If you had told someone a few months ago that this would be a divisional round playoff matchup, they would have laughed in your face. And yet, here we are.
The plucky Jaguars stunned the NFL world last weekend with an outrageous comeback against the Chargers, rallying from a 27-0 deficit to win, 31-30. Their reward? A date with the No. 1 seeded Chiefs at Arrowhead.
Comebacks have become this season's theme for Jacksonville. Doug Pederson's squad started 4-8 before staging a furious late-season rally to scrape into the playoffs. Now, they head to Kansas City with nothing to lose and a whole lot of confidence on the back of six straight wins.
Trevor Lawrence's first career playoff game was a tale of two halves. In the first, he was abysmal, throwing 4 interceptions to go with 1 late touchdown toss to Evan Engram. In the second, he was otherworldly, throwing 3 touchdown passes and leading the drive to set up Riley Patterson's game-winning field goal. The QB will be hoping to keep the momentum from the second half rolling as he prepares for the biggest game of his young career.
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The Chiefs were off last week on bye thanks to their No. 1 overall seed, but we already know plenty about their quarterback. Patrick Mahomes has put together another MVP-quality season so far this year, leading the NFL in passing yards (5,250) and passing TDs (41) and setting a new all-time record for total yards in a season (5,614).
Andy Reid and his team will be looking to make it to their 5th consecutive AFC Championship game. Make no mistake, the Chiefs are very much still the team to beat in their conference.
Can the Jaguars pull off a massive upset in Arrowhead, or will the Chiefs continue their march towards another Lombardi trophy?
Follow along as The Sporting News tracks live scoring updates and highlights from Chiefs vs. Jaguars in the NFL playoffs:
MORE: Watch Chiefs vs. Jaguars live with fuboTV (free trial)
(All times Eastern.)
6:31 p.m. — A second down screen to Engram gets blown up to bring up 3rd and 12. Lawrence's pass to Kirk is a tad under thrown on third down, and that will bring up another 4th down and another punt.
6:29 p.m. — The Jags start another drive, this time at their own 15-yard line. They face a quick 3rd and short, and Lawrence finds Engram to keep the drive alive.
6:25 p.m. — Nope, the ruling stands as called. It's 3rd and short for the Chiefs, and a direct snap to tight end Noah Gray does not get there! Reid may wish he saved his challenge for that play. It was a very close call, but the ruling is that he was short and it's 4th and 1. The Chiefs now have to punt it back after that interesting sequence.
After KC loses the challenge, on 3rd & 1, Noah Gray direct snap rushes no gain .. punting unit in#Jaguars 10 #Chiefs 17 3ʀᴅ pic.twitter.com/kFNwLGMuMF — Sᴘᴏʀᴛs 24/7 (@Sports_24x7_) January 21, 2023
6:21 p.m. — Pacheco takes the handoff for a short gain on first down, then catches a swing pass and bullies his way for a few extra yards on second. The officials rule him just short of the marker, but Andy Reid will challenge it. Looks like he may have gotten there.
6:17 p.m. — Lawrence is swamped on 2nd down and throws incomplete to set up 3rd and 7. His 3rd down pass is behind Kirk and falls incomplete as well, and Jacksonville will have to punt it away. Slow start to this half so far.
6:15 p.m. — On the next play, Etienne goes right up the gut for a gain of 11. Looks like he'll be getting plenty of work this half.
6:13 p.m. — The Jags' drive starts at their own 15-yard line. Short runs by Hasty and Etienne set up 3rd and 3, and Lawrence is able to find Etienne on a screen pass to the right side to pick up the first down.
6:09 p.m. — McKinnon rushes for no gain, then an incompletion brings up 3rd and 10. Mahomes drops back and zips one over the middle to Kelce, but the tight end couldn't bring it in. Kansas City will have to punt for the first time this afternoon.
6:08 p.m. — Hurt ankle and all, Mahomes manages to scramble for a first down on 3rd and 1 to keep the drive alive! This guy is built different.
6:05 p.m. START OF SECOND HALF — The Chiefs get the ball first to start the half, and they are led onto the field by Mahomes. He's returning to the game. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported X-rays were negative, but he is likely dealing with a high ankle sprain.
