By Gary Gramling, Zack Rosenblatt and Denny Alfonso

The Athletic has live coverage of NFL Week 15.

The Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday did exactly what competent teams are supposed to do against inferior competition: seize control early and never let go. The Jaguars led the New York Jets 14-0 before the game was nine minutes old, carrying a commanding 31–10 lead into halftime en route to a 48-20 rout at Jacksonville.

New York had no answers for the Jaguars’ play-action game or for Travis Etienne as a receiver out of the backfield (three catches, 73 yards, three touchdowns). The result was Jacksonville’s third straight home win by at least 17 points. The victory keeps the Jaguars (10-4) alone atop the AFC South, a reflection of both their consistency and their growing offensive polish.

Trevor Lawrence was sharp throughout, passing for 330 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions. His early scramble for a touchdown and a perfectly dropped 33-yard throw on third-and-long late in the second quarter highlighted his command of the offense.

A bizarre sequence deep in Jacksonville territory briefly caused concern — a botched motion call led to chaos, an odd spike as the whistle blew, and Lawrence appearing to injure his right index finger while trying to recover a non-fumble. Though he finished the half flexing a taped finger, Lawrence showed no lingering effects. His comfort level has been further enhanced by the November arrival of Jakobi Meyers, who caught five passes for 71 tards.

On the other sideline, the Jets hit a new low defensively. Jacksonville scored on eight of its first nine possessions, carving up a depleted secondary while facing virtually no pass rush. The Jaguars finished with five passing touchdowns and zero interceptions. While personnel issues are real, the breakdowns were too frequent — and too fundamental — to excuse, putting added scrutiny on defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. Offensively, rookie quarterback Brady Cook offered flashes in his first start, including a crisp first-quarter touchdown drive, but costly interceptions before halftime and late in the fourth quarter underscored how far the Jets have to go.

TCOB in Duval

Good teams beat the opponents they’re supposed to beat, and the Jaguars did not waste time in separating themselves from the overmatched Jets. They won the coin toss, chose to receive, and were up 14-0 less than nine minutes into the game and 31-10 at halftime. The Jets had no answer for the Jaguars’ play-action passing game or Etienne working out of the backfield. This is the third consecutive home game the Jaguars have won by 17 or more points.

With the victory, the Jaguars maintain their one-game lead in the AFC South. According to The Athletic’s Playoff Simulator, they have a 44 percent chance of hosting a playoff game on wild-card weekend, and a 12 percent chance of earning a first-round bye. — Gary Gramling, NFL Managing Editor.

Trevor’s finger

Lawrence was near-flawless operating in-structure and sprinkled in some improvisational play-making (like a third-and-long scramble for a touchdown in the first quarter, or his bailout, roll left, and perfectly lofted ball for 33 yards on another third-and-long late in the second quarter). The only issue on Sunday: The Jaguars’ homage to The Keystone Cops on their fourth drive, a series of events that nearly ended in disaster. On third-and-12 from their own 8, Lawrence signaled for someone on his right to motion across the formation, only for both Meyers and Quintin Morris to both take him up on it.

The operation was a disaster and a procedure penalty coming, Lawrence took the shotgun snap and immediately spiked it into the ground, but then, for some reason, panicked and scrambled to recover the ball as if it was a fumble (it was not — in fact, Lawrence was erroneously flagged for intentional grounding on the play). In trying to recover the ball, it appeared Lawrence’s right index finger was stepped on. He came out with a tape wrap on his finger, which he continued to flex as the first half wore on, but it turns out he was no worse for the wear. — Gramling.

Meyers magic

Meyers was the trade deadline’s most impactful acquisition, providing the kind of versatile, cerebral pass-catcher this offense desperately needed. There hasn’t been much time for Lawrence and Meyers to build chemistry, but it hasn’t mattered — Meyers’ instincts, ability to align anywhere and body language as a route runner make him a quarterback’s dream and a perfect security blanket for Lawrence, something he’d never had in an NFL wideout. This Jaguars offense made huge strides this season as far as in-structure operation goes in large part due to Liam Coen’s play-calling, but the arrival of Meyers has elevated their execution to a whole new level — the kind of development they need if they’re going to advance in the playoffs. His box-score numbers aren’t particularly gaudy, but Meyers has established himself as a player Jacksonville must re-sign this upcoming offseason. — Gramling

. @cameronglittle made his 50th career field goal in today’s game and became the youngest player in NFL history to reach the milestone (22 years, 119 days).#ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/JNvpGEyinp

— JaguarsPR (@JaguarsPR) December 14, 2025

Jets defense hits rock bottom in Jacksonville

The Jets’ defensive performance is reaching the realm of some of the worst defenses this franchise has ever seen — and that’s saying something. If Aaron Glenn wasn’t sure about what he should do with defensive coordinator Wilks, perhaps Sunday’s embarrassing performance against the Jaguars will do the trick. For the first time since 2021, the Jets allowed more than 40 points — and Jacksonville scored on eight of their first nine possessions.

The tackling was terrible, Lawrence diced up the Jets’ banged-up secondary with ease (five touchdown passes, zero picks) and there was no pass rush to speak of (they had zero sacks and two QB hits by the time the Jaguars scored to go up 48-20). It would be fair to point out the talent level has taken a hit on defense, but that doesn’t excuse things — especially since players like linebacker Quincy Williams, defensive end Will McDonald and cornerback Brandon Stephens were among the biggest culprits in the Jets’ worst moments in Jacksonville. Wilks has been one-and-done as a defensive coordinator multiple times in his coaching career, and he might be headed that way again. — Zack Rosenblatt, senior Jets writer

Brady Cook’s debut offers hope, not results

Cook’s final numbers in his first career start weren’t particularly impressive, but Cook showed enough that it should allow the Jets to wonder if he’s a prospect worth developing as a long-term backup for whoever they add in the upcoming NFL Draft — assuming they add a rookie quarterback. Cook authored an impressive scoring in the first quarter, capped by a perfectly placed 9-yard touchdown pass to Adonai Mitchell.

The touchdown brought the score to 14-7 — making it seem, if even for a brief moment, that the Jets had a shot at keeping things close against the Jaguars. He did throw an interception before halftime, though the pick was an impressive play on the ball by Jaguars defensive back Montaric Brown. His interception in the fourth quarter was less forgivable, a ball floated to Jaguars defensive back Ventrel Miller in the end zone at the end of what should’ve been another touchdown drive. Call it a rookie mistake — a brutal one. — Rosenblatt