“To Trevor I genuinely apologize to you for what ended up happening.”
There was no question that Azeez Al-Shaair delivered a horribly dangerous hit on Trevor Lawrence that left the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback concussed and the Houston Texans linebacker ejected.
Al-Shaair took to social media to post a lengthy apology to Lawrence a day after the hit.
He said he “genuinely didn’t see him sliding until it was too late. And it all happens in the blink of an eye.”
“To Trevor I genuinely apologize to you for what ended up happening,” he added. He went on to say he understood Lawrence’s Jaguars teammates having the QB’s back and had a message for those who sent awful messages to him.
Lawrence, who was knocked out by Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair after trying to slide for a first down, tweeted late Sunday evening that he was fine after being carted off.
Thank you to everyone who has reached out / been praying for me. I’m home and feeling better. Means a lot, thank you all🙌🏼
After the hit, a brawl ensued between Texans and Jaguars players. Tight end Evan Engram shoved Al-Shaair to the grass and the two sides went back and forth toward the Jaguars’ sideline.
The fight got so bad that Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans had to come on the field to grab Al-Shaair and try to calm the sixth-year veteran.
That’s not what we’re coaching,” Ryans said postgame. “We want to be smart in everything we do and not hurt the team, (not) get a penalty there. We just have to be smarter when the quarterback is going down.”
Al-Shaair was ejected for his role in the incident. The fighting didn’t stop there since the linebacker continued to jaw back at Jaguars players while being escorted off the field. He ripped off his helmet and tried to go after offensive lineman Brandon Scherff but was restrained by several teammates.
Al-Shaair also exchanged words with Jaguars fans after linebacker Will Anderson Jr. was hit in the helmet by a water bottle.
“Azeez is a smart player, a really great leader for us,” Ryans said. “We felt his presence not being there. His loss, it really affected us on the defensive side.”
This isn’t Al-Shaair’s first time getting into an altercation with an opposing player. During Week 2’s win over the Chicago Bears, he punched running back Roschon Johnson on the sidelines.
This came after he had a questionable hit on quarterback Caleb Williams when Williams was sprinting toward the sideline.
Al-Shaair was also at the center of a play that led to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen having to leave for a series after hitting his head on the turf, though the All-Pro pass was already going down before Al-Shaair made contact.
“My prayers go to Trevor and I really hope and pray he’s OK,” Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud said. “Praying to his family as well. Still rocking with Azeez. I don’t think that was his intent.”
DeMeco Ryans on Azeez Al-Shaair’s hit on Trevor Lawrence:
“It’s unfortunate. It’s not what we’re coaching.”
He also added, that play doesn’t represent who Al-Shaair is as a player or a person: pic.twitter.com/hx9eWd08TB
Lawrence finished the game 4-of-10 passing for 41 yards and an interception before leaving. Mac Jones closed out the final two quarters and threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns.
The Texans will be on a bye next week before taking on the Miami Dolphins on Dec. 15.
Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair drilled Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence late as he had given himself up on a slide while trying to pick up the first down. With Lawrence sliding feet first, Al-Shaair dove at him and delivered a blow with his forearm to the head.
While Lawrence appeared to be knocked unconscious, Jaguars tight end Evan Engram shoved Al-Shaair to the ground in retaliation. Multiple other players from either side got involved as the swarm carried over toward Jacksonville’s.
DeMeco Ryans on Azeez Al-Shaair’s hit on Trevor Lawrence:
“It’s unfortunate. It’s not what we’re coaching.”
He also added, that play doesn’t represent who Al-Shaair is as a player or a person: pic.twitter.com/hx9eWd08TB
Things got so far out of control that Texans coach DeMeco Ryans came across the field to grab Al-Shaair himself to try and calm down the veteran defender. Lawrence, who returned Sunday for the first time since Week 9, was carted off and ruled out with a head injury.
“That’s not what we’re coaching,” Ryans told reporters postgame. “We want to be smart in everything we do and not hurt the team, (not) get a penalty there. We just have to be smarter when the quarterback is going down.”
Really classy move from @CJ7STROUD who ended his news conf with thoughts on Trevor Lawrence: “Prayers to Trevor.I really hope & pray he’s okay & prayers for his family as well.I’m still rocking with Azeez (Al-Shaair). I don’t think that was his intent.I pray that Trevor is okay” pic.twitter.com/RyzrIan94K
Al-Shaair, along with Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones, were ejected from the game because of their role in the aftermath. Even after the decision was final, Al-Shaair continued jawing with Jaguars players as he headed to the locker room.
Eventually, linebacker Henry To’oTo’o, defensive end Will Anderson Jr. and running back Joe Mixon made sure the situation didn’t continue.
