Patriots quietly await Jaguars' challenge in AFC title game

TSX / STATS

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots are spending the week leading up to Sunday's AFC title game doing what they always do in the days leading up to any game.

Not saying anything negative about the opposition.

That's the Patriots way -- don't give the other guys anything to put up on their bulletin boards.

So, when someone like Jacksonville's Jalen Ramsey predicts his Jaguars will unseat the defending Super Bowl champs in Sunday's game, the Patriots take the high road and talk about how tough the other guys are to deal with.

Reacting to Ramsey's boast, quarterback Tom Brady, on his weekly WEEI appearance, said, "I think what I have learned for a long time is -- it's how you play, it's not what you say. Everyone has different ways of handling things -- players do, coaches do. We do what works for us, other players do what works for them. The game is going to be decided by who plays the best, not who hypes the best or speaks the best.

"He's a really good player. I have watched a ton of film on him," Brady said of Ramsey. "He has a lot of strengths. He's obviously very confident. That is reflected in how he plays. I am more concerned about how he plays (as) opposed to what he says."

Brady, headed for his seventh straight AFC title game and 12th overall, also called the upstart Jaguars "the toughest" team the top-seeded Patriots have faced all season -- something that didn't sit too well with Jacksonville.

Jacksonville's Telvin Smith called Brady out on Twitter, saying, "Bruh this the oldest trick...pump us up in the media but in the buildin I kno what's really bein said. Respect."

Brady, who has had his shares of bumps and bruises in this, his 40-year-old season, skipped his Wednesday media session as he met with team medical personnel over a right hand injury. He then was held out of practice on Thursday because of the injury, calling into question how effective he would be if he plays Sunday.

He is still expected to play Sunday.

He captured his 26th postseason victory, recorded his 13th 300-yard postseason passing game -- extending his NFL record for both -- and also broke a tie with Joe Montana to become the all-time leader with 10 three-TD playoff games.

The Patriots, seeking the sixth Super Bowl crown of the Brady/Bill Belichick Era, hammered the Tennessee Titans 35-14 in the divisional round, while the third-seeded Jaguars stunned the Steelers 45-42 in Pittsburgh and come into this game filled with confidence -- and toughness.

Asked Wednesday what it will be like facing the NFL's No. 1 defense, New England tight end Rob Gronkowski, active this time around after missing last year's title run, said, "That is a big challenge. They have very talented players on both sides of the ball. Especially on defense, they have many, many great players. It is going to be a big challenge.

"It is the best team we are facing all year coming up in the AFC Championship Game this weekend. We have to be ready. We have to be prepared. It is going to be a big, tough challenge, for sure."

The Jags are trying to become only the third team -- and first since the 1985 Chicago Bears -- to lead the league in rushing and win the championship.

"It's going to be tough. It's going to be a great challenge for us," Jacksonville coach Doug Marrone told the New England media via conference call Wednesday. "We understand how great of a team New England is and how much of a challenge all three phases are going to be faced with. It's going to be difficult and we understand that."

These teams practiced together prior to the first preseason game back in August, and Patriots players said they saw back then things would be different with a team that won three games last season.

Now, they meet for the AFC title.

The Patriots have gone 3-3 in the six straight title game appearances, losing twice to the Denver Broncos and once to the Baltimore Ravens. Most people expected a battle with the Pittsburgh Steelers this week but the Jags flipped the script and come into this game as decided underdogs.

A big change beside the coach was the return of Tom Coughlin to the organization he helped build -- as the first coach of the expansion team in 1995.

Jacksonville's vice president of football operations, Coughlin coached the New York Giants to a pair of Super Bowl wins over the Patriots, and one would have to think he can be of some help this week -- as he has the entire season.

Asked if Coughlin might be getting too much credit when he, Marrone, is the coach, Marrone said, "He should get a lot of credit. (Jaguars general manager) Dave Caldwell should get a lot of credit. Our coaches should get a hell of a lot of credit and our players deserve the most credit.

"So I think everyone is trying to pull in the same direction. I just think that those people getting the credit, they deserve it. As long as we win I don't really care who gets the credit. So I have no problem with that at all."

Steelers primed for rematch with Jaguars

STATS, LLC

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Jaguars don't have near the playoff experience as the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Jacksonville, though, has winning experience at Heinz Field.

The champions of the AFC South (Jaguars) and AFC North (Steelers) will meet Sunday in the divisional round with the winner advancing to the AFC Championship Game against Tennessee or New England on Jan. 21.

Jacksonville trounced Pittsburgh 30-9 on Oct. 8 at Heinz Field, forcing Steelers two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Ben Roethlisberger into a career-worst five interceptions.

The Steelers (13-3) went on to win 10 of their last 11 games to secure the AFC's second seed and first-round bye.

"We've evolved since then," Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said. "They have evolved a lot since then. (The first game) is a good physical reference in terms of the matchups. ... I am sure that they are as different as we are since the last time we've seen them."

The Jaguars are hoping that the evolution has been minimal, especially the passing game. Roethlisberger said last week he was hoping the Steelers would get to play the Jaguars.

Jacksonville All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey helped grant his wish with his interception in the final seconds to seal Jacksonville's 10-3 victory over Buffalo in the wild-card round Sunday at EverBank Field. The win was Jacksonville's first in the playoffs since the 2007 season, its last appearance.

The Jaguars (11-6) returned two Roethlisberger interceptions for touchdowns in the first meeting.

The 35-year-old Roethlisberger wondered "if he still has it" after the loss when meeting with reporters.

Ramsey said with the Bills game behind them, Big Ben's comments about wanting a rematch have their attention.

"I'm sure it will be brought up a couple times this week," Ramsey said. "I would want to play us again too. He threw five picks and was contemplating retirement saying whether he had it or not after playing us. They had a good season after our game. But, sometimes you have to be careful what you ask for. We'll see Big Ben and the Steelers on Sunday. We'll see what happens then."

Ramsey intercepted a pass in the Pittsburgh win and deflected four passes. One breakup resulted in strong safety Barry Church intercepting a pass and returning it 51 yards for a touchdown.

Roethlisberger was quick to praise the Jaguars' defense this week.

"This is one of the best defenses I've ever played against," Roethlisberger said.

The Steelers finished the season ranked third in the NFL in passing yardage, with the Jaguars first in pass defense.

"They play to our strengths," Ramsey said. "They think that passing is their strength. Defending the pass is our strength. Any team that tries to pass the ball on us 40 times hasn't had success on us and I don't think will have success on us. We have to grind this week though. They're a good team coming off the bye. We're going to have to have a great game plan and execute."

Ramsey will be in the headlining matchup Sunday as he goes up against Steelers All-Pro receiver Antonio Brown, who caught 10 passes for 157 yards on 19 targets in the first meeting.

Brown injured his calf on Dec. 17, but is expected to play Sunday. The eighth-year veteran led the NFL in receiving yards this season with 1,533 (89 more than No. 2 Julio Jones), despite missing the final two games of the season.

Pittsburgh will also try to lean more on All-Pro running back Le'Veon Bell, who was held to 93 total yards in the first meeting.

"He's not one-dimensional," Jaguars coach Doug Marrone said. "It's not like this guy is going to take the ball and run downhill and run you over every single time he takes it. He can do that. He can also get the ball outside. He has excellent patience. He has a really good understanding of the blocking scheme. He's a natural catcher."

The big question is how much will Pittsburgh really need to score? Jacksonville's offense has been sluggish lately, scoring 20 total points in its last two outings combined.

Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles wasn't effective in the first meeting. He completed 8-of-14 passes for 95 yards with no touchdowns and an interception for a 48.2 passer rating.

The Jaguars' top-ranked run offense had one of its best days of the season, generating 231 yards. Rookie running back Leonard Fournette carried 28 times for 181 yards and two touchdowns, including a game-clinching 90-yard score.

"Hopefully, we can throw less," Bortles said. "That would be awesome. Leonard goes off again and those guys up front play as well as they did last time, we can run the ball up there and not have to throw at all. It was something that happened last time, but you never know."

Jags host Bills in battle of Cinderellas

Stats, LLC

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The NFL doesn't do the Cinderella story often, but one is coming when the Jacksonville Jaguars host the Buffalo Bills in an AFC wild-card game on Sunday.

The question is, which is the Cinderella story?

