JACKSONVILLE – Senior writer John Oehser, senior correspondent Brian Sexton and team reporter Kainani Stevens offer quick thoughts on the Jaguars’ 31-28 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in a 2025 Week 5 game at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville Monday.

John Oehser, Jaguars Senior Writer…

1. Wow. Just wow. This is one of the biggest, most-memorable regular-season victories in Jaguars history – and perhaps one of its most important. The Jaguars' third consecutive victory and their first over the Chiefs since 2009 was that big. It was that improbable. It was that dramatic. And that memorable. The Jaguars not only rallied for a last-minute victory over the three-time defending AFC Champions, they became the first team in 24 games to beat the Chiefs after the Chiefs led by 14 or more points. The Jaguars did what they have done throughout the first five games of the season, playing with guts and effort and belief. They not only rallied from the original 14-point deficit, they rallied again from a 28-24 deficit after the Chiefs took that lead with 1:45 remaining. This is the sort of game the Chiefs win. That's how you play in five Super Bowls in six seasons. This is the sort of game the Jaguars in recent seasons have lost – either in blowout fashion or falling just short. Not this team. If you've been saying "Same Old Jags," it's time to stop already. "Kansas City has been the team to beat over I don't know how many years, and they're still a great team," linebacker Devin Lloyd said. "For us to win this on Monday Night Football is a big win for this organization." Make no mistake: This Jaguars team is good. They win close games. They beat good, traditional teams. Welcome to this new era. This is fun stuff.
2. Credit T-Law. This wasn't perfection for Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, but perfection isn't needed in the NFL. Clutch plays in big moments win, as do guts and resiliency – and Lawrence had plenty of the latter two on Monday. He not only threw for a touchdown, he ran for two more – including the 1-yard game-winner with :23 remaining when he fell after guard Patrick Mekari stepped on his foot at the snap. He got up, slipped again and broke two tackles before scoring on one of the most unlikely, crazy, memorable plays in franchise history. But it was what Lawrence did before that – running for a 10-yard touchdown to tie the game, then throwing clutch passes of 33 yards to wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. and 13 yards to wide receiver Dyami Brownon the game-winning drive – that made this game notable for Lawrence. "He wasn't going to lose," Head Coach Liam Coen said. "Yeah, it was a goofy finish, but what a tough moment for him. That's what it comes down to. He wasn't going to lose. He made an unbelievable individual effort that hopefully can continue to springboard us." A huge game for Lawrence. Good for him.

Brian Sexton, Senior Correspondent…

1. Trevor Lawrence, take a bow. Your game-winning touchdown perfectly exemplified your evening: Big mistakes followed by spectacular plays that kept fans seesawing back and forth for nearly three hours. When you fell, it felt like there was no way you were going to pull off the win and yet you got to your feet and stumbled through the bodies willing yourself forward with every single step. It was a breathtaking moment as we watched you cross the goal line, in the process displaying the grit and determination to win we hadn't seen. It felt like a coming-of-age moment for a quarterback who has had to fight through an ocean of adversity in five seasons – and that you did it following Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes' go-ahead touchdown drive made it even more spectacular. Congratulations on making a believer out of so many people.
2. A statement win for the Jaguars. The Chiefs were motivated to prove they were still the big dogs in the AFC. They watched the Los Angeles Chargers lose on Sunday and believed the AFC West still belonged to them. They saw the Buffalo Bills go down to the New England Patriots and knew their name was still on the AFC as it has been for so many years. The Jaguars battled a proud champion and got up off the mat down 14-0 and battled back for a 21-14 lead. They fell behind in the final two minutes and wouldn't be denied the chance to deliver a knock-out blow of their own ... and they did. It feels like this team just pulled itself up and out of the muck of losing that has held them for so many seasons and now can rightfully claim to be a team to be reckoned with in the AFC.

Kainani Stevens, Jaguars Team Reporter/Producer ...

1. Trevor Lawrence matures right before our eyes and gets an impressive win on his 26th Birthday. Early in the game against the Chiefs, Lawrence looked to be falling into some old, bad habits: A pass attempt past the line of scrimmage, running into his own lineman trying to scramble and another frustrating dive at the goal line that resulted in a fumble. However, a true sign of growth in Lawrence was his resilience in the second half and the final touchdown of the game. Lawrence tripped up not once but twice on the 1-yard line but never gave up on the play and ended up running it in for the game-winning score. That wasn't how it was drawn up, but the perseverance not to give up on the play won the Jags the game. A statement victory for Jacksonville in prime time.
2. Jacksonville stars shine under the bright lights. Monday Night Football brings great opportunity for exposure in front of a national audience. For Jaguars players, this was their only appearance in prime time this season. The much-anticipated rookie season of wide receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter has had a few marquee moments but none of them bigger than his third-quarter catch Monday night. The rookie receiver went up and over two Chiefs defenders and came down with the ball for a massive 44-yard catch. The Jags defense got in on the highlight plays as well as linebacker Devin Lloyd intercepted Mahomes near the goal line and ran 99 yards for the score. Lloyd won AFC Defensive Player of the Month for September and is clearly continuing to make big plays one week into October. Those are two plays that should make the rounds on highlight shows and social media for the foreseeable future.