JACKSONVILLE – The grind and grit were real.

The effort was, too – with the Jaguars nearly parlaying a slew of takeaways into a needed outcome on a gray, overcast day.

Jaguars backup quarterback Mac Jones, making his first regular-season start for his hometown team, ran for a first-half touchdown and the Jaguars' defense forced three turnovers. But a strong defense and struggling Jaguars offense keyed a damp 12-7 Vikings victory in front of 65,595 at EverBank Stadium Sunday afternoon.

"The guys are frustrated, and they should be," Jaguars Head Coach Doug Pederson following a third consecutive loss. "They're angry, as they should be. We all are.

"We have to channel it in a positive way and get ready for another one."

Added Pederson, "We never expected to be here. It's hard. As a team, we're making it too hard."

Vikings kicker John Parker Romo kicked four field goals, with his 34-yarder midway through the fourth quarter giving Minnesota its first lead of the second half and his 29-yarder minutes later pushing the lead to 12-7.

The Jaguars committed giveaways on their final three possessions, all of which came after the Vikings took a 9-7 lead.

"The defense played great," Jones said. "The offense, we have to be better – and it starts with me. I definitely wanted a different result. We've just got to keep fighting."

Jones fumbled the snap two plays after the 34-yard field goal, with Vikings defensive lineman Harrison Phillips recovering to set up a short drive for the 29-yarder. Cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. intercepted Jones on the ensuing series, with safety Camryn Bynum intercepting a deep pass from Jones at the goal line on the series after that.

Jones, the New England Patriots' starter from 2021-2023 who was acquired by the Jaguars in a trade in March, completed 14 of 22 passes for 111 yards and no touchdowns with two interceptions.

"He's hurting," Pederson said of Jones. "He's taking it hard. I just told him, 'It's not about one guy. This is a team deal.' Offensively, we didn't do enough around Mac. It takes 11 guys."

The Vikings maintained possession and ran out the clock after Bynum's interception.

The Jaguars intercepted Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold three times – once in each of the first three quarters – with all three interceptions on passes to All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson inside the Jaguars 25-yard line. Darnold completed 24 of 38 passes for 241 yards and no touchdowns with three interceptions.

The Jaguars entered Sunday with four defensive takeaways.

"The defense obviously did an outstanding job," Pederson said. "We couldn't stay on the field."

The Vikings outgained the Jaguars, 402-143, with a 28-10 first-down advantage.

"Those guys fought," Jones said of the defense. "I really appreciate the team for having my back. You just have to learn from it. No excuses."

Linebacker Foye Oluokun intercepted Darnold at the Jaguars 22 in the first quarter, with cornerback Montaric Brown intercepting Darnold in the end zone in the second quarter and safety Darnell Savage's third-quarter interception coming at the goal line.

All three interceptions preserved a 7-3 lead, with the Vikings trimming the lead to 7-6 late in the third quarter on Romo's second field goal of the game.

Jones, a Jacksonville native who played locally at The Bolles School, started in place of starter Trevor Lawrence, who missed his second career start and first of the season. Lawrence sustained a left-shoulder injury in a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday.

The Jaguars (2-8) lost their third consecutive game against an NFC contender. The Vikings (7-2) won a second consecutive game after back-to-back losses. The Jaguars have lost six games this five or fewer points, with all six losses decided in the final two minutes.

"We don't want to be here," Jaguars right tackle Anton Harrison. "We don't want to be what our record is. We dug that hole, so we have to dig ourselves out. We have to come together, stack and get better, grind and go on to the next one."

Step-by-Step: Breaking Down Jaguars Week 10

• Romo's 45-yard field goal gave the Vikings a 3-0 lead with 7:56 remaining in the first quarter after the Jaguars failed to produce a first-drive first down. Jones' one-yard sneak with 3:44 remaining in the first quarter capped a nine-play, 70-yard drive and gave the Jaguars a 7-3 lead. Jones completed passes of 23 yards to tight end Brenton Strange and 19 yards to wide receiver Gabe Davis on the drive, the latter of which turned third-and-4 into first-and-goal at the Vikings 1-yard line. It was the Jaguars' first first-quarter touchdown since a Week 4 loss to the Houston Texans.
• The Vikings held possession for much of the second quarter, but Brown's end-zone interception ended a drive that consumed the first 9:36 of the quarter – and 10:04 overall.
• Romo's 33-yard field goal with 1:42 remaining in the third quarter cut the Jaguars' lead to 7-6. The Vikings had outgained the Jaguars, 310-116, with a 21-7 first-down advantage at that point.
• The Vikings' yardage advantage after Romo's 34-yard fourth-quarter field goal that gave them a 9-7 lead was 379-119. Jones fumbled a snap on the second play of the ensuing possession, with Phillips recovering at the Jaguars 25. Romo's 29-yard field goal came five plays after the recovery.

Notable Game Moments

• The Jaguars have failed to score a first-drive touchdown for an NFL-high 15 consecutive games.
• The Jaguars deactivated Lawrence and four other players 90 minutes before kickoff Sunday.
  • The other inactives: Rookie defensive end Myles Cole, rookie defensive tackle Maason Smith (ankle), left guard Ezra Cleveland (ankle) and defensive tackle Esezi Otomewo.
  • The following players listed as questionable Friday will be available to play for the Jaguars: Wide receiver Gabe Davis (shoulder), running back D'Ernest Johnson (hamstring), rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (chest), safety Daniel Thomas (hamstring), wide receiver/returner Devin Duvernay (hamstring) and safety Andrew Wingard (hamstring).

In-Game Injury Report

• Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby sustained a first-quarter ankle injury and returned.