The Jaguars (10-6) won their first-ever AFC South title, are in the playoffs for the first time since 2007 and will host their first playoff game since 1999 at EverBank Field. Jacksonville was an NFL-worst 17-63 over the previous five seasons.

The Bills (9-7) were able to snap a playoff drought that dated back to 1999, winning the sixth seed and final wild-card berth with a win over Miami in the regular-season finale.

The winner of Sunday's game will become the playoff darling.

There are other notable storylines as well.

Jaguars first-year coach Doug Marrone coached the Bills in 2013-14 before opting out of his contract and walking away with a $4 million payout when Buffalo changed ownership.

Marrone ended up missing out on an immediate head-coaching opening and was hired by former Jaguars coach Gus Bradley to be the offensive line coach. Marrone served as the interim coach for two games last season after Bradley was fired and was promoted to head coach last January.

Buffalo's roster has changed over significantly since Marrone left. There are only six players on the roster that played under Marrone. The Bills have also already fired the coach that succeeded Marrone -- Rex Ryan -- hiring first-year coach Sean McDermott.

Marrone's exit has come up before -- at his introductory press conference last January and at the league's scouting combine a month later when he acknowledged his "mistake." He tried to deflect questions as best he could on Monday.

"There has obviously been a lot of stuff out there," Marrone said. "That stuff is done. It is over. I can't put it any simpler than that. I am not going to take away from my primarily responsibility to look back on a situation that occurred three years ago. If I do that, then I shouldn't be the coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. My job is to make sure I do the best job for this team."

The two teams also completed a trade prior to the deadline Oct. 28, with the Bills sending high-priced defensive tackle Marcell Dareus for a 2018 fifth-round draft pick. The Jaguars had the worst run defense in the NFL when they made the move and ended up finishing 21st.

"I just told him to be smart (on Sunday)," Marrone said. "The last two games, he's played well. He looks like he's becoming more comfortable with the calls and what we do. Again, it's hard to insert someone right away."

The Bills don't seem to match up well on paper. They rank 30th in sacks allowed and are 29th in total offense.

The Jaguars defense ranks first in the NFL in yards-per-play, pass defense and interceptions and is ranked second in total defense, sacks and scoring defense.

They could be in line for another dominant outing, especially if Bills star running back LeSean McCoy can't play after injuring his ankle in Sunday's win over Miami. McCoy has carried 287 times for 1,138 yards with six touchdowns this season and has a team-high 59 catches for 448 yards and two scores.

McDermott would have a tall task in replacing McCoy. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor is the team's second-leading rusher with 427 yards and four touchdowns. Mike Tolbert (247 yards) would likely fill in for McCoy, but is a plodding runner compared to the electric McCoy. Marcus Murphy made his season debut on Sunday, rushing for 41 yards. He has eight career carries in the NFL.

"You never replace a player like LeSean," McDermott said. "I've got a lot of confidence in Mike Tolbert and Murph and whoever else we put in the backfield. They did a nice job this past weekend and I expect them to do the same moving forward."

McCoy did not practice Wednesday. McDermott did say McCoy is maximizing his treatment opportunities.

McCoy's absence would put immense pressure on Taylor and the Bills' 31st ranked passing offense.

"We want the best for Shady," Taylor said. "If he's healthy, we want him absolutely to be out there playing and giving us his all. If he's not, we have a tremendous group of guys in the backfield that would be able to step in and carry the load. Of course, Shady's a special playmaker. You miss him if he's not out there, but at the same time, we can't use it as an excuse."

Defensively, Buffalo ranks 30th in stopping the run. That should give the Jaguars offense hope after two consecutive losses to close the regular season. The Jaguars lead the NFL in rushing offense and are fifth in scoring.

Point differential really separates the teams. The Jaguars are plus-149. That's second best in the AFC behind New England and tied for third in the NFL. Buffalo is minus-57. There are nine teams that didn't qualify for the playoffs with a better number.

Still, the Jaguars have shown a penchant lately for turnovers -- the stat that will be above all others on Sunday. Quarterback Blake Bortles has thrown five interceptions the last two games and the team has committed seven turnovers in that span.

"Everyone realizes it's your last chance," Bortles said. "If you lose, you go home. It's over. So there's no reason and no excuse to not play as hard as you can every single play, but I think our guys do that on a weekly basis anyways and I'm excited to go out there for this opportunity."

The Jaguars finished the season tied for fifth in turnover margin at plus-10. The Bills are plus-9, one of their few impressive stats.

"This is the start of a different type of season," Marrone said. "This is 12 teams. Every one of those teams has overcome something during the year and has earned the right to be here. Every one of those teams is dangerous and it comes down to how you perform on that Sunday."

Jaguars WR Marqise Lee questionable against Bills

Associated Press

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) – Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Marqise Lee practiced for the first time in three weeks Friday, increasing his chances of playing in a wild-card game against Buffalo.

Lee missed the final two regular-season games after spraining his right ankle. He was limited in his practice Friday, but did enough to please coach Doug Marrone.

Marrone says Lee "looked better than I envisioned."

Lee leads the team in receptions (56) and ranks second in yards (702).

Lee is optimistic about playing against the Bills, saying "just continue to have my head up as far as me playing. If I had to decide, I am going to play until they decide I'm not."

Lee was listed as questionable. Running back T.J. Yeldon (illness) also was questionable on the injury report.

Marrone says Yeldon is "50-50" to play after dealing with a "bug."

Garoppolo leads surging 49ers past Jaguars 44-33

By JOSH DUBOW
AP Pro Football Writer

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) – Forty-four points against the team with the league's stingiest defense. MVP chants for the quarterback who has single-handedly changed the mood around the San Francisco 49ers.

The legend of Jimmy G is showing no signs of slowing down.

Jimmy Garoppolo threw two touchdown passes and ran for a third score against the defense that allowed the fewest points in the league, and the 49ers won their fourth straight behind their new quarterback, beating the Jacksonville Jaguars 44-33 on Sunday.

"It's awesome. Things are going good right now," Garoppolo said. "There's a buzz in the air. You can feel it as soon as you walk into the stadium. The crowd's going nuts just in pregame. It's exciting. It's a nice thing to be a part of."

Garoppolo has been the major reason for the turnaround for the 49ers (5-10) since being inserted into the starting lineup earlier this month following a midseason trade from New England.

He has led San Francisco to four straight wins, but this one might have been the most impressive, considering the quality of Jacksonville's defense. The Jaguars came into the game having allowed the fewest points and yards passing in the league, while making the most sacks.

"Since Jimmy G got here things have been a lot different," running back Carlos Hyde said. "Things have been feeling really good around here. It's been a good vibe. That energy in the locker room right now is really good. Guys are teeing off that and ready to play."

Garoppolo carved Jacksonville up, completing 21 for 30 passes for 242 yards with TD throws to George Kittle and Trent Taylor as San Francisco pulled away in the second half. Garoppolo improved to 6-0 in his career as a starter.

The day wasn't a total loss for the Jaguars (10-5), who clinched their first division title since 1999 earlier in the afternoon when Tennessee lost at home to the Rams. But the defeat dealt a big blow to Jacksonville's hopes for a first-round bye. The Jaguars need to win next week and hope Pittsburgh loses twice to get a bye. They were in no mood to celebrate after the game.

The frustration boiled over into sideline arguments and several personal fouls, and the Jaguars had little to feel good about after the game.

"I still wanted to win this game and come in here and celebrate, but we've earned everything we've got to this point," said cornerback Aaron Colvin, who got into a heated argument during the game with teammate Malik Jackson. '"'We put ourselves in this position, but it's not over. It's cool and all, but we have bigger goals.

Blake Bortles threw three interceptions for the Jaguars, including one returned for a touchdown by Dontae Johnson in the first half, after going three straight weeks without one in the best stretch of his career .

Bortles threw for 382 yards and two touchdowns, but it wasn't enough for the Jaguars.

"Very weird feeling. Any time you lose, especially the way we've been playing, it's tough," Bortles said. "But it's also kind of in the back of your head that we won the division. So that's pretty cool, but I don't think anybody's happy with what went on today. We wanted to win the division by winning today. We weren't able to do that, so that's tough."

