NFL Recap (Jacksonville-Pittsburgh)
Posted: Sun November 22, 1998 at 10:43 p.m. EST
PITTSBURGH 30, JACKSONVILLE 15
PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers
aren't ready to surrender their AFC Central Division crown just yet.
Cornerback Dewayne
Washington returned a pair of interceptions for scores, including a
72-yarder with 34 seconds left, to help the Steelers defeat the
division-leading Jacksonville Jaguars,
30-15, in a crucial AFC Central battle. It marked the first time in
franchise history a player has returned two interceptions for scores in a
single game.
"It feels great to be able to come up with two big plays and help your
team at what I feel is the hardest position in football," added Washington.
"It was huge. Each time I catch the ball I'm trying to put it in the end
zone."
The Steelers (7-4), who have won the division title the last four
seasons and five of the past six years under coach Bill Cowher, pulled
within a game of Jacksonville. The Jaguars (8-3), seeking their first
division title in the four-year history of the franchise, lost for the
first time in five division games.
The teams will meet again in the season finale at Jacksonville in a
Monday contest that could determine the division champion. Tennessee
remained two games off the pace in the Central with a 24-3 loss to the New York Jets.
With the Jaguars driving for a potential game-tying score with under a
minute remaining, Washington stepped in front of Mark Brunell's sideline
pass and ran untouched into the end zone to ice the victory.
"It's poetic justice for a guy who has had so many balls go through
his hands through the course of the season," said Cowher. "He should be
leading the league in interceptions and maybe in scoring, but he gets the
two today."
Washington, who has been picked on repeatedly as the supposed weak
link in the Pittsburgh secondary, intercepted a Brunell pass in the opening
quarter and returned it 52 yards to open the scoring with 7:48 left in the
first quarter. Washington became the first Steeler to return an
interception for a score since safety Darren Perry did it
against Houston in September of 1996.
Kordell Stewart
found tight end Mark
Bruener in the back of the end zone for a nine-yard scoring strike
which gave the Steelers a commanding 23-7 lead with 8:59 remaining.
Bruener made a juggling catch between two Jacksonville defenders, securing
the ball while falling on his back.
Stewart completed 25-of-36 passes for 208 yards and did not throw an
interception for the third straight week after throwing 10 picks in the
Steelers' first eight games.
"We made a commitment to ourselves that we have six games left to go,"
said Stewart. "We know we control our destiny. Today we had some fun
offensively. Guys made great catches, offensive line protected well and our
defense added some great plays. It just was a great team effort for us
today."
But Brunell staged a late rally. His 33-yard TD pass to Jimmy Smith and ensuing
two-point conversion toss to Keenan McCardell drew
Jacksonville within 23-15 with 7:04 left. Smith, who was questionable with
a bad back, did not start but led the Jags with five catches for 71 yards.
Brunell was 18-of-41 for 212 yards with three interceptions.
"We just weren't executing at every position," Brunell said. "This
certainly is a humbling experience. We have a lot of work to do. This loss
is going to hurt, not only because it's in a stretch that can make or break
the season for us, it's the fact that it's Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh."
The Steelers hold a 4-3 edge in the all-time series, in which neither
team has been able to win a road game.
Pittsburgh's Jerome
Bettis, who was held to just 29 yards on 14 carries last week at
Tennessee, rushed for 77 yards on 26 carries. Jacksonville rookie Fred Taylor had 67 yards
on 20 carries and scored a touchdown for the eighth straight game with a
two-yard run with 4:07 left in the third quarter to pull Jacksonville
within 13-7.
The Steelers welcomed back Norm Johnson, who converted
kicks of 41, 29 and 38 yards, passing Eddie Murray for fifth place on the
all-time list with 339 career field goals. Pittsburgh felt the impact of
losing its veteran kicker to a strained calf muscle last week, when rookie
Matt George had his lone 36-yard attempt blocked in a 23-14 loss to the
Oilers.
Stewart connected with Courtney Hawkins on a
third-down conversion and a 17-yard pass during a second-quarter drive
which set up Johnson's first field goal, a 38-yarder, which gave the
Steelers a 10-0 lead with 8:21 left in the first half.
Hawkins led Pittsburgh with eight catches for 80 yards.
Johnson capped a 10-play, 57-yard drive with a 29-yard field goal with
six seconds left in the first half to give the Steelers a 13-0 cushion.
Jacksonville got back in it after the break, eating up over seven
minutes of the third quarter on a 15-play, 90-yard drive which culminated
in Taylor's scoring plunge.
But the Steelers answered on each of their next two drives.
Charles Johnson
made an acrobatic one-handed catch for a 27-yard completion to the
Jacksonville 31 to set up Johnson's third field goal of the day. Johnson
had seven catches for 63 yards.
"I was looking at Kordell all the way," said Johnson. "I just went up
and made the play. He threw the ball down the seam. It was just the time
for me to make a play."
Stewart was 4-of-5 for on Pittsburgh's next possession, including his
nine-yard scoring pass to Bruener.
But Jacksonville answered right back. Brunell hit Reggie Barlow, who started
in place of Smith, for 31 yards to the Pittsburgh 39. He then found Smith
wide open in the end zone to pull the Jags within eight with 7:04 left.
Barlow had a 29-yard punt return to the Jacksonville 45 with 3:54
remaining, but the Jaguars' drive stalled at the Pittsburgh 47, when
Brunell's 4th-and-10 pass to Smith was caught just out of bounds.
Brunell's last pass of the day was intercepted by linebacker Carlos Emmons deep in
Pittsburgh territory with four seconds remaining.
"It's one thing to lose, when you lose playing your best," said
Jacksonville tacke Tony
Boselli. "You go back to the drawing board and deal with that. When
you lose the way we played, it's embarrassing. That's what it feels like
right now."
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