X-Rays were negative, source said. That’s the good news. But it does appear to be a high-ankle sprain for Patrick Mahomes. https://t.co/nGJTkeg07h — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 21, 2023
5:58 p.m. — Kelce has absolutely feasted on the Jaguars' defense so far, racking up 10 catches, 55 yards and 2 touchdowns in the first half. Jacksonville needs to find a way to keep him in check, especially now that Mahomes' status is up in the air. With that said, look for Andy Reid to feed Pacheco in the second half. The rookie running back has been excellent when called upon today.
5:50 p.m. — With Henne under center, Andy Reid will play it safe and kneel out the clock to end the first half. The Chiefs take a seven point lead into the locker room, but the big story remains Patrick Mahomes' injured ankle.
5:47 p.m. FIELD GOAL — Patterson's kick sneaks inside the right upright from 41 yards out, and the Chiefs' lead is cut to 7.
5:46 p.m. — A good tackle on Kirk by Jaylen Watson brings up 3rd and 2, and Lawrence's pass on 3rd down goes incomplete! Riley Patterson will trot on for a field goal attempt with 31 seconds left in the half.
5:44 p.m. — After another pass to Kirk for a gain of 7, Lawrence improvs and dumps one off to Hasty, who scurries for another first down. The Jags have 1st and 10 at around the Chiefs' 30-yard line.
5:43 p.m. — Lawrence takes the snap on 3rd down, and he fires it over the middle to Kirk for a gain of 15 and a crucial first down gain.
5:39 p.m. TWO-MINUTE WARNING — Trevor Lawrence goes deep on 1st and 10, and Kirk has a step on two defenders but he can't quite haul it in. After a short Etienne run, it's 3rd and 6. That will take us to the two-minute warning.
5:38 p.m. — A pair of handoffs to Etienne pick up a combined 11 yards and a first down to start the Jags' drive.
5:37 p.m. — That was a heck of a drive by Henne, the veteran backup. Let's see how Trevor Lawrence can respond.
5:33 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — Kelce has another! Henne leads an incredible 98-yard touchdown drive! The fans at Arrowhead are chanting "Henne! Henne!"
5:32 p.m. — Big play! Pacheco takes a handoff to the left side and turns on the jets for a gain of almost 40 yards! 1st and goal, Kansas City!
5:31 p.m. — Per the Chiefs, Mahomes is officially questionable to return with an ankle injury.
QB Patrick Mahomes is questionable to return with an ankle injury. pic.twitter.com/vteCARcNDG — Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 21, 2023
5:29 p.m. — On 3rd and 3, Henne gets it away to Kelce, who stretches the ball across the line to gain for another first down! It wouldn't have mattered anyways, as Arden Key also got called for roughing the passer. It'll be 1st and 10 Chiefs from just across midfield.
5:26 p.m. — After a short pass to Kelce, Skyy Moore gets hit hard on a run play a few yards short of the sticks. It'll be 3rd and 3 again, and the Chiefs use their second timeout to buy some time. Mahomes is warming up on the sideline, but there's still no indication he'll check back in soon.
5:24 p.m. — On 2nd and 3, Henne's pass is tipped up into the air and nearly picked off. That was a bullet dodged for Kansas City. On the next play, Henne goes short right to Kadarius Toney, who lunges ahead to pick up another first down!
5:21 p.m. — Henne's first throw is complete to Kelce for a gain of 6 to move the Chiefs away from their own goal line. On the next play, Pacheco surges up the middle for a gain of 8 yards to move the chains.
5:20 p.m. — An excellent punt by Logan Cooke pins the Chiefs at their own 2-yard line. Mahomes just headed into the locker room, so it looks like it will be Chad Henne at quarterback for Kansas City on this drive.
5:18 p.m. — Hasty drops a catchable ball that would have moved Jacksonville into field goal range. Big missed opportunity there. The Jags will be forced to punt this away.
5:17 p.m. — A tripping penalty on 2nd and 5 backs the Jags up and makes it 2nd and 15. After Lawrence is sacked by Frank Clark, it's 3rd and a mile.