FAST START

Garoppolo got San Francisco off to a fast start by completing 5 of 6 for 75 yards on the opening drive that was capped by his 1-yard TD sneak . That marked the first time the Niners scored a touchdown on their opening drive since Dec. 11, 2016 against the Jets and the first time Jacksonville allowed one this year.

BAD TEMPERS

San Francisco scored on its first two drives, leading to the argument between Jackson and Colvin. Jacksonville then committed two personal fouls by Myles Jack and Yannick Ngakoue on a TD drive in the second half. Jackson then committed a personal foul with 1:43 remaining to give the Niners a key first down.

"Controlling our emotions when we're on the field, that affects the team and that's what we have to do a better job of," coach Doug Marrone said.

MOMENTUM CHANGER

The 49ers appeared in control when Johnson returned a deflected interception 50 yards for a TD to put San Francisco up 16-0. But the Jaguars blocked the extra point attempt and Colvin returned it for two points. Bortles then led two straight touchdown drives to close the half, while Garoppolo was intercepted in the end zone by Barry Church after getting hit on the pass to leave the game tied at 16 at the half.

INJURIES

Jaguars left tackle Cam Robinson (abdominal strain) and linebacker Blair Brown (concussion) left in the first half and didn't return. ... 49ers LB Reuben Foster left the game with a stinger.

UP NEXT

Jaguars: Visit Tennessee on Sunday.

49ers: Visit Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.

Jaguars jolt Texans, clinch first playoff berth in 10 years

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jaguars clinched their first playoff berth since 2007 in style.

Blake Bortles passed for three touchdowns in the first half to lead Jacksonville to a 45-7 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday at EverBank Field. The Jaguars led 31-0 after two quarters, the largest halftime margin in franchise history.

Jacksonville (10-4) remain in control of first place over the AFC South under first-year head coach Doug Marrone. The Jaguars won 17 games total in the previous five seasons, the lowest total in the NFL.

"It's unbelievable," Jaguars owner Shad Khan said. "To win it and win it the way we did today, mind-blowing. I'm really grateful and proud of the players, the football leadership and the fans -- especially the last two games. They have given us the energy to put it over the top. It's been awesome."

Houston (4-10) lost its fourth straight and fell for the seventh time in eight games. The Texans were outscored 74-14 while being swept by the Jaguars.

"We were struggling on offense, and they were running the ball," Houston coach Bill O'Brien said. "They did a good job in the passing game. On a couple of drives, I don't even know if they had a third down. They were just moving the ball and we were going three-and-out. We played the exact opposite of complementary football. We played terrible and we didn't coach very well."

Bortles completed 21 of 29 passes for 326 yards with no interceptions for a career-high passer rating of 143.8.

The fourth-year veteran continued his recent strong play. Bortles, selected with the third overall pick in the 2014 draft, has thrown for 903 yards with seven touchdowns and no interceptions in the past three games combined. He now has a playoff berth on his resume.

"Everybody knows the history of the organization," Bortles said. "To be able to say that we were a part of the group that kind of changed the culture and changed the narrative about the Jaguars is special. I think it's a never-ending battle. You do it one week or you do it for a couple weeks or for one season. It's something we have to find a way to make consistent on a weekly basis and on a yearly basis."

Bortles excelled Sunday with a group of unproven receivers after veteran Marqise Lee injured his ankle in the first quarter. The Jaguars were already without Allen Robinson (injured reserve) and Allen Hurns (ankle).

Undrafted rookie Keelan Cole caught seven passes for 186 yards and a touchdown. First-year receiver Jaydon Mickens caught two touchdown passes in the second quarter.

"I thought Blake played well," Marrone said. "It's always tough when you lose a receiver early like Marqise Lee. I thought the young guys stepped up. Blake put the ball where he needed to, and we had some big plays."

Mickens was signed to the practice squad on Sept. 18 and promoted to the active roster on Oct. 21. He quickly established himself as a dangerous punt returner, winning AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors twice in his first seven games.

Lee's injury gave Mickens the opportunity to shine against the Texans.

"That's why I practice," Mickens said. "I don't just do punt returns at practice, I have to do everything. It was something that I knew I could do. It was something that a lot of people knew I could do, but it just came out today."

The Jaguars opened the scoring with a 1-yard touchdown run by fullback Tommy Bohanon to take a 7-0 lead with 3:52 left in the first quarter.

Bortles then found Mickens for touchdown passes of 5 and 14 yards.

After Jaguars kicker Josh Lambo connected from 38 yards to give the Jaguars a 24-0 lead, Bortles put the game away following an interception by Jaguars strong safety Barry Church with 37 seconds left until halftime.

Bortles connected with Cole for a 9-yard touchdown pass with 26 seconds left in the second quarter.

That was more than enough for the NFL's top-ranked scoring defense. The Texans, starting third-team quarterback T.J. Yates, managed 58 yards and were called for 93 yards in penalties in the first half.

Yates did find receiver DeAndre Hopkins for a 25-yard touchdown in the third quarter.

The Jaguars answered with another 1-yard Bohanon touchdown run and an 8-yard run by running back Corey Grant.

Houston finished the game with 186 total yards.

"Pretty embarrassing," Yates said. "Nothing worked, nothing going on. I didn't give us a chance. ... They are an incredible defense. They did a great job covering, great job rushing the passer and creating some confusion up front."

NOTES: Jaguars DE Calais Campbell recorded two sacks to extend his single-season franchise record to 14.5. ... The Texans lost two starting offensive linemen in the game: C Nick Martin (ankle) and RG Jeff Allen (concussion). ... The Jaguars sent backup QB Chad Henne into the game with 12:33 left in the fourth quarter. ... Jaguars rookie RB Leonard Fournette was inactive due to a quad injury. The fourth overall pick in the draft did not practice all week. Fournette has carried 231 times for 923 yards with eight touchdowns this season. ... Houston continues to improve its first-round draft position. The only problem is the winless Cleveland Browns own the pick after the Texans traded up to take QB Deshaun Watson this year.

Jaguars pick off Wilson, Seahawks

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- For the first time since 2007, the Jacksonville Jaguars will post a winning record.

Blake Bortles passed for two touchdowns, and the Jaguars intercepted Russell Wilson three times in a 30-24 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at EverBank Field.

The victory pushed the Jaguars (9-4) into sole possession of first place in the AFC South, with the Tennessee Titans (8-5) losing at Arizona.

The Seahawks (8-5) are a game back of the Los Angeles Rams (9-4) in the NFC West and are currently on the outside of the NFC wild-card race.

Cornerbacks A.J. Bouye and Jalen Ramsey came up with the interceptions of Wilson, who had eight picks coming into the game. Bouye picked Wilson off twice, and Ramsey intercepted Wilson late in the first half.

The Jaguars held a 10-0 lead in the third quarter, but Seattle came back with a 28-yard field goal and a 26-yard touchdown catch by Doug Baldwin with 7:32 remaining in the period.

Bortles broke the 10-10 tie on the first play of the ensuing drive. He found rookie receiver Keelan Cole for a 75-yard touchdown.

"It's an uncharacteristic play," Seattle head coach Pete Carroll said. "We allowed the guy to get across the field when we should have been on top of him. It should have been easy for us, but we didn't play it right."

After Jacksonville made a defensive stop, Jaydon Mickens returned a punt 72 yards to Seattle's 1-yard line. Rookie Leonard Fournette scored from there for a 24-10 lead with 5:37 remaining in the third quarter.

"I thought that all three phases kind of complemented each other at times during the game," Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone said. "You have to do that to win games late in the season in December."

Wilson made sure the Seahawks weren't done. He found receiver Paul Richardson for a 61-yard touchdown and hit receiver Tyler Lockett for a 74-yard touchdown, each of the scores coming after a Jaguars field goal.

Wilson eluded pressure to find Lockett, cutting the deficit to 30-24 with 3:42 left in the fourth quarter.

Seattle got the ball back with 2:39 remaining and went four-and-out as Wilson was sacked by Malik Jackson for an 8-yard loss on third-and-1.

"It's an unfortunate loss, but we played a really good football team today," said Wilson, who threw three touchdown passes. "Jacksonville has some good football players and did some good things. But the reality is that we're fighting for first place next week."

Fournette broke a 13-yard run on third-and-11 to seal the victory.

"It was funny because Blake was like, 'We need this,'" Fournette said. "In the back of my mind, I was like, 'I can't let nothing stop me.' I got the first down, and that was it."

