MNF: Titans Tops Jags

N A S H V I L L E, Tenn., Oct. 17, 2000 -- Another Tennessee win over Jacksonvilleand even Titans coach Jeff Fisher is providing the Jaguars withexcuses.

“Jacksonville’s got a lot of people hurt now,” Fisher saidMonday night after the Titans beat Jacksonville 27-13, their fifthstraight win over the Jaguars.

“They’re struggling over there, but they’re a good footballteam.”

This first prime-time game in Tennessee was a showcase for theTitans’ prime-time players—Eddie George, Steve McNair and FrankWycheck.

Whipping Boys

The Titans beat their favorite whipping boys as George ran for165 yards on 30 carries, McNair threw for 234 yards and twotouchdowns, and Wycheck started things off by catching a TD passflat on his back.

The defense chipped in with five sacks in a game in which a lotof streaks continued.

It was the fifth straight win after an opening-game loss inBuffalo for Tennessee and put the Titans in first place bythemselves in the AFC Central, one-half game ahead of Baltimore.

It was the fourth straight loss for Jacksonville, the longeststreak since its first season in 1995. The Jaguars (2-5) lost yetanother key player, wide receiver Jimmy Smith, who bruised hisright knee in the first quarter.

And George, who didn’t crack 100 yards in his first three games,had his third straight in triple figures and second over 150.

“I think it’s the best stretch I’ve had,” George said. “It’sa lot of fun when you’re controlling the ball and keeping thedefense off balance.”

5 Straight Over Jags

The five straight wins over Jacksonville include three lastseason, when the Jaguars finished 15-3 and capped the season with a33-14 home loss to Tennessee in the AFC title game.

But this year, it was just another loss added to four earlierones. And this game went just about the way the season has for theJaguars.

They had two chances in the first half—at the beginning andthe end. They blew them both and went off trailing 17-3.

The first came four minutes into the game, when Fred Taylorbroke loose on a 71-yard run that gave Jacksonville a first down atthe Tennessee 7. But the Jags had to settle for a 23-yard fieldgoal by Mike Hollis and a 3-0 lead.

Then, trailing 17-3 with 2 minutes left, Brunell completed ascreen pass to Anthony Johnson that carried 48 yards. Then, on athird-and-10 from the Titans’ 21, Brunell found Keenan McCardelldown the middle. As McCardell dived for the end zone, MarcusRobertson stripped the ball and Samari Rolle fell on it for atouchback.

In between, the Titans dominated despite 69 yards in penaltiesin the first half alone.

Doing What They Want To

“We haven’t been able to run on them. This time we were able todo what we wanted,” Fisher said.

Their first score was set up by Derrick Mason’s 66-yard kickoffreturn. Five plays later, McNair found Wycheck in the corner of theend zone. The ball bounced off Jacksonville’s Renaldo Wynn toWycheck, lying on the ground. It popped in the air and Wycheckcaught it again for the score.

Tennessee made it 14-3 early in the second quarter on anotherdeflected pass—from McNair to Mason, who caught it as it bouncedoff Jason Craft, but injured an ankle on the catch. They added a26-yard field goal by Al Del Greco later in the period.

Then, on the Titans’ first drive of the second half, McNair’s54-yard pass to Chris Sanders set up another score—George’s19-yard run. Like McCardell, he also fumbled in the end zone, buthe went over the goal line with the ball, so the TD stood.

Hollis added a 45-yard field goal 1:41 into the final period andDelGreco matched it with 3:37 left. Johnson capped the scoring witha 2-yard run with 53 seconds to play.

But that was no consolation.

“Some of our inefficiencies show up week in and week out,”Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin said. “We have some good players onthis team. We also have some negatives. This isn’t junior highschool.”