Mac Jones, the defense has the Jaguars ahead of the Vikings

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Mac Jones and the Jaguars defense look good against the Vikings.

Jones, who played his high school football next door to EverBank Stadium in Bolles, had a quarterback tackle for a touchdown as the Jaguars led the Vikings 7-3 at halftime.

Starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence was sidelined with a left shoulder injury and missed only the second game of his NFL career.

Jones is 8 of 12 passing for 73 yards and scored the only touchdown in the first quarter on a 1-yard rush that gave Jacksonville a 7-3 lead.

Ryan Nielsen’s oft-criticized defense comes into play in the first half. Foye Oluokun intercepted a pass tipped by Sam Darnold, snuffing out one of Minnesota’s top drives of the half, which went to the Jaguars’ 30. Buster Brown intercepted in the end zone before halftime to stop another Vikings drive.

The Jaguars couldn’t capitalize on these turnovers and fumbled both times.

Jones was acquired by the Jaguars in an offseason trade with the Patriots after his tenure there ended on a sour note. He was chosen to replace the legendary Tom Brady and secured a playoff spot in his first season. But things went downhill from there and the Jaguars were happy to acquire Jones as a low-risk recovery project.