of the end zone.
The ensuing extra point drew the Jaguars to within 17-13 with 4:36 remaining in the third.
Following a Broncos punt, Jacksonville grabbed its first lead of the game 3:26 later. An 81-yard Fournette run set up an 18-yard scoring pass from Minshew to James O'Shaughnessy. Because of penalties, the drive covered three plays and 103 scrimmage yards (93 officially) in 1:47. Denver possessed the ball for just three plays in the third quarter.
Flacco opened the game 15 for 25 for 197 yards and touchdowns to Noah Fant and Sutton, but hiccupped in the closing stages of the second quarter. Jacksonville safety Ronnie Harrison intercepted an errant Flacco pass and returned it 32 yards to set up a 40-yard Lambo field goal with eight seconds to play before halftime.
Flacco finished 22 for 38 passing for 303 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Minshew was 19 of 33 for 57.6 percent -- well below his 73.9 completion percentage entering the game but efficient enough to steer the Jaguars to a comeback win.
Denver entered the afternoon with zero sacks in its first three games, but ended that drought with five. Linebacker Von Miller had two sacks, including the 100th of his career.
Denver exceeded 16 points in a game for the first time since Week 13 of last season. Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey was inactive for the first time in his career.
Jacksonville outgained Denver 455-371.
--Field Level Media
Jacksonville | Denver | |
Leonard Fournette | Player | Phillip Lindsay |
29 | Attempts | 9 |
225 | Yards | 53 |
7.8 | Avg Yards | 5.9 |
0 | Touchdowns | 0 |
81 | Long | 28 |
Jacksonville | Denver | |
Dede Westbrook | Player | Emmanuel Sanders |
5 | Receptions | 5 |
66 | Yards | 104 |
13.2 | Avg Yards | 20.8 |
0 | Touchdowns | 0 |
32 | Long | 39 |
Yards | Scoring | Defense | ||||||
Team | Tot | Rus | Pas | TD | FG | INT | Sck | FF |
Jacksonville | 455 | 269 | 186 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 |
Denver | 371 | 68 | 303 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5.0 | 1 |