The Jacksonville Jaguars are AFC South champions for the first time in five years, a title secured when Josh Allen returned a fumble 37 yards for a touchdown. This helped them seal a 20-16 victory over Tennessee on Saturday night.

Rayshawn Jenkins forced Josh Dobbs’ fumble. Allen then scooped up the ball and ran, untouched, the other way for a lead that held up against the Titans in a win-and-in game in the regular-season finale for both.

Dobbs fumbled again on the ensuing possession, and the Jaguars (9-8) started to celebrate their most significant regular-season victory in franchise history.

"This was one of those games where our defense had to win it for us," Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence said. "Us guys on offense, we’re a little frustrated because we left a lot out there, But in these games, just win. Our defense picked us up today. They played great."

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Jacksonville earned the No. 4 seed in the conference playoffs and will host either the Los Angeles Chargers or Baltimore in the wild-card round next weekend.

It’s the 18th time in the last 20 seasons that at least one NFL team won its division after finishing last or tied for last the previous year.

Jacksonville closed the regular season with its fifth consecutive victory and became the fifth team in NFL history to make the playoffs with a five-game losing streak and a five-game winning streak in the same season.

"We just kept believing," Lawrence said. "Nobody ever lost faith. Everybody believed in one another. We never started pointing the finger. We lost five games straight and we just got tighter."

Tennessee (7-10) lost its final seven games, a skid that had just about everyone writing them off before Saturday’s finale.

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The Titans rested several starters last week and essentially created a 10-day break to get healthy. They returned to their bruising brand of football and looked like they would pull an improbable turnaround — until Dobbs’ turnover changed the game.

The Jaguars were 6 1/2-point favorites, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, and a near-sellout crowd was on hand to witness what many thought would be more of a coronation than a scratch-and-claw nail-biter.

The Titans didn’t do anything spectacular. With quarterback Ryan Tannehill (ankle) out for the season, they leaned on Dobbs — an aerospace engineer who has bounced around the league — to be smart with the ball and Derrick Henry to grind out tough yards. And they relied on a defense that’s been stout against the run all year.

It worked for 37 minutes — and then it unraveled.

Henry finished with 109 yards on 30 carries. Dobbs completed 20 of 29 passes for 179 yards, with a touchdown, an interception and the fumble.

Lawrence completed 20 of 32 passes for 212 yards, with a touchdown and a fumble. Lawrence had two would-be touchdowns in the second half fall incomplete. He overthrew Zay Jones in the end zone and underthrew Christian Kirk.

A 6-year-old first-grader at an elementary school in Newport News, Virginia shot a teacher on Friday afternoon during an altercation in a classroom, authorities said, leaving her with "life-threatening" injuries and renewing calls from parent's for greater classroom safety and oversight. 

The 6-year-old boy shot 30-year-old Abigail Zwerner, a first-grade teacher at Richneck Elementary School. She was rushed to Riverside Regional Medical Center with life-threatening injuries following the incident.

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Before Friday's incident at Richneck Elementary School there were shootings at two other schools within the Newport News Public Schools system that shook the community in the past 17 months.

In Sept. 2021 a 16-year-old fired several shots in a busy hallway inside Heritage High School during lunchtime, injuring two 17-year-olds

In December 2021, 18-year-old Demari Batten fatally shot 17-year-old Justice Dunham in the parking lot of Menchville High School after a football game, also within the Newport News Public Schools system.

According to the district's website. Newport News Public Schools consists of 26,500 students, and includes 24 elementary schools, seven middle schools and five high schools. Richneck Elementary School has about 550 students who are in kindergarten through fifth grade.

In a press conference on Friday, superintendent of Newport News Public Schools, Dr. George Parker said "we need to keep guns out of the hands of our young people."

Some agreed, calling on the state and federal government to enact stricter gun laws to keep firearms out of children's hands. 

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Others called for the district to place metal detectors in school, place law enforcement personnel inside schools, and even require students to carry clear backpacks into school.

"How many shootings and incidents does it take to start using metal detectors at every school, every entrance, every day, 24/7 with no exceptions." Riri Mimi wrote. "Issue a clear backpack policy AND put armed school resource officers in EVERY school."

"What’s your plan to stop this drama? Put Metal Detectors in school!!!!" Hanan Daoud, who has children within the school district, said.

Richneck Elementary School will be closed on Monday and Tuesday in response to the latest shooting.

Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew met with Zwerner and her family Saturday morning, according to a statement released by police Saturday afternoon.

"She has improved and is currently listed in stable condition," police said in the statement. "Because of the ongoing nature of the investigation, we will not be releasing any further information at this time."

Richneck Principal Briana Foster Newton said in a statement, "My heart is aching for our school community. The tragic event that occurred on Friday impacts all of us deeply," he said. "My thoughts and prayers remain with our teacher who was seriously injured, and our students and our staff, who are dealing with the aftereffects of this tragedy."

On Friday, Governor Glenn Youngkin expressed his condolences to the Newport News community saying, "My administration has offered assistance in response to the shooting at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News and stand at the ready to help in any way we can. I am continuing to monitor the situation and am praying for the continued safety of all students and the community."