JOHN LAMBO’S 30-yard field goal in OT lifts Jaguars.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Josh Lambo made a 30-yard field goal with 3:12 remaining in overtime, giving the Jacksonville Jaguars a 20-17 victory against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
Adrian Phillips tipped Lambo’s kick at the line of scrimmage, but it still cleared the crossbar. The former Chargers kicker ran the other way and took a soccer slide near midfield before getting mobbed by teammates.
The kick gave Jacksonville its first three-game winning streak since 2013 and ended a six-game losing streak in the series.
The game went to overtime after a wild and wacky final two minutes of regulation that included a fumble, two interceptions, a taunting penalty and a costly flag for roughing the passer. At times, it looked as if neither team wanted to win.
“If any of those things, half of those things, happen two years ago, we fold and it’s over,” Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles said. “The guys we have in the locker room that we have now, the leadership, for guys to be able to overcome adversity, overcome mistakes, overcome turnovers and lead us and do all that is pretty impressive.”
After all the chaos, Lambo drilled a 34-yard field goal to send it to the extra period.
“We’ve lost some close games this year, but that’s the first time that we’ve lost one like that,” Chargers Coach Anthony Lynn said. “To me, that was inexcusable. We had opportunities to win that game on the road, and we didn’t finish plays. We had a couple of guys do some dumb things.”
Lynn was clearly frustrated with safety Tre Boston, who inexcusably ran out of bounds at the Jaguars 10-yard line following his second interception in the final minutes of regulation. Jacksonville had three timeouts and got the ball back in good field position.
“Never seen it before,” Lynn said.
The Jaguars (6-3) punted to start overtime, but the Chargers (3-6) gave it right back — along with the game. A.J. Bouye wrestled a deep pass away from Travis Benjamin on third down and returned it to the 2-yard line. A taunting call on cornerback Aaron Colvin pushed the Jaguars back 15 yards, but still well within Lambo’s range.
“I put an O-lineman on his (butt) on that play and I was just talking trash,” Colvin said. “I didn’t feel what I did was that bad, but I can’t do that. I essentially could have cost my team the game. It won’t happen again, it’s the first time it happened. It’ll be the last time it happens. It’s the last time you’ll see something like that from me.”
Colvin’s penalty was just the last in a crazy series of poor decisions for both teams. Jaguars receiver Marqise Lee was called for taunting, which left the Jaguars facing a thirdand-25 scenario. Bortles overthrew Lee on the ensuing play and was picked off for the second time.
“I can’t throw those balls,” Bortles said.
The Chargers had their own issues.
Rookie Austin Ekeler, filling in for hobbled starter Melvin Gordon, fumbled while trying to run out the clock with a three-point lead. The Jaguars appeared to return it for a touchdown, but safety Tashaun Gipson was ruled down after a replay review. Bortles’ second interception allowed the Chargers to get away with that miscue, but Joey Bosa’s penalty for unnecessary roughness proved more costly.
Instead of forcing Lambo to make a long-range kick, those 15 yards made it more like an extra point.
“I’m exhausted right now,” Jaguars Coach Doug Marrone said. “I’m shot.”