Bortles threw for 268 yards on 18-of-27 passing with no interceptions.

"We've said it all year long, there's going to come a time when we're going to have to find a way to win offensively," Bortles said. "Russell Wilson is an unbelievable football player. He's going to do a lot of stuff like that. We knew we were going to have to score points."

Fournette ran 24 times for 101 yards.

"This is not the old Jaguars team," Fournette said. "We are not pushovers."

Wilson was 17 of 31 for 271 yards. He also ran for 50 yards on five carries.

The game didn't seem headed for a shootout in the first half. The Jaguars took a 3-0 lead on a 38-yard field goal by Josh Lambo with 6:26 left in the first quarter.

Seattle had a chance to tie the game before halftime, but kicker Blair Walsh missed wide right from 38 yards with 16 seconds left in the second quarter.

The Jaguars went ahead 10-3 on an 18-yard touchdown catch by rookie Dede Westbrook early in the third quarter.

NOTES: Seattle DT Sheldon Richardson was ejected for throwing a punch in the final minute of the game when the Jaguars were in victory formation. Seattle DE Quinton Jefferson was ejected on the next play. ... Seattle's star tandem of linebackers, Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright, left the game after getting hurt. Wagner sustained a hamstring injury, while Wright had a concussion. Jaguars WR Larry Pinkard also left with a concussion. ... The Jaguars were without LB Telvin Smith (concussion) and WR Allen Hurns (ankle). Both were among the team's inactives. The Seahawks were without S Kam Chancellor (neck). ... The Jaguars announced a crowd of 64,431, their first sellout since the regular-season opener last year against the Green Bay Packers.

Dawson's 57-yard FG gives Arizona win over Jacksonville

By BOB BAUM
Associated Press

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — It was one special afternoon for Phil Dawson and Blaine Gabbert.

Dawson kicked a 57-yard field goal with 1 second left and the Arizona Cardinals beat Jacksonville 27-24 on Sunday, snapping the Jaguars' four-game winning streak and dropping them into a first-place tie with Tennessee in the AFC South.

It was the longest field goal of the 42-year-old kicker's career and came in a maddeningly inconsistent season with six misses.

"I make it a habit not to evaluate a season in its entirety until it's over," Dawson said. "But today was sweet for our team."

It also lifted Gabbert to a win against the franchise that had given up on the quarterback.

"It's great, I love it," guard Alex Boone said of Gabbert's victory. "It's like revenge all over. It's so awesome. That (Jacksonville) is a good team out there. They are playing well and getting this win is what we needed."

The Jaguars traded up six places to draft Gabbert 10th overall in 2011, but they got rid of him after three seasons, sending him to San Francisco for a sixth-round draft pick. Gabbert signed with Arizona in the offseason as the No. 3 quarterback, and then got a chance to play when Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton got hurt.

Gabbert was 22 of 38 for 241 yards, two touchdowns and one interception while improving to 10-31 as an NFL starter.

Dawson also was good from 34, 42 and 48 yards as the Cardinals (5-6) beat a team with a winning record for the first time this season.

Jacksonville (7-4) trailed most of the game, but took a 17-16 lead when ex-Cardinal Calais Campbell returned Gabbert's fumble 10 yards for a touchdown with 12:10 to play.

"I just knew we had the game locked up," Campbell said, "but at the end of the day, they made a few big-time plays. ... I felt like I didn't play my best game today."

Gabbert responded with a 52-yard TD pass to Jaron Brown. He then found Larry Fitzgerald for the 2-point conversion, giving Arizona a 24-17 lead.

Corey Grant's 68-yard return of the ensuing kickoff led to Blake Bortles' second rushing touchdown of the day, a 17-yarder that tied it at 24 with 7:26 left.

Jacksonville's Barry Church and Arizona's Tyrann Mathieu each had an interception in the final 3:38, but neither team could turn it into a score.

The Cardinals got the ball back on a punt with 16 seconds to play at their 39.

Gabbert threw two sideline completions, the second one to D.J. Foster with 6 seconds to go — Foster made a lunging tippy-toe catch that had to be reviewed — to get close enough for the winning field goal.

Coach Doug Marrone blamed himself for giving Arizona that final chance.

"If I had to do it all over again, I just would have ran the clock out and went to overtime," he said. "That is my fault."

Bortles also had a 1-yard TD run in the third quarter. He was 19 of 33 for 160 yards and an interception.

The Cardinals took the lead with a short drive on their first possession. Gabbert completed 4 of 5 for 43 yards to set up Dawson's 34-yarder.

Dawson kicked another field goal in the second quarter and Kerwynn Williams' 21-yard punt return set up Gabbert's 29-yard touchdown pass to tight end Ricky Seals-Jones, making it 13-0 Arizona.

Jacksonville finally got on the board on Josh Lambo's 43-yard field goal with 15 seconds left in the half.

RUSHING WOES

Jacksonville entered as the No. 1 rushing team in the NFL at 160 yards per game, but managed a season-low 91 against the Cardinals.

Leonard Fournette carried 12 times for 25 yards. Bortles was the team's leading rusher with 62 yards on six carries.

SEALS-JONES

Seals-Jones no doubt has enjoyed having Gabbert as his quarterback. Promoted from the practice squad on Sept. 25, the undrafted rookie out of Texas A&M didn't have an NFL catch until a week ago, when he caught three, two for touchdowns, from Gabbert in a loss at Houston.

Seals-Jones was back at it Sunday, catching four passes for 72 yards.

INJURIES

Already without starting offensive linemen Patrick Omameh and Jermey Parnell, the Jaguars lost linebacker Telvin Smith to a concussion in the first half. Arizona inside linebacker Deone Bucannon left in the first half with an ankle injury and Williams departed with a rib injury.

JERSEY TRADE

Campbell got his wish, trading jerseys with his old friend Fitzgerald when the game ended.

UP NEXT

Jaguars: Play Indianapolis next Sunday in first of three straight home games.

Cardinals: Host NFC West-leading Los Angeles Rams next Sunday.

Jags ride defense to 19-7 win over Browns, move into first

By TOM WITHERS
Associated Press

CLEVELAND (AP) — Blake Bortles threw a touchdown pass and Jacksonville linebacker Telvin Smith recovered a fumble for a TD with 1:14 remaining on Sunday as the Jaguars won their fourth straight, 19-7 over the winless Browns and moved into sole possession of first place in the AFC South.

Jacksonville's top-ranked defense forced five turnovers — two in the final two minutes.

The Jaguars (7-3) built a 10-0 lead and turned things over to their "Sacksonville" defense. The Jaguars intercepted rookie DeShone Kizer twice, recorded five sacks and blanked the Browns (0-10) in the second half.

Cleveland's last hopes ended when Yannick Ngakoue sacked Kizer and knocked the ball into the end zone, where Smith recovered. Earlier, Ngakoue and Calais Campbell combined to sack Kizer, who fumbled as he fell and it was recovered near mid-field by Dante Fowler with 1:48 left.

With the win, Jacksonville is leading its division after 10 games for the first time since 1999, when the Jags were atop the AFC Central at 9-1.

Josh Lambo kicked a pair of field goals for the Jaguars, who have held six opponents to seven points or less.

On a blustery, rainy and snowy afternoon, the Jaguars were unable to move the ball with much success. Their defense had another impressive performance, however, and backed up safety Tashaun Gipson's prediction that Jacksonville keep the Browns winless — but it wasn't easy.

Gipson, a former Pro Bowler in Cleveland, ripped the team's front office earlier in the week and said the Browns will "probably go 0-16" and predicted a shutout.

His forecast was slightly off, but the Jaguars extended their longest winning streak since 2007 and continued a surprising season.

The Browns, on the other hand, fell to 1-25 under coach Hue Jackson and are 4-43 since Nov. 30, 2014 — the worst 47-game stretch in NFL history.

Jacksonville was missing two starting offensive lineman and because of injuries to several wide receivers, the Jaguars were one dimensional on offense. Leonard Fournette, who has been slowed by a sore ankle, finished with 111 yards on 28 carries.

Kizer's 13th interception this season set up Jacksonville's first score. The rookie QB, who has struggled with turnovers all season, tried to thread a pass to Corey Coleman, but Smith snatched it and made a 26-yard return.

