Week 18 brought nothing but pain for Jacksonville Jaguars fans.
Sunday’s 28–20 loss to the Tennessee Titans knocked the Jags out of the AFC playoff picture and handed the AFC South title to the Houston Texans.
The worst part is: Jacksonville very nearly had it.
On a second down during the Jags’ final offensive drive of the fourth quarter, Trevor Lawrence threw a deep ball to a wide-open Calvin Ridley, who had beaten the high Titans safeties and essentially had a walk-in touchdown—if he caught the ball.
Ridley leaped forward but couldn’t get his hands on the pass, which went incomplete. The Jaguars would end up turning the ball over on downs, in effect losing the game and their shot at playoff football.
TREVOR LAWRENCE AND CALVIN RIDLEY ALMOST HAD A TD NOOOOO pic.twitter.com/2cjz6lwiZT
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) January 7, 2024
CALVIN RIDLEY THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS LOVE YOU 😭pic.twitter.com/l6EB0fYsij
— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) January 7, 2024
The Jags’ season finale loss doesn’t fall entirely on Ridley, as painful as that missed touchdown opportunity was. There’s also no telling if the Jags would have converted the two-point attempt, which they would have needed to tie the game.
Lawrence threw two ugly interceptions and Jacksonville’s defense had no answer for Tennessee’s rushing attack, which finished with 175 yards and two touchdowns.
Steelers and Bills fans can nonetheless thank Ridley and the Jags for fumbling Week 18’s game, as both Pittsburgh and Buffalo secured playoff berths following Jacksonville’s defeat. The Jaguars will finish second in the division with a 9–8 record and hope for a more successful season next year.
