Jags miss playoffs with loss, hand AFC South to Texans
The Houston Texans earned the AFC South title after the Jacksonville Jaguars lost to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday to miss out on the playoffs.
The Jaguars attempted a late comeback after being down 15 points early in the third quarter but ultimately fell short to suffer their fifth defeat in their last six games.
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw a touchdown at the start of the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to eight points. Then the defense intercepted Titans passer Ryan Tannehill to set the offense back up just outside the red zone.
However, Lawrence failed to score on a fourth-and-goal sneak, coming inches short while attempting to reach over to break the plane.
TItans get the goal line stop on 4th & Goal!
- NFL (@NFL) January 7, 2024
: #JAXvsTEN on CBS
: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/X0vcyHUoyR pic.twitter.com/xj9kQgMSoq
The Jaguars got the ball back again with just over two minutes remaining but failed on fourth down again to seal their loss.
Jags can't convert on 4th down! Titans win! #JAXvsTEN pic.twitter.com/GIbjvn1JJA
- NFL (@NFL) January 7, 2024
The Texans edged the Indianapolis Colts in a win-or-go-home game Saturday, clinching at least a wild-card spot with their 10th victory of the season. But the Jaguars could've booked their postseason ticket and won the division crown if they'd beaten the Titans.
Jacksonville's loss also secured playoff berths for the Pittsburgh Steelers - who beat the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday - and the Buffalo Bills, who play the Miami Dolphins on Sunday night in an AFC East title decider.
Houston's division crown completes a stunning one-year turnaround with rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud and rookie head coach DeMeco Ryans. The Texans finished last in the AFC South last season with a 3-13-1 record.
Meanwhile, Jacksonville misses the playoffs after winning the division last season in head coach Doug Pederson's first year in charge.
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