On first and goal from the 10, Bortles made the Browns defense bite on a play fake before lofting his TD pass to a wide-open Marcedes Lewis.

Jacksonville went up 10-0 on Lambo's 38-yard field goal.

Limited to just 4 yards in the first quarter, the Browns scored on their first possession of the second as Kizer threw a 27-yard TD pass to Duke Johnson.

INJURIES

Browns: DE Emmanuel Ogbah did not play in the second half because of a foot injury. ... WR Sammie Coates sustained an injury to his right knee and ankle in the first quarter and did not return. ... DT Jamie Meder's day was ended by a left ankle injury in the first.

Jaguars: WR Marqise Lee limped off the field in the first quarter but returned after having his left ankle re-taped. ... WR Kellan Cole bruised his ribs in the first quarter but came back.

FLASH GORDON

Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon worked out on the field before the game. Gordon was recently re-instated by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being suspended for the past two seasons. He can begin practicing this week and will be eligible to play for the first time since 2014 on Dec. 3 when Cleveland visits the Los Angeles Rams.

A Pro Bowler in 2013 when he led the league with 1,646 yards receiving, Gordon has missed 53 of Cleveland's last 58 games.

UP NEXT

Jaguars: At Arizona.

Browns: At Cincinnati.

Jaguars allow season-low 148 yards in 23-7 win over Bengals

By MARK LONG
Associated Press

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — As offensively inept as the Cincinnati Bengals were to start the season, they were even worse Sunday at Jacksonville.

The Bengals finished with a season-low 148 yards in a 23-7 loss that showed — again — just how dominant the Jaguars (5-3) can be.

The game will be remembered more for a fight between receiver A.J. Green and cornerback Jalen Ramsey. But Cincinnati's offense was the one that really got whipped.

It was the team's worst output since a 27-0 drubbing at Indianapolis in 2014 in which Cincy managed 135 yards. The Bengals (3-5) might not have reached the end zone in this one had it not been for a 59-yard pass play from Andy Dalton to Tyler Kroft during which two defenders collided while missing the tackle. Rookie Joe Mixon scored two plays later.

Jacksonville dominated from there, controlling the ball for more than 40 minutes in a chippy game that could have been much more lopsided.

"When we're playing like this, what can you really do with us?" Jaguars cornerback Aaron Colvin said. "Where you going to go with the ball? Where are you going to run the ball? We keep trying to tell y'all: There isn't no secondary out there that's better than us. We're trying to show y'all. Eventually everybody will catch on."

Mixon finished with 31 yards rushing on 13 carries. Dalton threw for 136 yards and was sacked twice.

"Obviously we're not executing at the level that we want to," Dalton said. "We need to play better, and it starts with the mentality of knowing that you're going to play better, and telling yourself, and trusting the guy next to you."

Blake Bortles threw for 259 yards and a touchdown in another efficient day. Marqise Lee had his first TD reception of the season. And Jaydon Mickens returned a punt 63 yards for a score that put the game away in the fourth quarter.

Green and Ramsey were the main topic afterward.

The perennial Pro Bowler retaliated against the trash-talking Ramsey in a violent way. After Ramsey pushed Green to the ground at the end of a running play, Green grabbed Ramsey around the neck and slammed him to the ground. Green then delivered numerous punches to Ramsey's helmet — never the smartest idea — and put another MMA-style choke hold on Ramsey. It was the kind of aggressive attack that could lead to league discipline, maybe even a suspension.

Green and Ramsey were ejected.

"I should have walked off in that situation," Green said. "It's never going to happen again. I regret my actions. Whatever my punishments are I accept them because I put myself in that situation. ... I've got to control my emotions better. I've got to handle my stuff better. I can't put myself in a situation like that, hurt my team and not be able to play."

Ramsey was not in the locker room after the game.

The Jaguars preferred to talk about their latest defensive gem, one that followed two 10-sack performances (Houston, Indianapolis) and a five-turnover outing (Pittsburgh).

"When we're all working together like that, like we've been the past couple of weeks, it's a scary sight," linebacker Myles Jack said. "I can feel it on the field. It's fun."

FOURNETTE OUT

Jaguars rookie running back Leonard Fournette was inactive for violating a team rule. Jacksonville made the surprise announcement 90 minutes before kickoff. It's unclear what Fournette did to draw coach Doug Marrone's punishment.

INJURIES

Bengals: Starting right tackle Jake Fisher was taken to a local hospital with an undisclosed illness. ... Nose tackle Pat Sims left in the first quarter with a right calf injury and did not return. ... Running back Jeremy Hill, who started the first seven games, was scratched because of an ankle injury. Hill was not on the injury report all week.

Jaguars: Left tackle Cam Robinson reinjured his left ankle, but returned to the game. ... Defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. injured his right elbow but returned.

JAGS HOMECOMING

The Jaguars welcomed back nearly 60 former players for their annual homecoming game. In conjunction with the reunion, the Jaguars wore teal jersey and black pants for the first time since December 2006.

UP NEXT

Bengals: Wrap up a three-game stretch against the AFC South by playing Tennessee. It's the second of three consecutive road games, a stretch that could determine whether or not Cincinnati is a playoff contender down the stretch.

Jaguars: Host the Los Angeles Chargers, which have won six in a row in the series. Jacksonville's last victory against the Chargers came in 2007, the last time the Jags made the playoffs.

Jaguars' bye week brought mostly good news

JACKSONVILLE -- The Jacksonville Jaguars made it through their bye week with no new injuries, no off-the-field issues, no player indiscretions.

That alone makes it a successful week compared to some of the incidents that have plagued the franchise in the past during their off week. Instead, some, i.e. outside linebacker Telvin Smith, is calling it a win-win week, for him personally and the Jaguars defense.

First the personal news.

Smith inked his name to a new four-year, $50-million deal last Wednesday. It came on the brink of what might have been Smith's last year with the Jaguars as his four-year rookie contract was set to expire at the end of this season, leaving him the option of looking for a lucrative deal elsewhere.

Instead, he's locked in with the Jaguars, and will continue to be an integral part of what is becoming one of the league's elite defenses.

Which brings about the second good news story of the week in Smith's opinion. That would be the team trading a sixth-round draft pick to the Buffalo Bills to acquire defensive tackle Marcell Dareus.

The 6-foot-3, 331-pound seventh-year veteran has made a name for himself as a run-stopper in the middle of the Bills' defensive line, not to mention the 34 sacks that he acquired in his first six seasons with the Bills. He added one more to that total in five games with the Bills this season. The Bills loss is the Jaguars gain in Smith's way of thinking.

"I've seen a lot of people say it and I'm going to steal it, that we won the bye week (with the addition of Dareus), and we did," Smith said. "That's definitely an upgrade for our defense. It definitely adds depth to our defense, helping (starting defensive tackle) Abry (Jones) out.

"He was doing a great job in there, but with a guy like Marcell to come in behind him and play with him, that's going to be a crazy rotation. So (I'm) definitely looking forward to adding another head to this monster."

The Jaguars are hoping Dareus can provide a lift to a defense that has excelled against the pass but has struggled at times against the run. The Jaguars are allowing a league-high 5.16 yards per carry to opposing runners and are last in rushing yards allowed per game (138.6).

At 331 pounds, Dareus eats up a lot of space in the middle. He's played nose tackle and defensive tackle and at times has moved to an outside spot. Jaguars defensive ends Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue are among the league leaders in sacks, but the interior of the line has been vulnerable to opposing teams' running attacks.

Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone feels Dareus has the potential and talent to help the Jaguars in that area. Marrone should know. He coached Dareus for two years when he served as the Bills head coach 2013-14.

"It's an opportunity for us to try and get better," Marrone said in explaining why the Jaguars wanted Dareus. "We've struggled at times against the run and I think he's going to be able to help our defense that way. I was very happy with the things that I saw (in watching tape of him). Right now, we're just trying to get him acclimated (to our system)."

There are other positive implications to the Jaguars acquiring Dareus. It adds another able body in the rotation of the front line. Following the Indianapolis game prior to the team's bye week, Marrone cited a concern about the physical condition of the team.

Part of that had to do with the added playing time that the front-liners were putting in. There was a definite drop-off when the Jaguars started pulling starters and putting in fresh faces. With a proven quantity like Dareus that should give more rest time to the likes of Campbell, Jones and defensive tackle Malik Jackson.

