Mason Crosby bounced back from three successive missed potential game-winning field goals to kick the Green Bay Packers to a dramatic victory over the Cincinnati Bengals by finding his calm amid a remarkable finish.
Crosby missed from 36 yards and 51 yards either side of Bengals kicker Evan McPherson failing from 57 yards and then, following a Joe Burrow interception that put the Packers deep in Cincinnati territory, sent a 40-yard effort wide left in overtime.
However, McPherson was no good from 49 yards in the extra period as Cincinnati wasted another chance to bring an absorbing battle of 3-1 teams to a close, and Crosby did not spurn his fourth opportunity from the same distance to seal a 25-22 triumph for Green Bay.
Speaking to Peter King for his Football Morning in America column after the game, Crosby said: "Sounds boring, but I've been in it for a long time, and make or miss, you move to the next one.
"You kinda go through the process for a play or two and then you have to reload. When [head coach] Matt [LaFleur] came right down to me he just said, 'What are you thinking?' And of course, I wanted to kick it.
"It's my job. I just keep resetting. I haven't missed many kicks the last few years. Unfortunately, it came in a little bit of a cluster here, but I know my ability and when everything is smooth and good, we go out there and execute.
"It was another opportunity. Just couldn't believe with how crazy this game was that we had another chance.
"But when there's chaos, when the challenge gets even higher and the pressure gets greater, you have to find that calm.
"I'm able to do that. I want to be out there. If you get too high, you won't find that calm."
While the game will ultimately be remembered for the kicking misadventures of Crosby and McPherson, there was history for Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers' touchdown pass to Davante Adams in the second quarter saw him go outright fifth on the all-time list with 422 for his illustrious career, moving him ahead of Philip Rivers.
He will hope to add to that tally when the 4-1 Packers visit the 3-2 Chicago Bears on Sunday.
Jaguars QB Lawrence has high-ankle sprain, status for Week 14 uncertain
Trevor Lawrence sustained a right high-ankle sprain in Monday's night's 34-31 overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Jaguars coach Doug Person revealed the diagnosis while talking to reporters Tuesday.
"Everything is stable," Pederson said. "Everything looks good and we'll see where he is in a couple of days."
Jacksonville visits the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, and Pederson didn't rule out Lawrence from playing.
"I'm not going to put that timetable on Trevor, not going to put him in a box like that," Pederson said.
Lawrence was injured with about five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter when his his right leg bent awkwardly after being stepped on by teammate Walker Little as he was sacked. He went to the ground in obvious pain and needed to be helped off the field. X-rays taken at Jacksonville's stadium were negative.
"The one last night looked worse than what it really was - very fortunate there," Pederson said. "But he seems to have a little bit of a knack (for avoiding serious injury)."
If he can't play, it would be the first game the durable Lawrence would miss since the Jaguars selected him No. 1 overall in the 2021 NFL draft.
Backup C.J. Beathard would then make his 13th career start - and first since Week 17 of the 2020 season for the San Francisco 49ers. He is 2-10 as a starter in the NFL.
Replacing Lawrence on Monday, Beathard completed 9-of-10 passes for 63 yards.
"It's good to get C.J. a full week of preparation," Pederson said. "Trevor will stay mentally sharp and obviously see where he's at."
Lawrence was enjoying another showing before the injury, completing 22-of-29 passes for 258 yards with a pair of touchdowns.
In 12 games this season, he has 3,004 passing yards with 14 passing touchdowns and seven interceptions.
While Lawrence's status is uncertain, Pederson announced that top wide receiver Christian Kirk will be sidelined for "some time" due to a core muscle injury that will likely require surgery.
Kirk, who was injured on the first play from scrimmage against the Bengals, leads Jacksonville with 787 receiving yards on 57 receptions with three touchdown catches.
With Monday's loss, the Jaguars dropped to 8-4 and their lead atop the AFC South shrunk to one game over the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans.
The Cincinnati Bengals stunned the Jacksonville Jaguars 34-31 on the back of kicker Evan McPherson’s overtime field goal.
In just his second career start, Bengals quarterback Jake Browning threw for 354 yards and a touchdown while his counterpart Trevor Lawrence left the field late in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury.
The Jaguars opened the scoring in the first quarter through running back Travis Etienne Jr before Cincinnati equalised at the start of the second with a six-yard touchdown run from Joe Mixon.
A touchdown to Jacksonville’s Evan Engram and Mixon finding the end zone for his second saw the half-time score even at 14-14.
Momentum continued to shift after the break, Cincinatti briefly taking the lead before the Jaguars entered the fourth quarter with a seven-point advantage.
The Bengals levelled again through a one-yard touchdown run from Browning and took the lead on a 54-yard field goal with just two minutes and 28 seconds on the clock.
The Cincinnati defence was almost able to wrap things up in regulation, but Jaguars kicker Brandon McManus was forced overtime in the final 30 seconds.
With Lawrence out of the game, the Bengals were ultimately able to claim their sixth win of the season through McPherson’s 48-yard conversion.
Free agent LB Leonard signs with Eagles
Shaquille Leonard has found a new home.
The free agent linebacker agreed to a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday.
The 28-year-old had also met with the Dallas Cowboys, but ultimately decided to join the reigning NFC champions.
The Eagles, who visit the Cowboys on Sunday, suddenly need to shore up their defence after surrendering 456 yards in yesterday's 42-19 drubbing by the San Francisco 49ers in the highly anticipated NFC championship game rematch.
Since Week 11, Philadelphia is 31st in rushing defence, permitting an average of 162.3 yards per game on the ground after boasting the league's top-ranked rushing defence prior to its Week 10 bye, yielding 66.3 rushing yards per game.
The hope is Leonard, who was surprisingly waived by the Indianapolis Colts on November 21, can recapture the play that made him one of the top defenders in the league.
Leonard was voted to the AP All-Pro team as a rookie in 2018, then again in 2020 and 2021, but his injuries limited him to just three games last season and his production has dropped significantly.
After spending his first six seasons in Indianapolis, he was then cut by the Colts last month after complaining about his lack of playing time.
He had started the first nine games of the season for Indianapolis, registering 65 tackles with two going for loss.
In 70 career games, Leonard has 15 sacks, 12 interceptions, 17 forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