“Just an unfortunate play, not representative of who Azeez is,” Ryans said. “Azeez is a smart player, a really great leader for us. We felt his presence not being there, his loss, it really affected us on the defensive side.”
NEW ANGLE of Azeez Al-Shaair with the DIRTIEST hit of the season taking out Trevor Lawrence
To’oTo’o told reporters that Jacksonville players were trying to defend their quarterback, so they had to go to bat for their linebacker. Quarterback C.J. Stroud voiced his support for Al-Shaair and offered condolences to Lawrence for a speedy recovery.
“I’m still rocking with Azeez,” Stroud said. “I don’t think that was his intent. I pray that Trevor is OK and that his family is right there with him.”
Houston won’t know if Al-Shaair will be suspended until after the bye week, but Ryans said the team would address the linebacker personally about the incident and “move forward from it.”
“It’s not what we’re coaching,” Ryans said. “Didn’t want to see the melee and all the aftermath, that’s not what we’re about, not representative of us.”
Also, Leonard Williams is an onion and Aaron Rodgers reigns over a kingdom of emptiness.
Week 13 was a weird one for young quarterbacks.
Bryce Young and Drake Maye each shined in heartbreaking losses. C.J. Stroud struggled in defeat. Trevor Lawrence entered the concussion protocol thanks to a late hit at the tail end of a scramble. Aidan O’Connell gave the Kansas City Chiefs all they could handle despite throwing 25 of his 34 passes to the Las Vegas Raiders’ two trustworthy targets.
On the other side of the spectrum, Aaron Rodgers shambled one step closer to the worst season of his illustrious NFL career. What else did we learn in Week 13? Let’s talk about it.
[Please bear with me for any Twitter embed issues. Our editing software has become a whole problem on that front the past couple weeks. Rest assured, if there’s a play alluded to in the text it’s worth clicking through to see if it didn’t make it into the article itself.]
1. Drake Maye is so much better than Mac Jones ever was (already)
Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Mac Jones was a Pro Bowler as a rookie for a playoff-bound New England Patriots team. Drake Maye will not make the playoffs in 2024. Barring a litany of no-shows, he probably won’t be winging passes at drones in the Pro Bowl Games.
But he’s been meaningfully better than Jones in more than one way.
Maye presented the best possible outcome for a Patriots squad with no realistic shot of a playoff berth coming into Week 13 (and zero actual shot following it). He looked like a franchise quarterback finally worthy of succeeding Tom Brady in Foxborough. And he lost in the process, pushing New England another step closer to a premium draft pick it can then use or trade to rebuild a talent-deficient roster.
How’d Maye look like “the guy” instead of just “a guy?” Look at the factors behind his first half touchdown throw to Austin Hooper. The play itself is questionable, dragging two targets and three defenders into the same cramped corner of a compressed field. But Maye rises above this. He’s confident enough to take the throw and skilled enough to pull it off.
More importantly, he shined despite the lack of blocking help around him. New England gave up four sacks in 34 dropbacks Sunday. On top of that, Maye’s linemen were called for holding five times before halftime. Still, the Patriots moved the ball despite these “and long” situations. Per The Athletic’s Jim Ayello, New England’s 279 yards in the first half were the most Indianapolis has given up before halftime since 2022.
While Maye did throw an interception, it was one for which he can be absolved. It’s another tight window throw to Hunter Henry for a quick pickup to set up first and goal. But it’s slightly off target and Henry can’t corral a catchable ball. It bounces off his hands/knee and then chest before settling into Julian Blackmon’s hands to erase a scoring opportunity late in a tight game.
Maye’s defense couldn’t protect that seven-point lead. It gave up a fourth-and-goal Anthony Richardson touchdown pass before allowing the beefy quarterback to run for a game-winning two-point conversion with 12 seconds to play. Even so, the rookie finished his day with just under 300 total yards while completing 80 percent of his passes. Granted, that’s at least partially because he didn’t attempt a single throw that traveled more than 16 yards downfield:
via nextgenstats.nfl.com
but given the Pats’ limitations, that’s a pretty reasonable gameplan! Maye threw 16 passes that traveled between five and 15 yards downfield. He completed all but four, and one of those misses was the Henry drop above.
It’s difficult to quantify how different this is compared to the Jones era. Jones wasn’t just failing to complete deep balls due to a lack of personnel; he was failing because he lacked the arm strength to zip throws into tight windows, instead thriving on lofted passes to schemed-open wideouts. On Sunday, Maye made those passes happen not because he saw a receiver without a defender nearby but because he knew right where to put the ball where a defender couldn’t get it.
Maye’s completion percentage over expected (CPOE) vs. Indianapolis was a robust 8.9 percent; Jones’s average as a Patriot was 0.0. Jones was an average quarterback making the plays you’d expect from someone at his level. Maye is creating plays with his arm, legs and confidence and looks like a future star in the process.
