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Jaguars end season with resounding victory

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Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Keelan Cole hauls in a 45-yard pass from quarterback Gardner Minshew II in the second quarter of Sunday's season finale at T.I.A.A. Bank Field. Making the tackle is Indianapolis Colts cornerback Rock Ya-Sin. By Mark Blumenthal JACKSONVILLE -- Calais Campbell couldn't contain his huge smile in the locker room after the final Jacksonville Jaguars season came to an end. For the first time since 2011, the Jaguars ended the regular season on a high note as the put up their highest-scoring total of the season in a 38-20 romp over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday to end the season at 6-10, while ruining the Colts' chances of a possible playoff position. "I told the guys this is something that we can build off of," Campbell said after scoring a touchdown on a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter. "There is a lot of character being built this season and if we can arness that in the offseason, then I know this team can be ...

NFL Power Rankings (After Week 16)

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Well thanks to Seattle's loss to Arizona, there are changes near the top of this week's NFL Power Rankings. Everyone behind the Seahawks moved up one place and the Seahawks slipped all the way back to No. 6 (can't lose to the Cardinals trying to find an identity for 2020). Both New England (No. 7) and Houston (No. 8) moved up two spots and Buffalo and Minnesota also tumble. No new teams made the Top 10 this week ... really, none deserving of the honor! 1. (1 last week/7 weeks at No. 1) Baltimore (13-2): Doesn't matter what you put in front of Lamar Jackson and Co., not even the "best" team on paper to start the season in the AFC North, the Cleveland Browns. Ravens won, 31-15. We've been regretting that selection of the Browns for AFC North champs for a long while now. 2. (3) San Francisco (12-3): With the postseason coming, it was a good test for the 49ers to find out if they had the right stuff against the soon-to-be-former defending NFC champion L...

NFL Power Rankings (After Week 15)

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Another week went by and not a whole lot happened except Seattle and San Francisco swapped spots on the dance floor and New England reappeared at No. 9 as did Houston at No. 10, while Tennessee and Pittsburgh waved bye-bye to us. And in other news, Baltimore is No. 1 in the power rankings for the sixth consecutive week. Here's the rankings: 1 (1 last week) Baltimore (12-2): Ravens spoke early in the Week 15 competition with a resounding 42-21 Thursday win over the New York Jets. Business as usual. 2 (3) Seattle (11-3): The Seahawks had a nice bounce-back win after the loss to the Los Angeles Rams and took care of the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte. Setting up for the second Seattle-San Fran game rather soon. 3 (2) San Francisco (12-2): The 49ers couldn't hang on at the end of the game last Sunday against Atlanta. How that works against them going forward remains to be seen. This week, it's the Saturday night special with the Rams. Next week, it's the finale...

NFL Power Rankings (After Week 14)

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Pittsburgh and Tennessee are back in the Top 10. Green Bay, Kansas City and Minnesota move back up in the Top 10. Buffalo stays in the Top 10 despite a loss. Seattle and New Orleans remain in the Top 5 though they lost, too. But the biggest story is who ISN'T in the Top 10 this week – for the first time in a long, long time, the New England Patriots do not reside in the Top 10 after back-to-back losses to Houston and Kansas City. It's odd without them here. And Baltimore makes it five straight weeks at No. 1 in the NFL Power Rankings. Here's that Top 10 list going into Week 15: 1. (1 last week) Baltimore (11-2): The Buffalo Bills hit the Ravens in the mouth and all the Ravens did was smirk back. The Ravens handled their business, 24-17, as Lamar Jackson threw for 145 yards and three touchdown passes and ran over the 1,000-yard mark for the season. The Ravens have won a franchise-record nine straight games and look formidable. 2 (3) San Francisco (12-1): It is u...

Jaguars hit lowest of lows in 45-10 Chargers romp

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Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler breaks free of Jacksonville's Marcus Gilchrist for an 84-yard touchdown connection during Sunday's game at T.I.A.A. Bank Field. (Washington Post picture) By Mark Blumenthal JACKSONVILLE -- What once was a team one victory away from a Super Bowl two years ago has turned into a hardly recognizable franchise. The Jacksonville Jaguars hit a new bottom Sunday at T.I.A.A. Bank Field, losing 45-10 to the Los Angeles Chargers, a franchise with as many wins as the Jaguars had, except whatever ailed the Chargers got fixed in a 60-minute display of near-perfect offense and defense. That's how bad things were for the Jaguar s on Sunday. After Philip Rivers carved up the Jaguars' defense on 16-of-22 passing for 314 yards and three touchdown passes, backup Tyrod Taylor threw a touchdown pass late in the game in mop-up duty. This was the same Taylor who once needed seven shots to get into the end zone from inside the Jag...

NFL Power Rankings (After Week 13)

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Suddenly, things have turned a bit topsy-turvy and a big reason why was the Houston Texans' win at home on Sunday night against the defending champion New England Patriots. The Patriots slip out of the Top 5 to No. 8 this week, while the Texans move up from No. 9 to No. 5. Buffalo moves up to No. 6, but two big tests lay ahead for the Bills with Baltimore (No. 1) and New England. No new teams in the Top 10. Here's what it looks like with four more weeks left: 1 (1 last week) Baltimore (10-2): The Ravens are really, really good. They keep proving it whether it's bad teams or really good teams, like the San Francisco 49ers, who the Ravens beat, 20-17, on Justin Tucker's last-second field goal. Looking more and more like the Ravens will be one tough out for the playoffs. 2 (2) Seattle (10-2): Seahawks spotted Minnesota a halftime lead, then cruised right past them without much of a fight in the second half. Seahawks will have another big test tonight against the...

Struggling Jaguars fall to Buccaneers, 28-11, fall to 4-8

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Tampa Bay running back Peyton Barber out-races Jaguars defenders to the end zone for a first-quarter touchdown Sunday. By Mark Blumenthal JACKSONVILLE -- When it goes bad, it goes bad. And it has the last month for the Jacksonville Jaguars. On Sunday, the Jaguars lost their fourth straight game to fall to 4-8, committed 16 penalties for 125 yards, and now have a Monday dilemma into who their starting quarterback is, all this after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Jaguars, 28-11, at T.I.A.A. Bank Field. " Me and Nick are both going to be quarterbacks for this team. We’re going to do everything we can to lead it and help us win games," said Gardner Minshew II, who came into the game in relief of starter Nick Foles and was 16-of-27 passing for 147 yards and a touchdown and interception. As for who the starting quarterback will be on Sunday when the Jaguars host the fading Los Angeles Chargers, Foles simply said, "No." Jaguars coach Doug...