Lawrence rallies Jaguars from 27 down to beat Chargers in historic NFL playoff comeback

Trevor Lawrence followed four interceptions with four touchdown passes — one of the most improbable turnarounds in NFL post-season history — and rallied the Jacksonville Jaguars to a 31-30 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday night.

Lawrence engineered the winning drive, highlighted by Travis Etienne's 25-yard run on a fourth-and-1 play, and put the Jaguars in position for Riley Patterson's 36-yard field goal on the final play. It capped a 27-point comeback, the third largest in playoff history.

Patterson's kick barely stayed inside the right upright and set off a raucous celebration for a franchise that had won just four games the previous two years.

Lawrence was downright dreadful to begin Jacksonville's first playoff game since losing in the 2017 AFC title game. He became the third quarterback in the Super Bowl era to throw four interceptions in the first half of a playoff game, joining Detroit's Gary Danielson and Denver's Craig Morton.

The Jaguars became the first team in the Super Bowl era to win a playoff game with a turnover differential of minus-5 or worse. Teams with that margin had been 0-19.

Lawrence misfired early and often and started getting booed long before halftime. His confidence seemed shot. His swagger appeared gone. All the progress he made in his first season with coach Doug Pederson looked like it would be flushed in the team's finale.

But Lawrence never wavered. He connected with Evan Engram, Marvin Jones, Zay Jones and Christian Kirk for touchdowns that increasingly raised the team's belief in its quarterback and its comeback.

Lawrence added one of the biggest plays when he jumped for a 2-point conversion with 5:25 to play that made it 30-28 — and put the Jaguars in position to win instead of tie.

Jacksonville's defence responded by sacking Justin Herbert and then forcing a punt. Lawrence took over from there.

It looked like it would be the third time this season that Walker had a costly penalty late in a game.

He was flagged for roughing the passer on a third-and-12 play — an incomplete pass — that helped Indianapolis beat Jacksonville in Week 6. A week earlier, he tossed Houston quarterback Davis Mills to the ground long after the whistle, drawing a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness and turning a third-and-20 play into a first down. Houston found the end zone seven plays later and won.

Chargers receiver DeAndre Carter and left tackle Jamaree Salyer left the game with ankle injuries. Chargers cornerback Michael Davis left with a pectoral muscle injury. Lawrence cut the tip of his left thumb in the fourth but wrapped it up and played on.

Jaguars await their road divisional opponent, which likely will be top-seeded Kansas City next weekend. Kansas City won their regular-season meeting.

Purdy's 4 TDs help 49ers defeat Seahawks

Brock Purdy threw three touchdown passes and ran for a fourth score in his playoff debut, leading the San Francisco 49ers to a 41-23 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in a wild-card game on Saturday.

Purdy picked up where he left off in the regular season for the 49ers (14-4) and showed few signs of playoff jitters by winning his sixth straight start since replacing an injured Jimmy Garoppolo early in a Week 13 win over Miami.

The Niners advanced to the divisional round where they will host either Minnesota, Tampa Bay or Dallas next weekend.

The Niners broke it open when Deebo Samuel took a short pass from Purdy and raced in for a 74-yard score.

Purdy threw for 332 yards — the second most ever for a rookie in the playoffs to Russell Wilson's 385 in a loss to Atlanta 10 years ago — and he became the first rookie QB ever to account for four TDs in a playoff game.

The Seahawks (9-9) kept it close for most of three quarters before a strip sack by Charles Omenihu late in the third quarter spoiled a red zone drive.

Purdy then hit Jauan Jennings on a 33-yard pass to set up the TD pass to Mitchell that broke the game open. Purdy tied an NFL record for rookies set by Justin Herbert with his seventh straight game with multiple TD passes.

San Francisco piled on from there.

The loss brought a disappointing end to a surprising season for the Seahawks, who got into the playoffs on the final weekend in their first season after trading away Wilson.

Geno Smith stepped in admirably, throwing 30 TD passes in the regular season and keeping it close for a while in the playoff game thanks to a 50-yard TD pass to DK Metcalf in the first half.

Smith finished 25 for 35 for 253 yards, two TDs and one interception.

The Niners raced out to a 10-0 lead after two possessions getting a field goal on the opening drive and then a 3-yard pass from Purdy to McCaffrey following McCaffrey's 68-yard run on the second possession.

The Seahawks took a 17-16 lead into the half thanks to a bonehead play by Niners safety Jimmie Ward. Smith scrambled 9 yards to his own 47 with 1 second left in the half, but Ward hit him late after he started sliding.

The 15-yard penalty moved the ball to the San Francisco 38 and Jason Myers made a 56-yard field goal to make it 17-16 at the half.

Seattle became the third team since the start of the 2000 post-season to lead at the half in a playoff game after trailing by at least 10 at the end of the first quarter.

Seahawks LB Darrell Taylor (neck stinger) left the game in the first half.

The 49ers could face the Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round.

WATCH | NFL players, fans show support for Hamlin:

NFL players, fans show their support for Damar Hamlin

2 years ago

Duration 2:04

Less than a week after Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest during a game, fans and players showed their support for him and his recovery at NFL stadiums across the U.S.