That’s the bright side of another lost season in New England. The Patriots are a bad team. They’re low on exciting talent and are not particularly well coached (though Jerod Mayo is learning on the job). But Drake Maye looks better than any quarterback the franchise has employed since 2019. If he can keep looking great and losing games, the Pats’ rebuild won’t take nearly as long as it seems.
2. Aaron Jones is having a weird, uncharacteristic winter
Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Jones remains a valuable RB1 in his eighth year as a pro. From 2016 to Week 10 of the 2024 season, he’d touched the ball 1,619 times with just 16 total fumbles — a fumble rate under one percent.
Since Week 11’s win over the Tennessee Titans, the Minnesota Vikings’ top running back has handled the ball 48 times. He’s put the ball on the turf four times in that stretch (8.3 percent), including this fumble that briefly moved Cam Akers into top tailback duty.
Jones has been a spark for Minnesota in his first season away from Green Bay. But his inability to be trusted in Week 13 was a detriment to the Vikings’ offense. Jones had only four carries against the league’s 24th-ranked rushing defense.
This was in part because his team trailed most of the afternoon, but also because of ball security issues. Sam Darnold tied for the team lead when it came to rushing and the Vikes’ 68 rushing yards stands as their second-lowest output of 2024.
These issues weren’t limited to handoffs. A Darnold pass caromed off the hands of a diving Jones late in a 19-13 game, forcing the Vikings to settle for a field goal rather than take the lead. Fortunately, redemption lay ahead.
His next target was a considerably easier one, hauled in for a game-winning touchdown. Jones’s 28 total yards are his lowest output as a Viking. But he found his place when Minnesota needed it most which, in the end, is pretty true to Aaron Jones.
3. George Pickens had an extremely characteristic day
This has made Pickens the NFL’s random event generator. On Sunday, with a chance to effectively scuttle the Cincinnati Bengals’ postseason hopes, he fired up that engine and had one of the most George Pickens games of all time.
First, Pickens stumbled coming out of his break. This allowed Cam Taylor-Britt to dispatch him to the turf with minimal effort before taking an interception back the other way for six points.
On the next drive, Pickens showcased his RAC again with a slow-motion spin move to pick up an extra five yards and move the Steelers into Bengals territory. Then, he marched them right back with a 15-yard taunting penalty.
George Pickens nearly drops the ball, picks up the first, adds 5 extra yards with the world's slowest spin move on a 1-on-3 situation, then gets a 15-yard penalty for taunting the Bengals bench
That wound up not mattering as Wilson led Pittsburgh on a 70-yard touchdown drive anyway. Halftime came and went and Pickens continued his wildly characteristic game.
4. Cam Heyward is 35 years old and still feasting against the Cincinnati Bengals
Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports
Cam Heyward is Pittsburgh royalty. In 14 seasons as a Steeler, he’s been a leader on the field and in the locker room. He’s a six-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro destined for the franchise’s Hall of Honor.
At 35 years old, he’s nearing the end of his career. When it comes to playing AFC North rival Cincinnati, however, he’s capable of throwing it back to 2017 to thoroughly destroy the Bengals in every facet of the game.
When Chase Brown tries to run at the goal line? Cam Heyward.
Heyward finished his day two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, one sack and one pass defensed. He helped one drive end in a field goal rather than a touchdown and ended another by tipping Burrow’s third quarter throw. After an injury-marred 2023, he’s playing at a Pro Bowl level once more — and he’s a big reason why the Steelers defense is so scary, even on a day where they allowed 31 Bengals offensive points.
5. Aaron Rodgers failed the New York Jets once more
Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
It’s official. For the ninth straight season, the Jets will finish with a losing record.
This wasn’t supposed to be how things turned out. New York opened the 2024 season with the top odds to win the AFC East. The four-time MVP they’d traded for in 2023 was ready to rewrite his legacy and chase down the second Super Bowl he believes could validate his place among the greats. But Aaron Rodgers hasn’t looked like anything resembling the league’s most valuable player. He looks like a guy who turns 41 on Monday.
The Jets led 21-7 when Rodgers overthrew a wide-open Garrett Wilson in the end zone. The next play, he blanked Leonard Williams dropping into coverage and managed to throw a 91-yard pick-six to a defensive lineman. This sounds impossible, but through Aaron Rodgers all things are possible.
Everything gets worse if you unwind from there. Rodgers had an early 80-yard touchdown drive to start Sunday’s scoring, but was only bailed out of a drive-killing third down sack by a Leonard Williams facemask. New York’s other two touchdowns came on a Kene Nwangwu kickoff return and after a short field created by a Seahawks fumble on another kickoff.
