(Best E Casino) - On Sunday, the
Jacksonville Jaguars were able to reach the win column for the first time this season much like the way they did 11 times a year ago.
The Jaguars rode the legs of running backs Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew to the Divisional round of the AFC playoffs last season, but that same approach failed in the first two weeks of the 2008 campaign. Taylor and Jones- Drew were held in check by Tennessee and Buffalo before the duo came out in full force in Sunday's 23-21 victory over Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium.
An 0-3 start could have certainly hampered Jacksonville's playoff status down the road, and it would have been the team's worst beginning since the 2003 Jaguars opened up with four consecutive defeats. Now the Jaguars can focus on putting together their first winning streak of the season.
After recording 33 yards in a season-opening loss to the Titans and a 98-yard performance on the ground against the Bills, Jacksonville took advantage of Indy's suspect run defense by grinding out 236 rushing yards. Taylor carried the ball 26 times for a game-high 121 yards, while Jones-Drew chipped in 107 yards and a score on 19 touches. It was the kind of dual effort that catapulted the Jags towards the top of the AFC South in 2007.
Jacksonville has always been trying to catch division powerhouse Indianapolis, and now it has. Sunday's victory pulled the Jags into a second-place tie with the Colts in the AFC South, with the Titans sitting comfortably at the top with a 3-0 mark. The victory, which was aided by the two running backs, came after Josh Scobee's 51-yard field goal with four seconds remaining in the game.
Fullback Greg Jones gets a lot of credit as well for paving the way for Taylor and Jones-Drew without even recording one carry. The unselfish Jones was drafted to be the No. 2 back, but has accepted his current role with the emergence of Jones-Drew.
Jags quarterback David Garrard is still struggling out of the gates, but was bailed out by the team's effective run game in Indianapolis. Garrard completed 16-of-22 passes for 167 yards and was intercepted for the fourth time this year -- he was picked off just three times all of last season. He must find a way to throw the ball downfield successfully in order to stretch defenses and get his receivers more involved. All four of Garrard's completions in the first half on Sunday were to Jones-Drew out of the backfield.
Unless the Jaguars can continue their success on the ground, Garrard will be less effective at keeping opposing offenses off of the field. The Jaguars will rely on the ground game the next three weeks before their bye, as Houston, Pittsburgh and Denver are next on the list.
Jacksonville's defense intercepted the great Peyton Manning twice and sent the Colts to a 1-2 start to the season. Jaguars All-Pro cornerback Rashean Mathis picked off a Manning pass in the second quarter and sprinted 61 yards for a touchdown to help give head coach Jack Del Rio's defense a much-needed lift. Mathis holds the franchise record with 22 career interceptions.
Mathis spearheaded a defense which limited the Colts to just four minutes and 59 seconds of possession in the second half.
NOTES: The Jags rushed for 200-plus yards for the 18th time in team history and 11th under Del Rio...Taylor registered his first 100-yard rushing game of the season and 48th of his career. He has 100-plus yards on the ground in six of the last eight games dating back to last season...Jones-Drew earned his sixth career 100-yard rushing game and scored his 28th career touchdown with a six-yard run in the third quarter...Jaguars wideout Matt Jones finished with five receptions for 43 yards and became the first Jacksonville player since Jimmy Smith in 2004 to open a season with at least five-plus receptions in the first three games...Garrard improved to 20-13 as a starter, 7-6 on the road and 6-9 against the AFC South...Scobee has missed only one field goal in eight tries this season...Mathis has the last two defensive scores for the Jags, as he returned a pick 63 yards for a touchdown on January 5, 2008 in the AFC Wild Card Game at Pittsburgh.
KEY INJURIES: Defensive back Scott Starks suffered a knee injury on Sunday and underwent an MRI. He will be evaluated later this week...Safety Reggie Nelson also went down with a knee problem on Sunday...Wide receiver/return specialist Dennis Northcutt injured his hip in Sunday's victory.
WEEK 4: The Jaguars will play their third AFC South game of the season this Sunday, when Houston visits Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. The Texans are coming off a loss to Tennessee and are 0-2 this season after having a game postponed because of Hurricane Ike. The Texans allowed 154 yards on the ground in the Tennessee game and will have to face Jacksonville's tailback tandem of Taylor and Jones-Drew. Houston leads the all-time series with the Jaguars, 7-5, including a conventional split of last year's home-and-home.
TOUGH TITANS DEFENSE LIFTS TEAM TO 3-0 START
Sometimes it's good to be stingy. Just ask Houston quarterback Matt Schaub and the members of the Tennessee defense after the Titans' 31-12 victory over the AFC South-rival Texans on Sunday.
The Titans intercepted Schaub three times and sacked him three times as well. Cornerback Cortland Finnegan returned a pick a franchise-record 99 yards for a touchdown that helped lift the Titans to a 3-0 mark for only the second time under head coach Jeff Fisher and just the third time in franchise history. A win over Minnesota this week will give the Houston/Tennessee franchise its first 4-0 start.
