PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Trevor Lawrence led Jacksonville to an implausible rally — aided in part by Philadelphia's aversion to automatic points — and had the road win it needed in his hands.

Instead, Lawrence missed his final pass to give the Jaguars their biggest win of the season.

His pass attempt, intended for running back D'Ernest Johnson, was intercepted in the end zone by linebacker Nakobe Dean, a late turnover that ended Doug Pederson's chance of a win in the coach's Philly home game and helped the Eagles one time to last long 28-23 win Sunday evening.

“They were playing in the back of the end zone,” Pederson said.

Lawrence dropped back from the Eagles' 13 and threw a deep pass to Johnson, and the Jaguars went for a first down with 1:42 left.

“It’s just something you have to try, right? If you can stay within the boundaries, you stay within the boundaries,” Pederson said. “Or if it's incomplete, you downplay another, whatever it is. But at the end of the day we still had to score and I had a good feeling with the way our defense played, they were going to give us a chance.”

Pederson was a coach for his job with the Jaguars – announced: “ best team put together from the Jacksonville Jaguars, ever,” from owner Shad Khan in the preseason – it’s heading into a season that needs a small miracle to get into the playoffs.

“It’s just been the same thing so many times this season,” Lawrence said.

Pederson led the Eagles to the franchise's only Super Bowl championship — a 2017 World Series banner hangs at the Linc — and he was celebrated with a statue outside the stadium.

Pederson's bronze figure was about as effective as Jacksonville's offense in the first half, with just 32 total yards and one first down. Lawrence and the Jaguars didn't cross midfield until the third quarter before a flurry of late scores — two touchdowns in the third quarter, one in the fourth — breathed some life into the team.

The Jaguars have been so bad this season that a game originally scheduled to take place in prime time Sunday night was moved to a late afternoon kickoff.

As the game grew darker, the Jaguars played like a team that was finally getting close to the team that was so full of promise from Khan earlier in the season.

And few coaches know how to pull off late wins in Philly like Pederson.

Pederson celebrated a happy homecoming before kickoff and chatted with Eagles general manager Howie Roseman and coach Nick Sirianni. Pederson posted a 42-37-1 record in five seasons with the Eagles, including a Super Bowl victory over New England in just his second season with backup quarterback Nick Foles filling in after Carson Wentz's injury.

Under these circumstances, the Jaguars would be a betting underdog anyway, but injuries and even a trade meant they were on the safe side from the start.

The Jaguars are without Christian Kirk for the remainder of the season after undergoing collarbone surgery, forcing second-year pro Parker Washington into the starting lineup. Washington had three catches for 41 yards.

Wideout Gabe Davis was sidelined with a shoulder injury and Brian Thomas Jr. played through sore ribs to catch two passes for 22 yards. Walker Little started at left tackle after Cam Robinson was subbed last week and left guard Ezra Cleveland missed the game with an ankle injury.

The Jaguars lost three more players to injuries during the game.

Those are the kind of absences that a team like the Jaguars can ill afford against an Eagles team fighting for first place in the NFC East.

The Jaguars showed some fighting spirit towards the end of the game.

Lawrence was the catalyst for Jacksonville's second-half rally, scoring on a 1-yard run and throwing a 2-point conversion pass late in the third period to make it 22-8. Saquon Barkley, who had 199 total yards for the Eagles, then fumbled on the next possession and the loose ball was scooped up by Travon Walker and returned 35 yards for a touchdown. The Jaguars cut their score to 22-16 after another 2-point conversion.

Lawrence — 16 of 31 for 169 yards and two interceptions, each for the Eagles' linebackers — added a 4-yard TD scramble with 4:04 left to make the score 28-23.

His election sealed the deal.

Jacksonville has lost 12 of its last 15 games, a surprising stretch after opening 8-3 last year. Slow starts, costly mistakes and failure to deliver in crucial game time were hallmarks of the Jags' decline – and it was all on display in Philadelphia.

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