Rodgers, facing what’s been a fairly average Seattle defense, managed zero points once the first quarter ended. Williams flattened him on a key third down late in Seattle territory, then the veteran’s all-or-nothing fourth-and-15 heave with the game on the line was another overthrow to Wilson, this time covered, in the end zone.
On its face, 185 yards and two touchdowns isn’t a bad passing line. Dig deeper and you see a quarterback losing an ongoing battle against the hands of time. Rodgers averaged just 4.7 yards per pass attempt. Factor in sacks and his average dropback was good for just four net yards. He attempted 14 passes that traveled more than 10 yards downfield.
He completed *two* of them.
via nextgenstats.nfl.com
Rodgers’s beauty was his ability to escape pressure, extend plays and whip darts downfield in a way no other quarterback could. He still believes he can do all these things, even as his body begins to decay like spent uranium. After years of staving off his half life, it’s clear he no longer has the potency he once did.
The Jets would have been fine knowing he was no longer great — that’s the risk of trading for a quarterback approaching his 40s. This version of Rodgers, however, isn’t good or even average. This was a terrible performance from a disjointed offense that was gifted early points and failed to capitalize.
Fortunately for the Jets, Rodgers took the blame for Sunday’s loss. Kind of.
Aaron Rodgers on why his stats didn't go up despite his health getting better
Yes, this man is exhausting. That’s also the entire vibe of New York Jets football. It’s a wonderful fit because it is a terrible fit. That is the Jets’ way.
6. C.J. Stroud and Trevor Lawrence staged a battle of what could be
Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union
In early 2023, Stroud and Lawrence looked like worthy rivals who’d compete over the next decade to stake their claim as the rising playoff team no one wants to face out of the AFC South. In 2024, they’re… rivals. Sort of.
Stroud is leading the presumptive South champion Houston Texans but failing to inspire confidence after winning last year’s rookie of the year honors. Lawrence is struggling once again for a Jacksonville Jaguars team about to fire its head coach. In Week 13, Houston escaped Florida with a win — but it wasn’t anything about which either team should feel good.
Stroud played a tidy and ultimately unimpressive game, continuing a concerning trend that’s lingered through his sophomore campaign.
Tank Dell WIDE open… he had to wait for it. Broken up by Darby. He got there a tad early but too close for the refs to call. pic.twitter.com/KfSDuiRTCQ
Stroud was… fine. He completed nearly 65 percent of his passes and threw one touchdown without an interception. He connected on three of five deep balls. But his 0.0 CPOE continues a trend where he’s less of a franchise quarterback and more of “a guy.” He’s had twice as many games where he’s failed to find the end zone (six) than games where he’s scored multiple touchdowns.
Lawrence faced similar struggles. He completed just four of 10 passes for 41 yards. He traded a touchdown for an interception on what could have been a walk-in bomb for rookie wideout Brian Thomas Jr.. Instead, it cleared the way for a Texans field goal.
Lawrence did his damnedest to make the Jacksonville offense explosive. His average pass traveled 17 yards downfield. But he completed as many deep balls to his own wideouts as Texans’ defenders. A late hit from linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair ensured he wouldn’t have the chance to adjust after halftime.
Mac Jones arrived in relief and played better than expected, winging a pair of touchdown passes but going 0-for-4 on deep throws in his own right. The fact Jones, a quarterback discarded by a needy Patriots team, came in and was Sunday’s most valuable passer in a game between a former No. 1 overall pick and the reigning rookie of the year is a brutal statement on the fortunes of both Stroud and Lawrence in 2024.
vis habitatring.com
Stroud has the playoffs to look forward to. Lawrence will have a new coach in 2025. Both players have a path back to prosperity. But Week 13 was an example of how each continued to fall below expectations this season, even before a late hit knocked the Jaguars’ QB1 out of the game.
7. Leonard Williams contains multitudes
Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Look, I know we talked about this earlier. But let’s appreciate this one more time. Leonard Williams’s beautiful pick six wasn’t just about a massive human being running a very long way. It was about a 300-pound man athletic enough that his coach trusted him to drop back into coverage on a pivotal third down:
This wasn’t your typical tip-drill lineman INT. This was Williams putting himself in position to swat down a slant even before his teammate made it easier to pluck out of the sky.
This was his biggest highlight of the game, but far from his only one. How about that time he effectively squashed New York’s late comeback hopes by squashing Rodgers.
Leonard Williams feasting against his former team 😤
Williams is 30 years old. He hasn’t been a Pro Bowler since 2016 or an All-Pro ever. But this winter he’s leveled up from good to great as an absolute headache for opposing offenses in every phase of the game. He’s got seven sacks and 20 quarterback hits in 12 games. He’s also got 10 tackles for loss. His 16 percent pass rush win rate is third-best among interior linemen despite getting double-teamed on nearly two-thirds of his snaps.
