Jaguars vs. Titans: Why Did Trevor Lawrence's 4th-Down QB Sneak Fail?

Why did the Jaguars fail to punch it in from the one-yard line in the fourth quarter of the game?

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be replaying 4th-and-Goal in Nashville until next September. 

With the season on the line, the Jaguars needed a yard in a 28-20 game. A touchdown would give them a chance to tie the Tennessee Titans with roughly seven minutes to go, giving them a chance to hold onto their AFC South crown. 

And, much like many times before, the ball ended up in Trevor Lawrence's hands. The difference was that this time, he didn't come through.

Lawrence took his leap and extended to the very last inch, but he was stopped at the one-inch line. The Jaguars never got that close again.

"Yeah, Trevor's trying to make play. Obviously, he had success in the past on it, just came up inches short. But you can't fault him for trying to make a play," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said after the Week 18 loss, which knocked the Jaguars out of the playoffs. 

"He saw something that wasn't the actual play call. But if he saw something there and he had an opportunity to sneak it with his length, usually that works."

This isn't the first time Lawrence has called his own number at the one-yard line. Even dating back to last year, Lawrence has been efficient, effective and reliable when asked to stretch the ball over the goal line in goal-to-go situations. 

This time, though, he wasn't. And this time, the Jaguars saw their season end as a result. 

"It’s one of those plays like we’ve talked about. We’ve scored on it four or five times, we didn’t on that one. So, it's unfortunate and it's something I can learn from," Lawrence said. 

"Maybe that situation, you just let play ride and hope you get in and let the guys up front do their job and the running backs and all that, and don't try to take that into my own hands. That's something I got to watch it and make that decision."

Both the fourth-down decision and the third-down play-call, which was a Lawrence incompletion on play-action when there was no open receiver, will be magnified and examined until the next time the Jaguars take the field. Such is the nature of the sport.

"But it’s done now. I made a decision and they trust me with those things and they work. I’ve got to take accountability for that. At the end of the day, that’s on me," Lawrence said. 

"What I decide to do and if we don’t get in, that’s one of those plays if you do it, you better score and I didn’t. So it’s unfortunate."