5:15 p.m. — A Lawrence pass to tight end Evan Engram picks up 10 yards and another first down, and moves the ball down to the Kansas City 30-yard line.
5:13 p.m. — The Jaguars get the ball back, and JaMycal Hasty breaks loose on a run to the right side for a big gain of 23 yards! That's a great kickstarter for this drive.
5:10 p.m. FIELD GOAL — Butker drills it from 50 yards to give Kansas City the lead once again. Mahomes' injury on that drive could be a huge turning point, however.
5:08 p.m. — Mahomes hobbles around in the pocket, then the ball slips out of his hand on what appeared to be a pump fake. It's called an incomplete pass and that will bring up 4th and 3. It'll be a field goal attempt for Harrison Butker and the Chiefs.
5:07 p.m. — Trainers on the Chiefs' sideline taped up Mahomes' ankle during the break. He looks a little better now, but he is definitely not playing at 100%. An outside screen to Skyy Moore loses a couple of yards to bring up 3rd and 3.
5:04 p.m. — After a short run by McKinnon picks up a first down, Mahomes throws off of one leg to Kelce for a gain of 7. That'll take us to the end of the first quarter as Mahomes limps off to get some treatment on the sideline.
5:02 p.m. — Mahomes is clearly hurting, but he re-enters the game in an attempt to tough it out. He hands off to McKinnon, but he is limping heavily right now. I'm not sure how long he'll be able to stay out there.
5:01 p.m. — Uh oh. On the following play, a defender rolls up on Mahomes' right leg and he looks in some pain. The Chiefs are forced to take a timeout as he limps off the field.
5:00 p.m. — Mahomes keeps making magic. He steps left in the pocket to escape pressure, then steps right and fires a strike to Justin Watson to pick up a first down!
4:58 p.m. — KC's drive starts with a defensive holding penalty on the Jags. But a screen to Kelce gets blown up two plays later to set up 3rd and 6.
4:55 p.m. — That was a lightning-quick and much-needed touchdown drive by the Jags. Now they need to figure out a way to stop Mahomes.
4:53 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — What a throw! What a catch! Lawrence tosses a dime to Christian Kirk, who gets both feet down to secure the touchdown! Great response by Jacksonville!
4:52 p.m. — Facing 3rd and 1, Etienne rips through the line and makes a cut to pick up 19 yards! Just like that, the Jags have it in the red zone!
4:50 p.m. — This has been a rough start for Jacksonville, but they get a boost in the form of an excellent kickoff return by Jamal Agnew. He gets it all the way down to the Chiefs' 40-yard line, and that's where Lawrence will start his second drive of the afternoon.
4:45 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — Who else? It's Kelce who makes the catch over the middle and rumbles into the end zone to open the scoring! That was a clinical opening drive by the Chiefs!
4:43 p.m. — Mahomes has to throw it away on first down, and after a decent run by Pacheco it's 3rd and 6. Mahomes takes the shotgun snap and runs into pressure, but just as he is about to be pulled down he fires one complete to Kelce for a first down! What a play!
4:41 p.m. — The Chiefs continue their march downfield with a 13-yard completion to JuJu Smith-Schuster. A short run by Jerick McKinnon then moves them into the red zone.
4:38 p.m. — On 2nd and 3, the pocket collapses on Mahomes under a heavy pass rush, but he manages to get away a strange-looking jump pass and finds Travis Kelce open at midfield! Great start for Kansas City.
Mahomes breaks out the jump pass early 👀
📺: #JAXvsKC on NBC
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/3PQhoYeSUP pic.twitter.com/dmO7VYzQxK — NFL (@NFL) January 21, 2023
4:37 p.m. — Mahomes takes the field, and on the Chiefs' first offensive play he pitches left to Isiah Pacheco for a gain of 12 and a first down.
4:35 p.m. — Lawrence rolls left to escape pressure and throws downfield, but his pass is off the mark and nearly intercepted! Jacksonville starts with a three-and-out.