Finnegan leads the NFL with four interceptions this season and helped keep Houston's top receiver, Andre Johnson, to 29 yards on two receptions.
The Titans, who won their first three games in 1999 and reached the Super Bowl, did have trouble stopping the run, as Texans rookie running back Steve Slaton was able to rack up 116 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. Missed tackles can be the blame for that one, but that didn't cause too much concern for a team sitting alone atop the division that's also inhabited by powerhouses Indianapolis (1-2) and Jacksonville (1-2). Tennessee has beaten division foes Jacksonville and Houston this season and holds a two-game lead over the defending AFC South champion Colts.
The Texans reached the red zone six times on Sunday and came away with just one score, a six-yard touchdown run by Slaton. Tennessee also allowed Houston to convert just three of its 15 chances on third down to solidify the win.
Even veteran defensive end Jevon Kearse got into the mix, getting his first sack since re-joining the team in the offseason after a dismal stay in Philadelphia.
Tennessee is a team to be reckoned with right now, and has been getting the job done behind a veteran quarterback in Kerry Collins. Collins made his second start for the injured Vince Young (knee) and threw for 189 yards on 14- of-26 passing with a touchdown and an interception. His favorite target of the day was Justin McCareins, who came away with 90 yards on four catches.
Collins continues to be a winner and will keep his job if the Titans keep reaching the win column, according to Fisher. Young is still recovering from a sprained knee, as well as some personal problems, and watched the Texans game from the coaches' box at LP Field.
The Titans can thank their running back duo of LenDale White and Chris Johnson for much of their success as well. Johnson has been a huge surprise and is using his quickness to his advantage, finishing with 74 yards on 16 touches over the weekend. He currently leads the AFC in both rushing yards (276) and yards from scrimmage (327). White has scored a touchdown in all three games this season and ended with a pair of scoring runs versus Houston. The two backs, although diverse in style, have been able to take the pressure off Collins and keep opposing offenses sidelined.
NOTES: Johnson finished with two catches for 29 yards...The Titans have won six straight regular-season games dating back to the end of last season...Titans defensive back Michael Griffin had two interceptions on Sunday and is tied for second in the NFL with three this season. Griffin recorded an interception for the second straight game...Tennessee has forced 11 turnovers so far this season...Collins reached 35,000 career passing yards on a 17-yard completion to Justin McCareins during the second quarter of Sunday's win...He became the 15th NFL quarterback to reach that milestone...Titans mammoth defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth posted his third sack of the season in the first quarter against the Texans...Kearse registered his 49th sack as a member of the Titans, moving past Robert Brazile (48) for sixth place in team history.
KEY INJURIES: The Titans played without top wideout Justin Gage due to an injured groin suffered during last week's win over Cincinnati...Young is still bothered by his knee problem and will most likely miss this week's showdown with Minnesota.
WEEK 4: Minnesota comes to town for a meeting with the Titans and leads the all-time series by a 7-3 count. The Vikings have won the last four matchups with Tennessee and are coming off a win over the Carolina Panthers. The Vikings earned their first win of the season behind new starting signal-caller Gus Frerotte and a stout run defense. Minnesota is known for its run-stopping ability and will serve as a measuring stick for the rookie Johnson.
COLTS HAVING TROUBLE FINDING CONSISTENCY
Dust off the record books for this tumultuous start in Indianapolis and you will find the 1998 campaign. That was Peyton Manning's rookie season and the last time the Colts had two losses over their first three games, with the team opening that year 0-4 under Jim Mora.
Now the usually-dominant Colts are tied with Jacksonville for second place in the AFC South at 1-2 after Sunday's 23-21 loss to the Jaguars. They will now enter their bye week looking for answers.
Head coach Tony Dungy, in his seventh season with the team, is under .500 after three games for the first time in his tenure. Manning has thrown for 784 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions, including twice on back-to- back occasions. Manning has been playing behind a patched-up offensive line, but these guys are professionals and should get the job done.
Don't forget that this is the same team that started 2003 with a 5-0 record, a 13-0 mark in 2005, 9-0 in 2006 and 7-0 last season.
The Colts just dropped a heart-breaking decision to the rival Jaguars at brand new Lucas Oil Stadium, a place they have yet to win this season. One of Manning's two interceptions was returned for a touchdown, while the defense missed tackles and watched a pair of running backs eclipse the 100-yard rushing mark on the day.
Instead of tightening up the run defense and trying to get the once-vaunted offense in gear, Dungy said the team will focus on the basics during the bye week, since there is plenty of time to do so. Too many missed tackles led to the Jaguars having a field day on the ground, and inexperience on the offensive line has thrown a wrench into Dungy's plans. Dungy, who has gotten Indianapolis into the playoffs in each of his six seasons there, noted that the Colts must get back into a training camp mentality and can only get better by taking a step at a time.
