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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Another Tennessee victory over Jacksonville
and even Titans coach Jeff Fisher is providing the Jaguars with
excuses.
|  | | Eddie George scores on a 19-yard run in the third quarter, all part of his 165-yard rushing night for Tennessee. |
"Jacksonville's got a lot of people hurt now," Fisher said
Monday night after the Titans beat Jacksonville 27-13, their fifth
consecutive victory over the Jaguars.
"They're struggling over there, but they're a good football
team."
This first prime-time game in Tennessee was a showcase for the
Titans' prime-time players -- Eddie George, Steve McNair and Frank
Wycheck.
The Titans beat their favorite whipping boys as George ran for
165 yards on 30 carries, McNair threw for 234 yards and two
touchdowns, and Wycheck started things off by catching a touchdown pass
flat on his back.
The defense chipped in with five sacks in a game in which a lot
of streaks continued.
It was the fifth consecutive victory after an opening-game defeat in
Buffalo for Tennessee and put the Titans in first place by
themselves in the AFC Central, one-half game ahead of Baltimore.
It was the fourth consecutive defeat for Jacksonville, the longest
streak since its first season in 1995. The Jaguars (2-5) lost yet
another key player, wide receiver Jimmy Smith, who bruised his
right knee in the first quarter.
And George, who didn't crack 100 yards in his first three games,
had his third in a row in triple figures and second with more than 150 yards.
"I think it's the best stretch I've had," George said. "It's
a lot of fun when you're controlling the ball and keeping the
defense off balance."
The five consecutive victories over Jacksonville include three last
season, when the Jaguars finished 15-3 and capped the season with a
33-14 home defeat to Tennessee in the AFC title game.
But this year, it was just another defeat added to four earlier
ones. And this game went just about the way the season has for the
Jaguars.
They had two chances in the first half -- at the beginning and
the end. They blew them both and went off trailing 17-3.
The first came four minutes into the game, when Fred Taylor
broke loose on a 71-yard run that gave Jacksonville a first down at
the Tennessee 7. But the Jags had to settle for a 23-yard field
goal by Mike Hollis and a 3-0 lead.
Then, trailing 17-3 with two minutes left, Mark Brunell completed a
screen pass to Anthony Johnson that carried 48 yards. Then, on a
third-and-10 from the Titans' 21, Brunell found Keenan McCardell
down the middle. As McCardell dived for the end zone, Marcus
Robertson stripped the ball and Samari Rolle fell on it for a
touchback.
In between, the Titans dominated despite 69 yards in penalties
in the first half alone.
"We haven't been able to run on them. This time we were able to
do what we wanted," Fisher said.
Their first score was set up by Derrick Mason's 66-yard kickoff
return. Five plays later, McNair found Wycheck in the corner of the
end zone. The ball bounced off Jacksonville's Renaldo Wynn to
Wycheck, lying on the ground. It popped in the air and Wycheck
caught it again for the score.
Tennessee made it 14-3 early in the second quarter on another
deflected pass -- from McNair to Mason, who caught it as it bounced
off Jason Craft, but injured an ankle on the catch. They added a
26-yard field goal by Al Del Greco later in the period.
Then, on the Titans' first drive of the second half, McNair's
54-yard pass to Chris Sanders set up another score -- George's
19-yard run. Like McCardell, he also fumbled in the end zone, but
he went over the goal line with the ball, so the touchdown stood.
Hollis added a 45-yard field goal 1:41 into the final period and
Del Greco matched it with 3:37 left. Johnson capped the scoring with
a 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 on
this team. We also have some negatives. This isn't junior high
school."
Game notes
Titans left guard Bruce Matthews, who sprained a knee
ligament last week, started the game and extended his NFL-leading
streak of consecutive starts to 203 games. He hasn't missed a game
since 1987. ... George has topped 100 yards 26 times in his career,
and the Titans are 21-5 when he does. ... Taylor's 71-yard run in
the first quarter was the second-longest of his career, just behind
a 77-yarder on Oct. 12, 1998, against Miami. ... Mason's 66-yard
kickoff return was the longest of his career, topping a 54-yarder
against Baltimore in 1997. ... Smith spent the second half on the
bench with ice on his sprained right knee. X-rays were negative. He
had one catch for 9 yards to stretch his streak to 79 games with a
reception. ... The Titans stretched their NFL-best record in a
division since 1998 to 19-2.
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ALSO SEE
NFL Scoreboard
Jacksonville Clubhouse
Tennessee Clubhouse
Suspicious duffel bag delays fans at Titans game
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Steve McNair and the Titans wanted to show the Jaguars they are a physical football team.
avi: 1121 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
 Jevon Kearse tries to guess what excuse Jacksonville will come up with after another loss to the Titans.
wav: 163 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Eddie George talks with ESPN's Andrea Kramer about the Titans' domination of the Jaguars.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Marcus Robertson says the Titans' defense stepped up against the Jags on Monday night.
wav: 245 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Blaine Bishop says the Titans' defense does not break.
wav: 92 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Jeff Fisher talks with Melissa Stark about the Titans' Monday night win over the Jaguars.
wav: 431 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Tom Coughlin wants his team to be more consistent.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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