Jaguars end 4-game skid with 26-0 win over woeful Panthers

Last updated: 2023/12/31 at 9:47 PM

BigP Published December 31, 2023

Travis Etienne scored twice, including one on his longest run of the season, and the Jacksonville Jaguars ended a four-game skid with a 26-0 shutout of the woeful Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

The Jaguars (9-7) won for the first time in December — and with quarterback Trevor Lawrence (shoulder) watching from the sideline — to set up a regular-season finale at the Titans that will help decide the AFC South.

The Panthers (2-14) dropped to 0-9 on the road and were held scoreless for the first time since losing to the Falcons in Week 12 in 2002.

Jacksonville now can clinch the division with a victory next weekend. A loss to the Titans would hand the AFC South to the winner of the Texans–Colts game.

Lawrence missed the game with a sprained throwing shoulder, ending his consecutive starts streak at 51. C.J. Beathard completed 17 of 24 passes for 178 yards in his first start since 2020 and played turnover-free football.

The Jaguars had 10 giveaways in their losing streak.

Etienne finished with 102 yards on the ground, with 62 of them coming on a scoring scamper early in the third quarter. He tied the longest run of his career and became the franchise’s first player since Maurice Jones-Drew in 2009 to notch at least 10 rushing touchdowns in a season.

Tight end Evan Engram and linebacker Josh Allen also had milestone days for Jacksonville.

Engram became the eighth tight end in NFL history to catch at least 100 passes in a regular season.

Engram needed two receptions to reach the milestone and reached it before halftime against the Panthers. He finished with six catches for 60 yards.

He joins Tony Gonzalez, Dallas Clark, Jason Witten, Zach Ertz, Darren Waller, Mark Andrews and Travis Kelce on the list.

Jaguars’ Allen set the franchise record for single-season sacks with two in the first half. He finished with three for the day. With his second takedown of Young, Allen surpassed the previous mark of 14 ½ set by Calais Campbell in 2017.

Allen now has 44 career sacks, 11 shy of the franchise record held by Tony Brackens (1996-2003).

Allen is in the fifth and final year of his rookie contract. The Jaguars are expected to use the franchise tag on Allen in the offseason unless they can sign him to a long-term deal.

Bryce Young completed 19 of 32 passes for 112 yards, with an interception. He was sacked six times.

Reporting by The Associated Press.