Dareus will be challenged to stay out of trouble, something he's had problems with in the past. There's no question he has the talent to be among the elite defenders at his position. He's started 85 of the 91 games he's played with the Bills and has 35 career sacks, though only one in five games this season. His best year was in 2014 when he finished with a career-best 10.0 sacks and was a first-team All-Pro selection. He was named to the Pro Bowl in both 2013 and 2014.

But Dareus has had issues off the field, has been suspended several times and has missed a number of games due to bad decisions. A year ago he was suspended four games for violating the NFL's policy on drug use. The previous season he was banned for one game. He was sent home before the Bills' final preseason game in August this year against the Baltimore Ravens for unspecified reasons.

In Marrone's final season with the Bills, he benched Dareus for the first quarter of a December game against the Miami Dolphins, reportedly for being late to team meetings throughout the season. Marrone was asked about the risks involved with Dareus' acquisition.

"We're all at risk - myself, everybody," the Jaguars' coach said. "At the end of the day, some people get themselves in situations and you hope that they learn from it. If they don't, then obviously there's consequences. That's the same for all the players."

Bottom line is that if Dareus stays clean and plays like he did in his Pro-Bowl years of 2013 and 2014, he could be the missing piece of the puzzle for the defense. They've already proven they are an elite group in pressuring quarterbacks and defending against the pass. If Dareus can solidify the interior of the line and help shut down running attacks, it will leave the Jaguars in prime position to lock up their first playoff berth in a decade.

--Most people who are in position to make $50 million over a four-year span would want to shout it from the roof top. Not Jaguars linebacker Telvin Smith. The fourth-year veteran out of Florida State would rather talk about the weather, his alma mater, his teammates. Anything but his new contract.

Smith appeared before the local media on Monday, five days after he inked his new deal in the final year of his four-year rookie contract. He made it clear from the start of the questioning that he wasn't comfortable in talking about it.

"It is more stressful right now than having to deal with it when I actually had to go through signing it," Smith said.

Why, he was asked.

"Because we are talking about it. Let's talk about ball," he pleaded. "Let's talk about ball. Money is money. I got paid. I'm grateful to the organization. I am happy for my family. Everyone who played a part in it, I am happy for. It is just another step in life. I have been here and now I just have a bigger bank account to say I am here.

"That is why it is hard for me to speak on it because it is still a business. I still look at it as a business that if it wasn't here, then it was going to be somewhere. I am who I am. I am grateful to the organization. Again, like I said in that sense.

"I earned it. Why do I have to talk about what you earn? You feel me? It is done."

And with that, the questions turned to the Jaguars defense.

--The bye week came at a perfect time for the Jaguars this season. A year ago, Jacksonville had its bye week in Week 5. That didn't turn out too well as the team lost. The Jaguars won in their first week after the bye but then lost 10 of their final 11 games. This year their off week comes one game shy of the halfway point of the regular season, an ideal time to be taking a week off.

It will hopefully be a time when three starters can use the extra week of rest and rehab to overcome injuries/illness. Center Brandon Linder has missed three consecutive games due to an unspecified illness. Marrone said Linder's conditioning and strengthening was at a good level.

"I think now we have it back to where it was," the Jaguars coach said. I feel very good about that. He's cleared, ready to go and he's out on the field and we're watching him as he comes back. He did a nice job getting back."

Marrone wasn't as confident-sounding when talking about running back Leonard Fournette or left tackle Cam Robinson, both of whom are nursing sprained ankles.

"I think it always helps the players when they're banged up, especially the young guys," Marrone said. "They go through the college season, where Cam has probably gone through an NFL season. You know what I'm saying. I don't mean that from a standpoint from it being harder at Alabama, but they just play so many games. The playoffs and everything.

"I think it helped both players, but I don't think that I can honestly sit here and say - I don't think Cam would have been able to play last week and then this week, obviously you saw him on the field, so we'll see how it goes once he gets out there a little more."

So you feel good about Fournette playing this Sunday, right coach?

"I'm never saying that. Nope. Never say that. I always say, 'we'll see.'"

Marrone was chastised by Buffalo media members several years ago when he all but guaranteed a player would be ready and would play in a Sunday game. However, the player didn't play that Sunday and Marrone endured a lot of heat afterwards. Thus, the reason for the cautionary approach ever since.

--Trades are part of the business in the NFL, but it can be unsettling to players that have not experienced it before and who are comfortable in their current surroundings. Enter the case of defensive tackle Marcell Dareus who got his first taste of "the business" when he was dealt to the Jacksonville Jaguars last Saturday after playing the previous six years with the Buffalo Bills.

Dareus got the news Saturday morning when he was reviewing some of his assignments for Sunday's game against the Oakland Raiders.

"I was surprised when I got the call," Dareus said in his first media session on Monday with Jacksonville reporters. "It was a little overwhelming on Saturday. I was getting prepared for the game, was zoned in. When I got the call, it made me a little emotional. I knew it was a one-way ticket. It was a culture shock to me.

"I still haven't gotten over it yet. I'm still in shock. I'm shocked for the trade, I'm shocked for this defense, this team."

Dareus said he's treating the trade as an opportunity for a fresh start. He said he knows it's all part of the business of playing in the NFL.

"(It's a) new city. (It's) new surroundings. I'm just happy to be here with these guys. They've been playing fairly well and I'm just happy to be here to help any way I possibly can.

"It's such a different experience. I thought Buffalo was my home and I was extremely happy for everything they've done for me as an organization. But at the same time, it's a business and this is where I am. It feels good to be wanted."

NOTES: WR Dede Westbrook could be ready to make his NFL debut either this week against Cincinnati or the following week against the Los Angeles Chargers. Westbrook was placed on reserve/injured in August and designated for return Monday. The Jaguars have three weeks to make a decision on their rookie receiver. "We got him back on the field today and also that's step one. Step two, we'll be getting him in there, getting him involved with practice, and see how he performs," head coach Doug Marrone said. ... WR Marqise Lee will be watched closely by Jaguars officials the rest of this season to determine if they want to re-sign him in the offseason. Lee's rookie contract expires at the end of this season, and if rookie receiver Dede Westbrook has a strong second-half finish, Lee may not be re-signed. ... CB Aaron Colvin has a contract that expires at the end of the season. Colvin has been used exclusively as the team's nickel back which doesn't attract as much money as a cornerback would. Colvin may look elsewhere for a starting job and bigger dollars with another NFL team. ... C Brandon Linder was back on the practice field on Monday, his first action in nearly a month. Linder has missed three straight games due to an unspecified illness. "He's cleared, ready to go and he's out on the field and we're watching him as he comes back. He did a nice job getting back," Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone said. ... NT Abry Jones will likely become a backup following the acquisition of Marcell Dareus from the Bills. Jones had started the first seven games of the season, taking over for the departed Roy Miller who was not retained by the team. Jones signed a new four-year contract with the Jaguars last March. ... WR Montay Crockett was added to the Jaguars' practice squad on Monday. Crockett was originally signed as an undrafted rookie on May 5 after a four-year career at Georgia Southern.

REPORT CARD AFTER 7 GAMES

--PASSING OFFENSE: B - It's a case of less is more. The less Blake Bortles has to pass, the better the rushing game and offense is probably going. In the Jaguars' four wins this season, Bortles has thrown 31 or fewer passes. In the three losses, he's thrown the ball 34, 35 and 35 times. When the running game is going good (185.0 yards per game in the four wins), the Jaguars don't need to rely on Bortles nearly as much. While he's improved his numbers this year, including fewer interceptions, fewer sacks and a higher passer rating than a year ago, his yards are also lower. Last year, Bortles had 10 games in which he threw for at least 245 yards. This year he's had one - last week's 330-yard effort. As long as the Jaguars continue to enjoy success in running the ball, the passing game will be that much better because of it.

--RUSHING OFFENSE: A - A quick check of the numbers from a year ago to this season shows the difference in the running game. In 2016, the Jaguars had five games in which they rushed for more than 100 yards, three times exceeding 155 yards. In the first seven games this year, Jacksonville has not only topped the century mark six times, all six games it has totaled 155 yards or more. As a team, the Jaguars are averaging an even 5.0 yards per carry compared to a respectable 4.2 a year ago. Leonard Fournette has been an instant success in his rookie season, breaking out for 596 yards in the first six games before he had to miss the seventh game due to an ankle sprain. The fact that the Jaguars still managed to gain 188 yards in Fournette's absence shows that the team has strengthened its overall running attack. All this considering they have been without starting center Brandon Linder, arguably their best offensive lineman, for the past three games.

