JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones is facing widespread criticism after replays showed he didn’t hustle during Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s game-winning touchdown run in the Jaguars’ 31-28 victory on Monday night.

Though Jones wasn’t directly asked about his effort on the play afterward, his comments seemed to indicate the reason he didn’t move far from his spot.

Start with this: Jones was asked what he saw on the play as Lawrence stumbled from under center, fell down, then got up and dove in the end zone for a 1-yard score with 30 seconds left.

«I thought multiple times, we had him. We’ve just got to finish. We’ve got to finish,» Jones said during a postgame news conference. «We had multiple guys there, we’ve just got to finish that play. It was a fluke play for him to be able to break that many tackles. But yeah, I put it on us as a defense. We’ve got to finish. We’ve got to bring him down on that.»

So why wasn’t Jones pushing harder in pursuit, with former NFL cornerback Aqib Talib calling him out on social media for «standing and watching» on the game-deciding play?

The context matters. Kansas City had been gashed all game by Lawrence’s scrambles, which included a 10-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

After that play, the ESPN broadcast showed Jones barking at defensive line teammates on the bench while holding up an iPad that showed a picture of where each defensive lineman was positioned when Lawrence took off.

Jones seemed to be discussing that exact topic in his news conference after Monday’s game.

«I think us, as a defensive line, other than finishing plays, we’ve got to be a little more disciplined on our rush lanes,» Jones said. «We let Trevor Lawrence get out multiple times today, especially in the red zone. I think the second touchdown, he ran it in himself. The last touchdown of the game, he ran it in himself. That’s on the D-line. That’s on the D-line.»

Jones has reason to be sensitive about this particular facet. In Week 1 against the Chargers, he was the one who abandoned his rush lane while allowing quarterback Justin Herbert to scramble for 19 yards on a third-and-14 that sealed the game.

Afterward, Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill confronted Jones about the play, with the two screaming at each other as emotions boiled over on the field.

Rush-lane integrity appears to have become a significant emphasis for Jones since.

«We’re rushing four D-linemen, and we’ve got to be cognizant of our gaps,» Jones said after the game. «One man gets out of the gap, it widens out. And for me, I take that personal: containment of a quarterback.»

As of Tuesday morning, Jones had deactivated his X and Instagram accounts. That seemed to happen after criticism of his final play built up in the hours after the game.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid, when asked about Lawrence’s touchdown run, gave credit to the Jaguars quarterback.

«I thought we had him there,» Reid said. «But he’s a competitor. He had a good day, running with his legs.»

It was a career rushing day for Lawrence, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Lawrence scrambled eight times for 53 yards with two touchdowns, which were all the best marks of his career. Coming into the game, Lawrence had just four career scramble rushing touchdowns.

Jones, for his part, said afterward that he believed the Chiefs’ defense would respond well to the loss this week.

«We gave this game away,» Jones said. «So many mistakes by us. So many things we could’ve done differently.»