Head coach Mike Macdonald is treating him like a special attraction and it’s maximizing Williams’s peak. His 66 percent snap share is his lowest ever over a full(ish) season. Despite this, he’s still on pace for career highs in QB hits and tackles for loss. A little bit of rest has gone a long way in saving his best for the field — and giving him the energy for the biggest big man touchdown of the millennium in the process.
Leonard Williams's 91-yard touchdown is the longest return touchdown by a player 300+ pounds since at least 2000.
8. The Philadelphia Eagles defense is the NFC’s biggest concern
Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
The Eagles rolled south for a game with the NFL’s top offense by yardage and second-best scoring offense. They left with a 24-19 victory that was a garbage time touchdown away from limiting the Baltimore Ravens to their lowest scoring output of 2024.
Granted, some of this was thanks to Justin Tucker aging like someone found and destroyed a haggard copy of his game tape preserved in his attic. Tucker came into the 2024 season as the most accurate kicker in NFL but has aged all at once at 35 years old. He missed three kicks — two field goals and an extra point — to give him 10 total misses on the season. That’s three more than his previous career worst and Baltimore still has four games left to play.
The bigger culprit, however, was Philly’s defense. Sunday’s game wasn’t as cut and dry as the final score made it out to seem. The Ravens out-gained the Eagles by 120 total yards. But the Eagles clamped shut when it counted, and that made all the difference.
Philadelphia held the Ravens to only two touchdowns on six red zone drives — it was one of five before Baltimore scored with three seconds left to cut the lead to five points. The Ravens converted just three of eight third downs between taking a 9-0 lead in the first quarter and driving for points that didn’t affect the final outcome of the game in the final minute. Two of those stops forced long Tucker field goal attempts that split wide of the goal posts.
This was a familiar sight for the Eagles. Since their Week 5 bye only the Detroit Lions have fielded a better offense.
via habitatring.com and the author
Lamar Jackson still played well, but Philadelphia went on the road and hounded the MVP favorite into a merely “above average” game. Jackson came into Week 13 averaging a sublime 9.6 expected points added (EPA). The Eagles held him to 3.6 EPA Sunday afternoon, turning him from one of the league’s most valuable players to the rough equivalent of Derek Carr.
If this defense can turn Jackson into a mobile version of Carr, it can do it to anyone in the NFC. Last year’s Eagles team was falling apart by this point in the season. This year’s version is playing better than ever, riding an eight-game winning streak and grinding opponents into dust on both sides of the ball.
The secondary that plagued last season’s spiral has been fixed. Quinyon Mitchell has allowed a single touchdown in 50-plus targets this season. Fellow rookie cornerback Cooper DeJean is out here doing stuff like this to Derrick Henry:
We’re still a ways away from a potential Lions-Eagles playoff showdown. But if we get it, it could be a rock fight instead of a shootout thanks to how these two defenses are playing.
9. Bryce Young isn’t fixed but is fixable
Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Before November, Young had never known an NFL winning streak. As December kicks off, he’s one Kansas City Chiefs buzzer-beating field goal and one Chuba Hubbard fumble away from winning four straight games.
Young was granted the opportunity to re-enter the Carolina Panthers’ starting lineup after Andy Dalton injured his thumb in a car accident. In that stretch, he’d engineered two game-winning drives and what looked like a third Sunday night thanks to this touchdown heave to Adam Thielen with 30 seconds left on the clock.
That 23-20 lead didn’t hold up over the final 30 seconds, but that’s OK. This talent-deficient Panthers team has far more problems than just wins and losses this fall. But getting Young back on track to be a franchise quarterback would be the biggest and best possible answer to the questions they face.
Each week, we’re seeing Young’s confidence grow after being eclipsed by bad plays and self doubt. The back-foot throws haven’t entirely dissipated, but he’s shown more comfort stepping up into the pocket and throwing downfield in the face of traffic. Head coach Dave Canales has challenged him to freestyle when his pocket breaks down. On Sunday that worked wonders through the air:
Young completed two of five deep throws Sunday evening, which isn’t incredible but significant for a player who’d only completed 23 percent of such throws as a rookie and had only attempted 17 deep balls in eight games this fall. He’s becoming more comfortable in Canales’s offense. That’s not manifesting in the tough throws over the middle that remain the missing link in his game, but it’s still an important development!
via habitatring.com
Young isn’t fixed, but he’s playing more confidently and willing to open himself up to reasonable risks in the pocket as a result. He couldn’t connect with Xavier Legette on third-and-10 late in the fourth quarter trailing 17-16, but he stood in the pocket and took a wallop from a free rusher to deliver an accurate pass to a covered target. It was far from perfect, but it wasn’t a case of happy feet or an interceptable throw. It gave Carolina the best chance to win with what he had.