--PASS DEFENSE: A - The addition of cornerback A.J. Bouye and strong safety Barry Church was done to shore up a secondary that has had a lot of difficulties in stopping opposing team's passing attacks. Bouye and Church have been a big part of the reason the Jaguars rank among the top five teams in the NFL in defending the pass, allowing an average of 161.7 yards per game through the air, a marked difference from their 2016 average of 226.7 passing yards per game. They've also dropped the number of touchdown passes allowed, going from 20 for all of last year to just four in the first seven games this season. Same success with interceptions, where a year ago, the Jaguars finished with a total of seven. Jacksonville has already picked off 10 passes - all of which came in the first five games of the season. Cornerback Jalen Ramsey is playing at an All-Pro level while Buoye, Church and free safety Tashaun Gipson are all playing exceptionally well.

--RUSH DEFENSE: C - The one weakness for the defense this season has been its inability to shut down opposing ground games. They've had some success, like holding Houston, Pittsburgh and Indianapolis to less than 100 yards on the ground. But the other four games, opponents have rushed for an average of 177.9 yards per game. The overall average of allowing 145.7 yards a game on the ground leaves the Jaguars in the bottom five of the league. A good portion of those yards have come from backs running right through the center of the front line. That's the main reason the team acquired Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus in a trade during the team's bye week. Dareus' 331-pound frame will take up a lot of space in the middle and could be the missing run-stopping piece the Jaguars need. One area where the front line has been exceptionally stout is putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. The Jaguars lead the NFL in sacks and are on pace to establish an NFL record if they continue their current mark of just under five sacks a game.

--SPECIAL TEAMS: C - There have been too many ups and downs from this unit to warrant a better grade. The placekicking is the best example. Jason Myers led the team in scoring with 48 points in the first six games, converting on 11 of 12 field-goal attempts inside the 50. But it's the misses that sometimes matter and Myers missed two extra points and all three field-goal attempts from beyond 50 yards. As a result, he was let go the week of the Indianapolis game in favor of Josh Lambo who connected on a pair of field goals and all three extra points. Punter Brad Nortman has also had his good and bad moments. He's averaging 44.6 yards per punt but that includes a 16-yarder against the Los Angeles Rams that led to an easy Rams field goal. The Jaguars have covered kicks well, but are getting very little out of their own return game, averaging a meager 2.2 yards on punt returns and 19.1 on kickoff runbacks.

--COACHING: B-plus - Doug Marrone has done a solid job with the team in his first year as head coach after serving as interim head coach the last two games of the 2016 season. Marrone's message has stayed consistent all season, placing a special emphasis on solid defensive play, getting off to a fast start and finishing strong. Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett has done a good job with the play-calling, especially in terms of sticking with a running game that has emerged as the NFL's best after eight weeks. Defensive coordinator Todd Wash has benefited from the acquisition of several free-agent additions as well as the improved play of second-year players CB Jalen Ramsey, DE Yannick Ngakoue and LB Myles Jack. Wash's aggressive style has resulted in a league-leading 33 sacks. Special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis hasn't been as successful as his counterparts and will need to have a better showing in the second half of the season to guarantee his return in 2017.

Bortles, Jaguars' D sacks Colts 27-0 to stay atop division

By MICHAEL MAROT
Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Blake Bortles set up the Indianapolis Colts with a curveball Sunday. The Jaguars' dominant defense finished it off with a rare shutout.

With feature back Leonard Fournette inactive, Bortles threw for a season-high 330 yards and one touchdown and the defense tied a franchise record with 10 sacks in a 27-0 drubbing at Indy.

"We obviously were able to get to their quarterback. The guys played well, guys were ready to step up," coach Doug Marrone said.

Under the circumstances, the Jaguars (4-3) couldn't have scripted a better combination.

They spent the week fine-tuning their deep throws, and it worked perfectly. Bortles completed first-half passes of 52, 50 and 45 yards, all longer than his previous season best of 35 yards. He wound up 18 of 26 and finished with a rating of 124.7, the fourth-highest of his career.

T.J. Yeldon, who helped fill in for the injured Fournette, ran nine times for 122 yards, including a 58-yard scoring run late in the third quarter that sealed Indy's fate. Jacksonville finished with 188 yards rushing.

And Bortles enjoyed the change of pace.

"Hopefully they keep stacking the box so we can keep doing that (throwing long). It's a little bit more fun as a quarterback to throw than to hand it off," he said. "But as long as we're winning, that's irrelevant. We'll do whatever the defense shows us and play off of that."

As usual, the Jags' defense was almost impenetrable.

While Jacksonville didn't add to its league-leading takeaway total, it matched the 10 sacks it had against Houston in the season opener, and the Jags got their first shutout since a 41-0 victory over the New York Jets on Oct. 8, 2006.

Strangely, Indy was shut out for the first time since a 41-0 loss to the Jets in a playoff game on Jan. 4, 2003.

The Colts (2-5) had their only serious scoring chance snuffed out on a botched fourth-and-2 quarterback sneak at the Jaguars 6-yard line.

"This one falls squarely on my shoulders," coach Chuck Pagano said after Indy's second straight loss. "Obviously, I didn't have this team prepared and ready to go."

It was never even close.

Bortles led Jacksonville to scores on its first two possessions — getting a 1-yard run from Chris Ivory to cap the first drive and finishing the second with a nifty 5-yard TD pass to Marcedes Lewis — for a 14-0 lead. He set up new kicker Josh Lambo for two second-quarter field goals to make it 20-0.

The Jaguars snapped a four-game losing streak at Lucas Oil Stadium.

KEY NUMBERS:

Jaguars: Jacksonville joined the 1984 Chicago Bears and 1967 Oakland Raiders as the only teams to record 10 or more sacks twice in the same season. The Jags converted its first five third-down chances and had 518 yards in total offense compared with 232 for the Colts. ... Allen Hurns caught five passes for 101 yards. .. Calais Campbell was credited with two sacks, giving him a career high 10 this season.

Colts: Quarterback Jacoby Brissett was 22 of 37 for 200 yards. ... Frank Gore carried nine times for 34 yards, moving within four attempts of passing Barry Sanders (3,062) for No. 6 on the NFL's career list. ... T.Y. Hilton caught two passes for 27 yards after having one catch in Monday night's loss at Tennessee. The 10 sacks are the most in the Colts' Indianapolis era. ... It marked the first time Indy was shut out in a regular-season game since Dec. 26, 1993, against New England, ending the third-longest streak without a shutout in league history at 375 games.

INJURIES

Jaguars: Fournettte sat out with a sprained right ankle and starting center Brandon Linder was inactive with an illness. Left tackle Cam Robinson did not return after injuring his left ankle on the second play of the game. Marrone didn't have an immediate update after the game.

Colts: Indy lost three defensive starters — cornerback Rashaan Melvin (concussion), inside linebacker John Simon (stinger), safety Malik Hooker (right knee) in the first half. None of the three returned. Starting center Ryan Kelly (hamstring) left in the in the second half and also did not return. Hooker is scheduled to have an MRI done on the knee after he refused to get on the golf cart before halftime.

THEY SAID IT

Jaguars: "I've never really even thought about it. The W's is all I care about, getting that W. When you get sacks along the way, it all helps." — Campbell, referring to their second 10-sack day of the season.

Colts: "There's something wrong with us? People lose all the time. We have to play another day." — Brissett.

UP NEXT

Jaguars: Host Cincinnati on Nov. 5 after getting a bye next week.

Colts: Will try to snap a two-game losing streak when they visit Cincinnati next weekend.

Rams score twice on special teams, beat Jaguars 27-17

By MARK LONG
Associated Press

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams have won games with offensive prowess, defensive stops and Greg Zuerlein's leg.

Now, they can add special teams to the list.

Pharoh Cooper returned the opening kickoff 103 yards, one of two special teams touchdowns that helped the Rams beat the up-and-down Jacksonville Jaguars 27-17 on Sunday.