4:34 p.m. — Lawrence's pass gets tipped on the first play from scrimmage and falls incomplete. On 2nd down, a swing pass left to Travis Etienne picks up 7 yards to set up 3rd and 3.
4:33 p.m. GAME START— The Chiefs will kick off to get us underway. Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars' offense gets the game's first opportunity. Harrison Butker boots it for a touchback, and we're off and running in Kansas City.
4:30 p.m. — Divisional playoff weekend is finally upon us. Kansas City, juggernaut of the AFC, takes on Jacksonville, the league's biggest cinderella story. Here we go.
4:22 p.m. — All eight NBC analysts picked the Chiefs to win this afternoon. Time to see if Jacksonville is capable of stunning the world once again.
4:09 p.m. — Rapper Lil Jon is in the building, and he's repping the Chiefs.
3:55 p.m. — Here come the Jags. Can they pull off the playoff upset in a hostile environment?
3:48 p.m. — Patrick Mahomes may be undefeated in divisional playoff games, but Trevor Lawrence is undefeated on Saturdays in his entire life as a football player. One of those streaks has to come to an end today.
Dating back to High School, Trevor Lawrence has a 37-0 record when he plays on Saturday 👀 pic.twitter.com/gLfA0zeVcv — NFL Stats (@NFL_Stats) January 21, 2023
3:27 p.m. — It is starting to really snow at Arrowhead. You would think wintry conditions would play into the Chiefs' hands, considering it's not something the Jags are used to.
IT IS DUMPING SNOW IN KANSAS CITY!#ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/0QDExYXeTz — Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) January 21, 2023
3:04 p.m. — As a reminder, these two teams met at Arrowhead back in Week 10. Kansas City cruised to a comfortable 27-17 win in that matchup.
2:53 p.m. — Andy Reid looked locked in as he arrived at Arrowhead.
Big game. Big Red. pic.twitter.com/VA1nMltn9F — Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 21, 2023
2:44 p.m. — Here's a wild stat: Patrick Mahomes has never lost a divisional round playoff game in his career to date. He'll be looking to keep that record intact today.
Saturday’s game will kick off at 4:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. local time) from Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.
The weather forecast calls for temperatures in the high 30s Fahrenheit with a wintry mix of precipitation possible throughout the afternoon. Winds will be relatively calm.
The game will be televised nationally on NBC. Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (color commentary) and Melissa Stark (sideline reporting) will be on the call from Arrowhead.
In Canada, the game will air on CTV.
Viewers in the United States can stream the game live on NBCSports.com, Peacock or fuboTV, which offers a free trial.
Canadian streamers can tune in with a subscription to DAZN, which includes every NFL game.
Saturday, Jan. 14 Matchup Result Seahawks at 49ers SF 41, SEA 23 Chargers at Jaguars JAC 31, LAC 30
Sunday, Jan. 15 Matchup Result Dolphins at Bills BUF 34, MIA 31 Giants at Vikings NYG 31, MIN 24 Ravens at Bengals CIN 24, BAL 17
Monday, Jan. 16 Matchup Result Cowboys at Buccaneers DAL 31, TB 14
Saturday, Jan. 21 Matchup Time (ET) TV channel Live stream Tickets Jaguars vs. Chiefs 4:30 p.m. NBC Peacock, fuboTV Buy tickets Giants vs. Eagles 8:15 p.m. Fox FoxSports.com, fuboTV Buy tickets
Sunday, Jan. 22 Matchup Time (ET) TV channel Live stream Tickets Bengals vs. Bills 3 p.m. CBS Paramount+, fuboTV Buy tickets Cowboys vs. 49ers 6:30 p.m. Fox FoxSports.com, fuboTV Buy tickets
Sunday, Jan. 29 Matchup Time (ET) TV channel Live stream Tickets NFC championship 3 p.m. Fox FoxSports.com, fuboTV Buy tickets AFC championship 6:30 p.m. CBS Paramount+, fuboTV Buy tickets
Sunday, Feb. 12 Matchup Time (ET) TV Live stream Tickets Super Bowl 57 6:30 p.m. Fox FoxSports.com, fuboTV Buy tickets