There’s a long way to go before the Panthers can be satisfied with their young quarterback. Still, the growth he’s shown in the last month should be enough to keep Carolina from drafting a first round passer this spring. That’s faint praise, but given where this franchise was in October, it feels like monumental progress.
10. Fantasy team you absolutely didn’t want to field in Week 13
Brett Davis-Imagn Images
QB: Justin Herbert, Chargers (147 passing yards, one rushing yard, five sacks, one two-point conversion, 8.68 fantasy points)
RB: Chuba Hubbard, Panthers (43 rushing yards, one fumble lost, 2.3 fantasy points)
RB: Gus Edwards, Chargers (32 rushing yards, one catch, one receiving yard, 4.3 fantasy points)
WR: Cooper Kupp, Rams (three catches, 17 yards, 4.7 fantasy points)
Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was ejected just before halftime after delivering what appeared to be a late hit against quarterback Trevor Lawrence. A fight broke out following the play while Lawrence lay sprawled out on the grass knocked out.
Al-Shaair will likely receive a fine and a potential suspension from the league office later this week. Even if he attempted to slow down, the hit seemed to be avoidable before the sixth-year linebacker ever left his feet.
But was the hit dirty? That’s the question everyone is trying to figure out entering the bye week as Houston heads home. Some fans think that because he led with his elbow, it shouldn’t lead to a suspension. Others think that despite being a member of the team, it’s a bad look.
Of course, several other former players voiced their opinions of the play on social media. Most believed the indecent was avoidable and didn’t agree with the decision.
Former Texans cornerback Steven Nelson called the play “crash-out behavior.” Former Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 overall pick Robert Griffin III called the play “dirty” from Al-Shaair.
Former NFL quarterback and Baylor Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III, called it a dirty play by Al-Shaair.
Prayers up for Trevor Lawrence.
There is no place in the game of football for dirty hits like this one. https://t.co/4ueibyJntt
During the halftime broadcast, former Super Bowl defensive end Michael Strahan called the play “inexcusable” but mentioned his antics likely were to get him thrown out of the game to avoid further problems.
“I personally think he did that because he realized if he had stayed in that game, he was not going to be protected,” Strahan said. “What he did, everybody knows as a defensive player you don’t do that.”
ESPN analyst and former Super Bowl safety Ryan Clark called the hit “bull” and without question avoidable.
That’s bull by Azeez Al-Shaair!! You just dive over the QB’s head when they slide. You make sure they go down but you don’t go to the players helmet like that. I 100% agree with an ejection.
And 100% there’s supposed to be a fight! Jaguars did the right thing.
While Al-Shaair doesn’t have many on his side, defensive tackle and teammate Tim Settle defended the captain’s actions, stating that he’s not a dirty player and it was a bang-bang play.
“I don’t think his intentions were towards to hurt [Lawrence]. He was just trying to get us off the field. He was trying to get our offense back on the field,” Settle told reporters postgame. “We praise how he plays, but we know he’s not intentional like that.”
The Texans enter the bye week with an 8-5 record. Al-Shaair and the team will return to the field on Dec. 15 to take on the Miami Dolphins.
Everything Doug Pederson said after Jaguars’ 23-20 loss to Texans
Despite losing starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence to a concussion suffered on a dirty hit, the Jaguars nearly pulled off a comeback at home against the Texans on Sunday, only to drop their 10th game of the 2024 season, 23-20.
Find everything Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said after Jacksonville’s latest loss below.
On QB Trevor Lawrence’s injury and if Pederson was able to talk to him postgame:
DOUG PEDERSON: “I haven’t talked to the docs yet. I did see him at halftime. He was moving around and everything. We’ll be fine. He’ll obviously go into the protocol. I haven’t talked to him here after the game yet.”
On where the hit that Lawrence took ranks for Pederson in terms of “dirty” hits:
DOUG PEDERSON: “Well, look, it’s a play that nobody wants to see in our league obviously because you see what happens after the fact and it just escalates. I’ve got a lot of respect for Coach Ryans [Texans Head Coach DeMeco Ryans]. I know he doesn’t coach his team that way. We don’t coach our team that way. It’s unfortunate, it really is. It’s unfortunate. I’m just glad that Trevor’s going to be fine. He’ll obviously be in the protocol, but it just is an unfortunate play.”
On if Pederson has thought about shutting Lawrence down for the season:
DOUG PEDERSON: “It’s 30 minutes after the game, so I haven’t thought about that.”
On Jaguars running back coach Jerry Mack taking a head coaching job at Kennesaw State University:
DOUG PEDERSON: “I’m excited for Jerry. It’s a great opportunity for him to become a head coach in college football at Kennesaw State. I just thank Jerry for what he’s done here. He’s really changed that running back room and has done some really good things for us. Wish him well. I’m excited. I’m excited for him to be able to watch him continue his career as a head coach now.”