The Rams (4-2) also blocked a punt for a score — Malcolm Brown returned the loose ball 8 yards in a pile of teammates — and improved to 3-0 on the road for the first time since 2001.

"When I hit that sideline, I just took off and prayed that I didn't get caught," Cooper said. "We had a great day in special teams. ... Special teams play is something we all take pride in and you can tell it really shows."

The units were Jacksonville's downfall. The Jaguars (3-3) gave up 17 points on three special teams gaffes — the long return, the block and a 16-yard punt that set up a field goal. Making it an even longer day for the home team, Jason Myers missed two 54-yards field goals that could have made a difference.

"It's very disappointing," Jaguars special teams captain Arrelious Been said. "We can't sit back and wait for offense and defense to do it. We've got to go out there and do it."

Jacksonville's defense did its part, holding the high-scoring Rams to 249 yards and 12 first downs. But the unit got little help outside of rookie Leonard Fournette's big run to open the game.

The Jaguars botched a decent chance to tie the game early in the fourth quarter when Blake Bortles fumbled on one play and then threw an interception on the next. It cost Jacksonville a shot at ending its inconsistent ways to start the season.

Los Angeles essentially sealed the victory on Greg Zuerlein's 29-yard field goal with 2:32 remaining.

It should make for an enjoyable few more days in Jacksonville. The Rams will remain in the city for four days before continuing an 11-day road trip in London.

"I think our guys just embrace that mentality where you come into a stadium and they have this breakdown of, 'We're all we got. We're all we need,'" Rams coach Sean McVay said. "These players are mentality tough. That's becoming the identity that you hear us talk about all the time."

The Jaguars, coming off an impressive victory at Pittsburgh, still haven't won consecutive games in more than a year and lost for the ninth time in 10 games at EverBank Field.

"Why we're so volatile in our play? I don't know," linebacker Paul Posluszny said. "They just made more impact plays than we did that forced the outcome of the game."

Fournette set the tone again by scoring on the first play from scrimmage. After Cooper's kickoff return, Fournette took a handoff and went 75 yards for his sixth rushing touchdown and seventh score of the season.

Fournette finished with 130 yards on 21 carries, but only 55 yards after his first run. He also injured his right ankle late in the game and did not return, but expects to be fine.

Todd Gurley ran 23 times for 116 yards for the Rams. Robert Woods caught five passes for 70 yards. And Jared Goff was 11 of 21 for 124 yards, including a 4-yard TD pass to Gerald Everett.

The difference, though, was special teams.

"A good team — the team we want to be, the team we can be, the team we will be — finds a way to win that game no matter what happens," Jaguars defensive end Calais Campbell said.

QUICK SCORES

The back-to-back scores to open the game made history. The consecutive touchdowns marked the first time in the Super Bowl era that any game had two touchdowns of at least 75 yards in the first 30 seconds of play.

STRANGE SEQUENCE

The Jaguars got two tries at a field goal in the third quarter during a strange sequence of penalties that ended up costing the Rams three points. Myers hooked a 41-yarder left, but Los Angeles was flagged for illegal formation. Jacksonville was penalized on the next play for a false start, moving the ball back to the original spot. Myers then drilled his second try from 41 yards.

INJURIES

Rams tight end Derek Carrier left in the third quarter and was evaluated for a concussion. Cornerback Trumaine Johnson left late in the third to be evaluated for a concussion, but returned a few plays later. Fellow cornerback Kayvon Webster briefly left the field a few plays later.

UP NEXT

Rams: Will stay in Jacksonville for four days before flying to London and playing a "home game" against NFC West rival Arizona.

Jaguars: Play at AFC South rival Indianapolis next week.

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Catanzaro's FG leads Jets to wacky 23-20 OT win over Jaguars

By DENNIS WASZAK Jr.
Associated Press

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Long runs, bad breaks, big plays and wacky moments. This one had them all.

Chandler Catanzaro kicked a 41-yard field goal with 28 seconds left in overtime, lifting the New York Jets to a 23-20 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

"Crazy is right," Jets quarterback Josh McCown said with a grin. "I'm glad we were on the right side of it, though."

After Catanzaro split the uprights, he and his teammates celebrated wildly in the middle of the field — but then had to wait a moment because there was a penalty flag on the field. The officials ruled there actually was no penalty on the play — giving the surprising Jets (2-2) the win.

"What you saw there was a complete team effort," running back Bilal Powell said.

Powell rushed for a career-high 163 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown , and rookie Elijah McGuire had a 69-yard score and finished with 93 yards rushing as the Jets ran all over the Jaguars (2-2).

But New York blew a 10-point, fourth-quarter advantage — and then had to hold on in the extra period.

"We fought back," coach Todd Bowles said. "We had the lead and gave it away. Guys didn't get down. They didn't blink."

On fourth-and-5 from the Jets 25, Lachlan Edwards boomed a 70-yard punt that was misjudged by Marqise Lee, who had the ball bounce away from him before he recovered. Jacksonville was called for an illegal block in the back on the play, putting the ball at the Jaguars 3.

Jacksonville went three-and-out, but on the punt, Paul Posluszny was called for unsportsmanlike conduct for taunting as the Jets' Dylan Donahue went down on the Jaguars sideline with an elbow injury. It put the ball on the Jacksonville 25, and after two 1-yard runs, Josh McCown spiked the ball to set up Catanzaro's field goal.

"Those long runs, my stupidity at the end of the game," Posluszny said, "you can't win with stuff like that."

McCown finished 22 of 31 for 224 yards with an interception and the Jets outgained the Jaguars 471-311 in total yards, including 256-175 on the ground.

Blake Bortles was 15 of 35 for 140 yards with a TD and an interception.

"We've got to find ways to make plays offensively and score touchdowns and put games like that away," Bortles said.

It appeared the Jets were heading for a win-sealing drive after a 41-yard pass to Robby Anderson got them to the Jaguars 14. But McCown tossed a backward pass to Powell and the ball bounced off the running back's shoulder pad — ruled a fumble — and Myles Jack recovered and went 81 yards for a touchdown to cut the Jaguars' deficit to 20-17 with 10:20 left in the fourth quarter.

"I wasn't ready for it," Powell said, "but we bounced back from it."

With 3:19 left in regulation and New York still leading by three, A.J. Bouye picked off McCown after Powell slipped right in front of the cornerback and gave the Jaguars the ball at the Jets 35.

Leonard Fournette took a short pass from Bortles and scored a 23-yard touchdown — but it was wiped out by a holding call on Arrelious Benn.

Four plays later, Kony Ealy knocked down a pass from Bortles on third-and-goal from the 4, and the Jaguars settled for Jason Myers' 22-yard tying field goal with 46 seconds remaining.

FLYING JETS: McGuire had given the Jets a 17-10 lead with 10:02 left in the third quarter with his 69-yard TD run. It marked the first time in franchise history that the Jets had two touchdown runs of 60 or more yards in the same game.

BOOM-BOOM-POWELL: After Fournette's 10-yard TD catch midway into the first quarter gave the Jaguars a 7-0 lead, the Jets answered right back on their next play from scrimmage. Powell went up the middle and appeared to get tripped up as he leaped over Jaguars linebacker Telvin Smith, but smartly got up — after not being touched by Smith — and took off for a 75-yard touchdown. It was upheld by video review, resulting in the Jets' longest touchdown run since Bruce Harper went 78 yards in 1983.

FAKE PUNT: The Jets used some trickery to try to take a halftime lead when Edwards faked the punt on fourth-and-21 and passed to cornerback Marcus Williams, who gained 30 yards on the play to put the ball at the Jaguars 22. After a delay of game penalty on Edwards — who was celebrating the previous play — cost the Jets 5 yards, Catanzaro was wide left on a 45-yard attempt that kept it tied.

ANTHEM: The Jets players all linked arms during the anthem, as they did last week. Acting owner Christopher Johnson was among them once again. All of the Jaguars players took a knee a few moments before the anthem, as they announced they would. They all stood during the singing of the anthem by Heather Hill, the daughter of the late Winston Hill, a member of the Jets' Ring of Honor.

STILL STRUGGLING: The Jaguars were road favorites after being underdogs for the last 44 games away from home. Jacksonville still hasn't won consecutive road games since 2013.

UP NEXT:

Jaguars: at Pittsburgh next Sunday.

Jets: at Cleveland next Sunday.

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