NFL Recap (Tampa Bay-Jacksonville)
Posted: Sun November 15, 1998 at 9:29 p.m. EST
JACKSONVILLE 29, TAMPA BAY 24
JACKSONVILLE, Florida (Ticker) -- Rookie Fred Taylor's career-high
third touchdown run, a 70-yard dash with 2:40 to play, propeled the Jacksonville Jaguars to a
come-from-behind 29-24 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Taylor, who also matched a career best with 128 rushing yards, took a
handoff from Mark
Brunell and found a hole up the middle. He cut back left past safety John Lynch and was sprung
by a block from wide receiver Reggie Barlow before
racing down the left sideline. Taylor finished with 196 yards of total
offense and caught five passes for 68 yards.
"Even just the off-tackle plays, when they have eight guys in the box,
you can expect Fred to get some extra yards," said Jaguars quarterback Mark
Brunell of his running back. "Right before that long run, I said to
myself, this is going to be a big play because of the way they were set up
defensively. And it really was. Fred's an incredible running back."
"The blocking assignment on that run was nothing out of the ordinary,
it was a must-play for our offense to keep the ball," said Barlow about the
play. "It just turned out to be a TD for Fred."
For Buccaneers coach Tony Dungy, it was the second week in a row his
team was done in by a long fourth-quarter TD run. Tennessee Oilers
quarterback Steve
McNair scored on a 71-yard run last week in Tampa Bay's 31-22 defeat.
"We were in the basic zone defense and John Lynch was coming in to
make the tackle and just fell. And Taylor has the speed to go the
distance," said Dungy. "That was disappointing. He has made big plays all
year for them. That's been a disappointment for us two games in a row. In
the fourth quarter, to give up long runs and lose the game on defense.
It's not what you want to do."
Jacksonville (8-2) increased its lead to two games over the Pittsburgh Steelers
(6-4) in the AFC Central. The Steelers were beaten by Tennessee, 23-14,
earlier today.
The Jaguars have won three straight and improved to 5-0 at home.
Brunell, who was listed as questionable before the game with a groin
injury, completed 22-of-37 passes for 248 yards.
"I was probably 90 percent today, I felt it a little bit, but nothing
where I didn't feel like I couldn't run around and move with the football,"
said Brunell. "It's not 100 percent yet. I anticipate it getting better
this week."
The loss was another crippling setback for Tampa Bay (4-6), considered
to be among the NFC's elite this season. The Buccaneers are five games
behind the Minnesota
Vikings (9-1) and three behind the Green Bay Packers (7-3)
in the NFC Central.
"It just leaves us that we've got to win," Dungy said bluntly. "We
have to play them one at a time, especially our division games. We can't
afford any more losses. We've got to play better and we can't lose in the
fourth quarter."
Warrick Dunn
rushed for 107 yards and Reidel Anthony had
touchdown receptions of 79 and 47 yards for Tampa Bay, which won the first
meeting between the in-state rivals back in 1995.
Jacksonville took advantage of a turnover to open the scoring.
Defensive end Tony
Brackens recovered a fumble by Buccaneers fullback Mike Alstott at the Tampa
Bay 30. Brunell needed four plays to capitalize as Taylor scampered up the
middle from six yards.
Tampa Bay countered with a 12-play, 57-yard drive, culminated by a
34-yard field goal by Michael Husted. The
Jaguars responded with a 10-play, 77-yard drive as Taylor dipped around
left end to make it 14-3 with 11:38 left in the first half.
"You never leave the run (with Taylor) you never get away from it,"
said Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin. "Even today, when it was frustrating
running the ball, sometimes I wanted to pick it up and throw it. But we
hung in there and ran it. Obviously, it paid off huge dividends. Anytime
you can count on a guy who has the ability to make the big play with the
run in addition to the pass, it's such a great thing for your offense. The
burden is then on the defense to stop both factors, the run and the pass."
But Trent Dilfer
and Anthony hooked up for a 47-yard TD as Tampa Bay pulled within 14-10 at
the 7:42 mark. The Bucs grabbed a 17-14 lead 24 seconds before halftime as
Dilfer hooked up with John
Davis from one yard.
Mike Hollis booted
a 31-yard field goal 4:35 into the second half to pull the Jaguars even and
hit a 27-yarder in the final minute of the third quarter to give them a
20-17 lead.
The Bucs grabbed a 24-20 lead on the first play of the fourth quarter
as Dilfer found Anthony on a short pass over the middle before Anthony
crossed from right to left and raced down the sidelines.
Jacksonville closed within 24-23 with 3:27 to play when Hollis hit a
34-yard field goal, capping a 14-play, 66-yard drive in which Taylor and
Brunell converted third-down plays.
Tampa Bay was unable to get a first down and punted the ball back to
the Jaguars, who took over on their own 30. After the touchdown, Tampa Bay
had a chance to drive for the winning touchdown, but Dilfer was intercepted
by Aaron Beasley at the
Tampa Bay 35 on a 4th-and-5.
© 1998 Sportsticker Enterprises, LP
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