With all but six minutes remaining in the game, and the Jaguars trailing 17 to 10, it appeared as though the team’s luck had run out. Perhaps the football gods used two weeks worth of luck for “The Immaculate Deflection” which propelled the team to a victory against Houston.
[smartads]It’s certainly possible. Either way, the Jaguars couldn’t catch a break against the Browns. Instead, they had to make their own breaks. In an almost-comical game which featured three blatant non-called penalties against the Browns in a span of four plays, as well as two tipped/dropped passes that resulted in interceptions, and a wobbly duck of a pass thrown by (ahem) Maurice Jones-Drew, the Jaguars somehow managed to pull off a victory.
Oh, did I mention that Maurice Jones-Drew uncharacteristically fumbled? Said fumble was returned for a touchdown while Jaguars’ players stood around, assuming the play was over. David Garrard also lost a fumble on a routine quarterback draw.
All in all, the Jaguars turned the ball over six times; five times in the second half, one right after the other. The turnovers included three Garrard interceptions, one Maurice Jones-Drew interception, and then the Jones-Drew and Garrard fumbles. Only one of the interceptions was poorly thrown by Garrard; Browns’ rookie Joe Haden stepped in front of it cleanly for an easy pick.
Yet somehow, despite luck obviously not on their side, the team found a way to get it together with 6:13 left in the game, when Garrard found Marcedes Lewis for a 14-yard touchdown.
Following a Browns’ field goal, the Jaguars went for the kill, ignoring their bad luck and possibly the football gods’ insistence that they lose the game. Maurice Jones-Drew took a short screen pass 75-yards down to the one-yard line (or to the end zone — it’s debatable, but wasn’t reviewed) then punched it in up the gut. Tally: Jaguars 24, Browns 20.
Sean Considine’s interception foiled a potential Browns’ comeback. But even if the pass wasn’t intercepted, time would’ve likely expired if the receiver caught the ball (the Browns were out of times out).
At 6-4, the Jaguars are tied for the lead in the AFC South with only six games remaining. As quarterback David Garrard tweeted, “Thanks peyton. U da man???”
