Jacksonville gets AFC South title, then gets blasted during road loss
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Less than halfway into the first quarter of their game Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, the Jaguars received good news:
The Tennessee Titans kept on losing.
The Jaguars clinched the AFC South title because of the Los Angeles Rams’ 27-23 win over the Titans in Nashville. The division title is the Jaguars’ first under the current alignment and their first of any kind since 1999 (AFC Central). The Jaguars responded by playing arguably their worst game of the year, falling 44-33 to the 49ers at Levi’s Stadium.
The Jaguars dug themselves a 16-point first half hole only to tie it by halftime. They took a 19-16 lead only to have Blake Bortles’ second interception lead to a 49ers touchdown and a 23-19 San Francisco lead.
Bortles was intercepted a season-high three times.
In the first half, San Francisco — which entered with a three-game winning streak — took the opening kickoff and marched 79 yards for a touchdown on Jimmy Garoppolo’s 1-yard rush.
After a Jaguars threeand-out, San Francisco moved 54 yards on nine plays before settling for Robbie Gould’s 27-yard field goal.
The 49ers outgained the Jaguars 157-29 in the first quarter. The Jaguars finally woke up moments after Bortles’ first Pick Six of the year — a 50-yard interception return by Dontae Johnson. Bortles had gone three games without an interception. On the ensuing point-after attempt, the Jaguars found life. Jalen Myrick blocked Gould’s kick and Aaron Colvin returned it for a defensive two-point conversion.
The Jaguars’ offense responded, cutting the lead to 16-9 on a 75-yard drive (Leonard Fournette oneyard touchdown) and, after a Barry Church end zone interception, an 80-yard drive (Jaelen Strong 5-yard catch on a pass that initially went through Fournette’s hands).
Josh Lambo’s 45-yard field goal gave the Jaguars their first lead (19-16 with 10:57 left in the third quarter), but it was short-lived.
Bortles’ second interception was by K’Waun Williams, who returned it to the 49ers’ 26-yard line. The 49ers re-took the lead on tight end George Kittle’s 8-yard touchdown catch.
San Francisco was on the move during a drive bridging the third and fourth quarters, gifted 30 yards on penalties by the Jaguars’ Myles Jack (taunting) and Yannick Ngakoue (unsportsmanlike conduct). Later in the drive, a Dante Fowler holding call on third down gave the 49ers a free set of downs. Garoppolo side-armed a 5-yard touchdown pass to receiver Trent Taylor for a 30-19 lead with 10:39 remaining.
Bortles’ third interception allowed San Francisco to stretch its lead to 37-19. The Jags closed to 37-27 with 2:17 remaining on T.J. Yeldon’s 1-yard TD and then recovered the onside kick and James O’Shaughnessy’s 11-yard touchdown catch with 1:50 remaining made it 37-33.