Monday Night Football delivered a wild finish in Week 5 of the 2025 NFL season, as the Jacksonville Jaguars stunned the Kansas City Chiefs with a 31-28 victory that left fans buzzing and analysts recalibrating the AFC pecking order. It was a night of resilience, redemption, and record-breaking moments at Arrowhead, where two of the league’s brightest young quarterbacks went toe-to-toe in a game that will be talked about for years.
The Jaguars, led by Trevor Lawrence on his 26th birthday, overcame an early 14-point deficit to snap the Chiefs’ remarkable 23-game winning streak when leading by 14 or more points—a run that dated back to the 2021 AFC Championship Game. For Jacksonville, this wasn’t just another regular-season win; it was a statement that the team is ready to be taken seriously as a legitimate AFC contender.
It didn’t look promising for the visitors at the outset. The Chiefs, always dangerous at home, struck first with a touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes to Travis Kelce. The play was not without controversy—JuJu Smith-Schuster appeared to interfere with a Jaguars defender, but officials picked up the flag, ruling that the contact occurred within a yard of the line of scrimmage. Just like that, the Chiefs were up 7-0.
Jacksonville’s response was nearly immediate, but heartbreakingly close. On fourth-and-goal from the one, Lawrence attempted a quarterback sneak but lost control of the ball inches before crossing the plane. The Chiefs capitalized, embarking on a 97-yard drive capped by a Mahomes touchdown run, stretching the lead to 14-0. The Jaguars, getting their closeup on national television, suddenly found themselves in a deep hole.
But if there’s one thing this Jacksonville squad has shown under first-year head coach Liam Coen, it’s resilience. Lawrence found Parker Washington for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 14-7 by halftime. Early in the second half, rookie receiver Travis Hunter made his presence felt with a spectacular 44-yard grab in traffic. That highlight set up a Lawrence touchdown run, knotting the score at 14 apiece and shifting the momentum.
The game’s turning point came moments later. Mahomes, usually so surgical in the red zone, failed to spot Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd lurking near the goal line. Lloyd snatched the pass and sprinted 99 yards for a stunning pick-six, sending the Jacksonville sideline into a frenzy and giving the Jaguars a 21-14 lead. According to ESPN, it was the kind of defensive play that can swing entire seasons.
Still, the Chiefs weren’t done. Despite a costly interception from Lawrence deep in Chiefs territory, Jacksonville regained the lead with a Cam Little field goal to make it 24-21. Mahomes, ever the magician, responded with a wild escape on a would-be sack and orchestrated a drive deep into Jaguars territory, culminating in a 2-yard Kareem Hunt touchdown run. With just 1:45 remaining, Kansas City led 28-24 and seemed poised to add another chapter to their legend of late-game heroics.
But on this night, it was Lawrence’s turn to shine. With no timeouts and the clock ticking down, the Jaguars’ quarterback engineered a drive that will be etched in franchise lore. On the decisive play, disaster nearly struck—Lawrence was tripped by his own lineman, tumbled to the turf, and scrambled to his feet with defenders closing in. "It was panic, sheer panic on the ground trying to [get up]," Lawrence told ESPN in a postgame interview. "We didn’t have any timeouts, I got stepped on coming out. I was like, ‘I gotta get up.’ And I was just going to throw it out of bounds to stop the clock." Instead, Lawrence kept his wits, found a crease, and sprinted 10 yards into the end zone for the game-winning score with just 23 seconds left.
Jacksonville’s defense then held firm, sealing a 31-28 victory that improved the Jaguars’ record to 4-1. For a team that had been searching for a signature win, this was it. "I mean, we feel like we are [a contender] so I don’t think it’s a bad thing, but we’ve got a long season. ... But you don’t listen to the outside noise and not many of those people were around at the beginning of the season. So it’s really about the guys in that locker room, the staff, coach, all the people that put the work in and we have that confidence and belief. That’s what matters," Lawrence said, per Mike DiRocco of ESPN.
Rookie Travis Hunter, who finished with three touches for 64 yards including that pivotal 44-yard reception, is quickly becoming a key weapon in Coen’s offense. The coaching staff has already acknowledged the need to get him more involved as the season progresses. On the defensive side, Lloyd’s 99-yard interception return was not only a personal highlight but a team-defining moment that shifted the game’s trajectory.
For the Chiefs, the loss is a bitter pill. Kansas City has now dropped three one-score games to start the season, a far cry from their usual reputation as closers. Mahomes was candid about the team’s struggles: "We have the guys, and we’ve executed at certain points in games and looked really good, but we crush ourselves with penalties and mistakes. We’ve done that to ourselves all season long. It’s been one guy here or there. In this league, it’s so close that those [moments] change games," he told Nate Taylor. The Chiefs’ aura of invincibility in tight contests has taken a hit, and opposing teams may no longer fear the late-game magic that defined last year’s run.
This victory also has historical resonance for Jacksonville. The Chiefs’ 23-game streak when leading by two touchdowns or more was the longest active run in the NFL. Snapping it on national television, in such dramatic fashion, is a testament to the Jaguars’ progress and their belief in themselves under Coen’s leadership.
Looking ahead, the Jaguars will try to keep their momentum rolling as they host the Seattle Seahawks next Sunday. For the Chiefs, a prime-time showdown with the Detroit Lions looms—a chance to right the ship, but also a test against another surging opponent.
As the dust settles on a memorable Monday night, one thing is clear: The Jaguars have arrived, and the AFC playoff picture just got a whole lot more interesting. With Lawrence’s poise, a playmaking defense, and a rookie sensation in Travis Hunter, Jacksonville fans have every reason to dream big this season.
