NEW ORLEANS — Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence played with a sprained left knee, but the team still held off the New Orleans Saints 31-24 on Thursday night.

Travis Etienne ran for two touchdowns to help the Jaguars extend their winning streak.

Now Trevor Lawrence played through a sprained left knee as the Jaguars (5-2) visited the New Orleans Saints (3-4) on Thursday night.

Lawrence’s injury occurred in the final minutes of a 37-20 victory against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, leaving him little more than three full days to recover before Jacksonville’s offense goes up against one of the top-performing defenses in the NFL.

The Saints rank fifth in the NFL in total defense and fifth against the pass. Their eight interceptions put them in a six-way tie for second most in the NFL (a group that also includes the Jaguars).

“We just got to hit on all cylinders when you play a defense like this,” Jaguars offensive tackle Cam Robinson said before the game.

Lawrence has completed 67% of his passes for 1,439 yards, with seven touchdowns and three interceptions this season. But he also has been sacked 16 times. If he doesn’t play in New Orleans, backup C.J. Beathard could make his first start in more than two seasons.

Since stumbling to a 1-2 start, the Jaguars have played considerably better in consecutive victories over the Atlanta Falcons and Buffalo Bills in England, and over Indianapolis at home in Week 6 — and now against New Orleans.

“Their confidence is extremely high right now,” Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said before the game. “We’re beginning to eliminate some of those mistakes that happened early in the season. ... This team is really beginning to mature and come together.”