On if it was difficult to decided whether to go for the onside kick or not at the end of the game:
DOUG PEDERSON: “It obviously was a thought to do that, but we still had a couple of timeouts and still had some time left on the clock. Just the decision to go deep and put our defense back out there and try to get one more stop. We talked about it quickly, but we elected to kick it deep.”
On what it was like watching Lawrence go down after the big hit:
DOUG PEDERSON: “I was excited for Trevor to get back out there and start for our team and lead our football team this week. That was always the goal was we’ll shoot for the Houston game and get him back out there. Again, it’s unfortunate. It’s a play that really has no business being in our league. I thought the officials did a great job of doing the best they could to get control of it and all of that. Again, getting Trevor in a comfortable situation, getting him back out there, trying to get some momentum on offense, and obviously that happens. It takes a little wind out of your sails, but on the flip side of that too, Mac came in and got us back in the football game. So proud of that too.”
On if the aftermath of the hit was just a byproduct of what happened:
DOUG PEDERSON: “Yeah, you see it at every level of football, right? When the quarterback gets hit at that magnitude, it just escalates. Obviously, Jarrian [CB Jarrian Jones] on our side, he can’t do what he did either. That’s unacceptable as well. I know the league will probably send out fines for both players and maybe some others. Again, when you see that, yes, it does. Plus, it’s a division game. It’s a division game, and it’s an emotional football game as it is, but at the same time, you have to be the bigger person. You’ve got to be the bigger man in situations like that. Just fortunate that nobody else was ejected from the game.”
On not being able to get off the field on third down:
DOUG PEDERSON: “As a player, number one, you’ve got to understand the situation. Schematically, we look at it as coaches and make sure we’re putting our players in situations to be successful. Obviously, we’ll take a look at the tape tomorrow, and I’ll have probably a better answer for you tomorrow on this. Just knowing and understanding the situation, yeah, you do everything you can to try to get off the field. Give credit to Houston for executing that play and staying on the field.”
On Jaguars offensive lineman Walker Little getting a contract extension today:
DOUG PEDERSON: “Excited for Walker. It’s a great opportunity for him. I think it just shows the commitment the organization has and the type of player that he is to really get him locked up. I think for him too it’s a little peace of mind knowing he’ll be here for the long haul. Excited for him and his family. It’s a great opportunity, great for the organization obviously and our team, and excited for him.”
Jaguars fall to Texans 23-20, lose QB Trevor Lawrence to concussion
The Texans (8-5) completed their 2024 season sweep of the Jaguars (2-10) in Week 13, securing a 23-20 victory in Jacksonville on Sunday after previously beating their divisional opponent 24-20 in Houston during Week 4.
What started as a sluggish, low-scoring affair became intense as halftime approached, when Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence took a dirty hit from Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair to conclude a six-yard scramble. Lawrence was carted off the field and quickly ruled out of the game with a concussion.
Al-Shaair and a pair of Jaguars, tight end Evan Engram and cornerback Jarrian Jones, received personal foul penalties for their actions after Jacksonville and Houston’s benches cleared and the teams began fighting, following the tackle. Al-Shaair and Jones were ejected from the contest.
“It’s a play that nobody wants to see in our league. You see what happens after the fact and it just escalates,” Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said after the game.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for [Texans head] coach [DeMeco] Ryans. I know he doesn’t coach his team that way and we don’t coach our team that way. It’s unfortunate, it really is. It’s unfortunate.”
Pederson said Lawrence, who returned to action Sunday after missing Jacksonville’s last two games with a non-throwing shoulder injury, will enter the NFL’s concussion protocol but is expected to be “fine.” Pederson did not offer an anticipated recovery timeline.
Without Lawrence, the Jaguars took a 6-3 deficit into the locker room at halftime, their only score being a 33-yard field goal by rookie kicker Cam Little after Lawrence got hurt.
Little then tied the game early in the third quarter with a 30-yard field goal, before the Texans scored on three consecutive drives, two touchdowns and a field goal squeezed in between. Little missed a third field goal try, from 55 yards, amid Houston’s scoring run.
Yet Jacksonville made things interesting in the fourth quarter, narrowing Houston’s lead from 23-6 to 23-20 over the Jaguars’ final two possessions.
Backup quarterback Mac Jones led the Jaguars on two extended drives, a 12-play, 72-yard possession and a 10-play, 84-yard sequence, tossed touchdowns to Jacksonville wide receivers Parker Washington and Brian Thomas Jr., and connected with Washington for a two-point conversion to get back within one score.
Jones completed 20-of-32 passes for 235 yards with two touchdowns in place of Lawrence against Houston.
