The Jacksonville Jaguars came up with a late third-down stop on Sunday, seemingly giving their offense one last chance to get past the Minnesota Vikings.
But the Jaguars never touched the ball again.
After the stop, defensive end Travon Walker continued to attack after the whistle. And by attacking we mean throwing punches into a pile of players.
Here’s another angle where Walker is clearly swinging after the play ends.
This sums up the Jags’ season. Travon Walker commits a personal foul that gives the Vikings an automatic first down and ends the game.
Complete lack of discipline.pic.twitter.com/vzmjmtcedG
— Lawrence Smelser (@LawrenceSmelser) November 10, 2024
It was an obvious penalty, and Walker was flagged for it. Officials assessed Walker a 15-yard personal foul for unnecessary roughness. Instead of fourth down and a certain kick in the final minute of the game, the Vikings were awarded a new set of downs thanks to the penalty. From then on, they were able to run out the clock in their 12-7 win.
Without the penalty, the Jaguars would have had a great chance. They were out of timeouts and the Vikings could have run all but the last few seconds off the clock before kicking the ball away. They had needed a touchdown to win after scoring just one all day, with backup Mac Jones playing quarterback for an injured Trevor Lawrence.
But having a long shot is better than not having one, and that’s where the Jaguars were after Walker’s penalty.
Walker ‘surprised’ after penalty for throwing punches
After the match, Walker was asked about the penalty. Somehow he was surprised to be caught for throwing punches, which is not legal before or after the whistle.
“The referee literally said I was too aggressive after the whistle blew,” Walker told ESPN after the match. “So that definitely surprised me – [the] referee told me that I am too aggressive in the football game. …I admit that, but in the midst of that, I hope everyone on my team knows what I was doing, and that’s what matters.
Walker apparently claimed he was trying to knock the ball free from running back Aaron Jones. The reality was an indiscriminate waving of fists long after the play had ended.
Walker is in the midst of a breakout season three years into his career after being selected first overall in the 2022 NFL draft. He entered Sunday with 6.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss in nine games and added another sack to his total against the Vikings. This was not his finest moment.
But ultimately, Walker’s antics could help the Jaguars in the long run. At 2-7, they entered Sunday with nothing to play for the rest of the season. The loss dropped them to 2-8 and tied with the New York Giants for the worst record in football in the race for the No. 1 pick in next year’s draft.