Dungy can only hope some time off will cure the run defense. The Colts, who allowed Chicago 183 yards rushing in the opener and Minnesota 180 yards in Week 2, are ranked 30th in the NFL in rushing defense at 199.3 yards per game. Indy isn't primarily known as a defensive squad anyway, but it has never been this bad in trying to stop opposing ground attacks. Jacksonville had 236 yards on 48 carries on Sunday.
One reason for Jacksonville's success running the ball was the absence of Colts safety and 2007 Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year Bob Sanders, who was out with an ankle injury.
The five-time defending AFC South champions went 15-1 at the RCA Dome over the last two regular seasons, but have opened their new digs in losing fashion (0-2). Indianapolis hasn't experienced this many losses at home so early in the season for a long time.
On a positive note for Dungy's team, running back Joseph Addai looked back in form after rushing for only 64 yards in the first two games of the season. Addai came back with 78 yards and a pair of scores on 16 carries against a tough Jacksonville defense to open the field for Manning, who still couldn't take advantage of the added space. The Colts entered Sunday's game last in the NFL in rushing before Addai and Dominic Rhodes stepped it up on Sunday.
NOTES: The Colts allowed 103 rushing yards in the first half, with Jones-Drew rushing for 55 yards on eight carries and Taylor adding 48 yards on 10 carries...Wide receiver Reggie Wayne remained consistent this season with 74 yards on three catches, while Marvin Harrison added a score and 40 yards on four receptions...Linebackers Freddy Keiaho and Gary Brackett each ended with a game-high 11 tackles.
KEY INJURIES: Tight end Dallas Clark returned to the field after missing last week's game with a knee sprain and ended with a team-high 47 yards on four catches...Center Jeff Saturday saw his first action of 2008 after sustaining a knee injury during the preseason...Second-year safety Melvin Bullitt started in place of Sanders on Sunday, while starting offensive tackle Tony Ugoh missed the game because of a groin injury. Ugoh should be ready in a few weeks when the Colts resume their schedule...Guard Dan Federkeil went down with a shoulder injury on Sunday, while cornerback Marlin Jackson left the game with a rib injury in the third quarter. Jackson later returned to the field.
WEEK 4: The Colts will get an extra week of rest to regroup before returning to action on October 5 at Houston. Indianapolis is 11-1 all-time against the Texans and won both meetings a year ago. Houston's lone victory in the series was a 27-24 decision on December 24, 2006.
EXTRA WEEK OFF STILL DOESN'T HELP TEXANS
Unfortunately the Houston Texans were given an extra week of rest because of the aftermath of Hurricane Ike earlier this month. Their game against the Baltimore Ravens was postponed and eventually re-scheduled, but the extra week off to prepare for the Tennessee Titans didn't help in the 31-12 loss.
The only player who appeared to have read his playbook was Slaton, who ended with 116 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries in his first NFL start. Slaton will be a star in this league is he can stay healthy and keep the pressure off of the quarterback. The third-round draft pick, though, failed to compensate on Sunday for Schaub, who was intercepted three times and sacked three times. One of his interceptions was returned 99 yards for a touchdown in the Texans' first game since a September 7 loss at Pittsburgh.
Schaub, who has already been sacked eight times in two games, passed for just 202 yards in a Week 1 loss at Pittsburgh before going 17-for-37 for 188 yards against the AFC South-rival Titans.
The Texans are in their usual last-place position in the division standings and will try to avoid their third 0-3 start over the previous four seasons. Houston was 3-for-15 on third downs Sunday and 1-for-6 inside the Titans' 25- yard line.
It's not time to start looking at backup Sage Rosenfels, but another dismal performance from Schaub may have head coach Gary Kubiak making the switch. Kubiak did tell the Houston Chronicle on Monday that Schaub was not totally responsible for the loss on Sunday. That's obvious, but how much more can this team take?
On a brighter note, the defense allowed just 10 points in the second half and was paced by star middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans, who led the way with 13 tackles and recovered a fumble.
Reliant Stadium seems to be on schedule to host the Colts on October 5 despite missing five panels on the roof. The venue, which features a retractable roof, was damaged by Hurricane Ike but could still be used with an open top.
NOTES: The Texans averaged 5.2 yards per touch against Tennessee's top-ranked defense...Slaton also caught four passes for eight yards. His 104 first-half rushing yards made him the second Texan to go over 100 yards in the first half of a game. Domanick Davis ran for 121 yards at Jacksonville on December 24 of the 2004 season...Pro Bowl receiver Andre Johnson caught two passes for 29 yards in a losing effort. He also dropped a pair of strikes that could have been touchdowns...Cornerback Jacques Reeves recorded an interception for the Texans.
KEY INJURIES: Defensive tackle Travis Johnson missed Sunday's game because of knee and ankle injuries.
WEEK 4: Houston will play the second of consecutive road games this week when it pays a visit to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Texans surprisingly lead the all-time series with the Jaguars by a 7-5 count. After visiting Jacksonville, the Texans will kick off three straight games as the host, pending the condition of Reliant Stadium.