Houston got the ball back with 3:31 left in regulation, and the Texans put the ball in running back Joe Mixon’s hands on five consecutive plays to try to seal the win. He converted two first downs and forced the Jaguars to burn through their remaining timeouts, effectively running the clock out.
The Jaguars will travel to Tennessee in Week 14 to face the Titans (3-9) at 1 p.m. ET next Sunday, Dec. 8.
The Houston Texans move to 8-5 on the regular season after securing a win on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
C.J. Stroud’s 22-yard touchdown pass to Dalton Schultz in the fourth quarter was the difference between another loss against an inferior opponent in the AFC South and a victory before the bye.
With the loss, the Jaguars have officially been eliminated from playoff contention.
The victory for Houston marked its second win in five weeks, entering Week 14’s bye. It also helped the AFC South leaders improve to 4-1 in the division, which could help them clinch the title when they return in Week 15.
Trevor Lawrence was hit late while trying to slide, which led to exchanges between Jags and Texans players. pic.twitter.com/34jwjiDLcN
Tempers flared just before halftime when linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair knocked out Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence as he tried to slide for a first down.
Tight end Evan Engram and several teammates attacked Al-Shaair, whose potential cheap shot could result in a suspension. Both benches cleared as a brawl ensued on the field for several minutes.
Lawrence, who missed the past two games due to a shoulder injury, was carted off and evaluated for a head injury. Al-Shaair, along with Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones, were both ejected for their roles in the fight after the hit.
Mac Jones replaced Lawrence and made things interesting in the fourth quarter down three scores. He threw for 235 yards and two touchdown passes and rallied the team back to come within three.
Stroud, who struggled in last week’s loss to the Titans with a pair of interceptions, completed 22 of 34 passes for 242 yards. Eleven pass attempts went to Nico Collins, who finished with a team-high 115 yards on eight catches.
Mixon’s 101-yard rushing performance marks the third time a running back has rushed for at least 100 yards and a touchdown in six road games during the same season. He joins Tiki Barber of the New York Giants (2004) and Derrick Henry of Tennessee (2020) to accomplish the feat.
The breakout running back averaged 5.1 yards on 20 carries and scored on a 7-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
Injuries
Texans safety Jimmie Ward was evaluated for a concussion but cleared to return. Schultz also injured his right shoulder in the third but returned for the fourth to secure what would be the game-winning touchdown.
What’s next?
The Texans get a much-needed bye week when they return home. After that, they’ll play three games against potential AFC playoff contenders in a 15-day span beginning on Dec. 15 at NRG Stadium against the Miami Dolphins.
That wasn’t how the Houston Texans tight end was going to see his day come to an end.
After the Texans forced a missed field goal from Jaguars rookie Cam Little, Schultz returned to the lineup and didn’t disappoint. C.J. Stroud found him in the flats for a 22-yard score, marking his first touchdown of the year.
Schultz has been inching closer to scoring in recent weeks and he wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to seize control of the offense. The scoring drive marked Houston’s second scoring opportunity in the second half of the afternoon.
Why is that important? Well, Houston’s struggled to sustain success in the final 30 minutes. Entering Sunday’s showdown, the Texans have only scored one offensive touchdown since Week 6.
Houston’s getting close to closing out Week 13 with a victory entering next week’s bye. With the victory, the Texans would move to 4-1 in the AFC South with a chance to clinch the division after they return for a battle with the Miami Dolphins in Week 15.
Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz left during the third quarter of Week 13’s game with a shoulder injury.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
The Houston Texans are looking to secure their seventh consecutive road win over the Jacksonville Jaguars entering the fourth quarter, but the offense could be missing a signature player.
Tight end Dalton Schultz left during the third quarter with a shoulder injury and could be out for the rest of the game, depending on further evaluation. The Texans need a win to secure a 4-1 record in conference play before next week’s bye.
Here’s the latest on the Texans’ veteran tight end.
Dalton Schultz injury update
During the third quarter, Schultz suffered a shoulder injury when he hurdled a defender trying to pick up a first down. He remained down on the ground for a moment and was slow to get up before heading to the sidelines.
The Texans listed the tight end as questionable to return, though he managed to be healthy enough to come back in for the fourth quarter. He hauled in a 22-yard touchdown pass from C.J. Stroud for his first scoring opportunity of the regular season.
Texans Injury Update:
#86 TE Dalton Schultz is questionable with a shoulder injury.
Losing him for an extensive period of time would have been a concern because the Texans are short of tight ends.
Following the scoring drive, Schultz has caught five passes for 61 yards.
Texans TE depth chart
If Schultz were to miss the rest of the game, Houston would be limited to rookie Cade Stover and former Alabama star Irv Smith Jr. Stover has mostly seen action as the team’s H-back or in 12-personnel this season after being drafted out of Ohio State last April.
