JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Mac Jones and the Jaguars defense are looking good against the Vikings.
Jones, who played his high school football just down the road from EverBank Stadium at Bolles, had a quarterback sneak for a touchdown as the Jaguars lead the Vikings 7-3 at the break.
Starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence was ruled out with a left shoulder injury, missing just the second game of his NFL career.
Jones is 8 of 12 passing for 73 yards and scored the lone touchdown on a 1-yard push in the first quarter to put Jacksonville in front 7-3.
The oft-criticized defense of Ryan Nielsen has come to play in the opening half. Foye Oluokun picked off a Sam Darnold tipped pass to wipe out one off Minnesota’s top drives of the half that went down to the Jaguars 30. Buster Brown made a diving interception in the end zone before halftime to kill another Vikings drive.
The Jaguars weren’t able to get anything out of those turnovers, punting it away both times.
Jones was acquired by the Jaguars in an offseason in a trade with the Patriots after his tenure there ended on a sour note. He was drafted to replace the iconic Tom Brady and delivered a playoff spot in his first season. But things spiraled from there and the Jaguars were glad to snag Jones as a low-risk reclamation project.
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