MIAMI: The Jacksonville Jaguars pulled off a exceptional playoff comeback, combating again from 27 issues down to overcome the Los Angeles Chargers 31-30 whilst rookie quarterback Brock Purdy led the San Francisco 49ers previous the Seattle Seahawks 41-23 within the NFL playoffs on Saturday.
A final 2d, 36-yard box objective from Riley Patterson finished an astonishing turnaround from the Jaguars, who had trailed 27-0 overdue in the second one quarter of the AFC wildcard conflict. It used to be the third-biggest comeback in NFL playoff historical past and got here after Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence persisted a nightmare first 1/2, throwing 4 interceptions.
“They couldn’t have written a greater script,” Lawrence mentioned. “We’re by no means out of the struggle.” The sport had the entire hallmarks of a blowout because the Chargers took good thing about Jacksonville’s turnovers, with a couple of dashing touchdowns within the first quarter from Austin Ekeler.
Asante Samuel had grabbed 3 of the choices for the Chargers, who prolonged their merit to 27-0 with Gerald Everett amassing a 9 backyard landing move from Justin Herbert and Cameron Dicker changing a 23-yard box objective.
“I used to be breaking, no longer a just right document within the first quarter, I had a few interceptions, we weren’t taking a look just right offensively however we simply saved believing in a single every other,” Lawrence mentioned. The Jags gave themselves some hope simply prior to the period with Lawrence discovering Evan Engram with a 9 backyard landing move, however there used to be no signal of what used to be to come back.
Jacksonville started the second one 1/2 with a 14-play, 89-yard pressure which ended with Lawrence discovering Marvin Jones within the nook of the tip zone. After a Cameron Dicker 50-yard box objective for the Chargers, Lawrence threw a 39-yard landing move to Zay Jones.
With 5:25 left within the fourth, Lawrence attached with Christian Kirk after which reached around the line for a two-point conversion. That left Jacksonville wanting only a box objective to finish the lovely end result and a ten-play, 61-yard pressure left Patterson to transform from 36-yards and activate the wild celebrations.
Purdy places nerves apart
San Francisco quarterback Purdy, who best took at the beginning function final month after harm to Jimmy Garoppolo, turned into the primary rookie quarterback with 3 landing passes and a dashing landing in a playoff sport. Striking any early nerves apart, Purdy threw for 332 yards and no interceptions whilst working again Christian McCaffrey rushed for 119 yards. The 49ers made a robust get started, opening up a 10-0 lead when McCaffrey rushed 3 yards into the tip zone to complete off a pressure that had noticed him produce a blistering 68-yard run.
Seattle spoke back early in the second one quarter with Kenneth Walker III’s seven-yard dashing TD. A 33-yard box objective from Robbie Gould for the 49ers made it 13-7, however Seattle were given themselves in entrance when quarterback Geno Smith discovered D.Okay. Metcalf with a 50-yard scoring move.
Any other Gould box objective restored San Francisco’s merit however then some ill-discipline from the generally rock forged Niners protection allowed the Seahawks to head in at half-time with a 17-16 lead. Smith used to be sliding when Jimmie Ward inexplicably dived right into a low take on conceding a 15-yard penalty that resulted in Jason Myers’s 56-yard box objective.
However San Francisco began the second one 1/2 in emphatic style with a 13-play pressure finishing in a quarterback sneak from Purdy. Smith used to be than sacked by means of Charles Omenihu with Nick Bosa recuperating the ball for a decisive turnover. Purdy attached with Jauan Jennings with a 33-yard move after which discovered Elijah Mitchell with a brief move which the working again took into the tip zone. The 49ers went for the two-point conversion, Purdy discovering tight-end George Kittle to make it 31-17.
Seattle fell additional in the back of after they left Deebo Samuel in acres of house to gather a move from Purdy and burst down the left for a 74-yard landing. When Smith used to be picked off by means of Deommodore Lenoir it used to be in every single place for a Seattle crew who had snuck into the playoffs when the Inexperienced Bay Packers misplaced their ultimate sport of the common season. – AFP