Josh Scobee the Hero for Enigmatic Jags
Through four weeks of the NFL season, there might not be a more enigmatic team than the Jacksonville Jaguars. They beat the Denver Broncos 24-17 in their opener, but then they proceeded to get hammered 38-13 at San Diego and 28-3 at home against the Eagles. Quarterback David Garrard has always been significantly better at home than on the road, but even that discrepancy can’t explain the pathetic showing against Philadelphia. Their 1-2 record and consecutive blowout losses had them a 7-point underdog at home against the mighty Colts, who were second in the LBS Power Rankings. Jacksonville managed to get things turned around and pulled off a 31-28 win in one of the biggest shockers of the weekend.
The Jags really made a move when they got the ball with seven and a half minutes left and the game tied 21-21. Starting at their 43, Jacksonville drove down to the 3-yard line but then were moved back because of a false start penalty. Despite the penalty, Garrard found Maurice Jones-Drew for an 8-yard touchdown on a critical 3rd down play that made the difference between a three or seven point lead.
Even with their lead, the Jags tried their best to blow it. Cornerback David Jones dropped what should have been a game-ending interception on a second down pass by Peyton Manning. The Colts converted on a 4th down to keep their drive going and ended up scoring a game-tying touchdown with 48 seconds left. The game appeared to be heading to overtime but Jacksonville moved the ball 36 yards to the Indy 41, setting up a 59 yard prayer to win the game. Somehow, kicker Josh Scobee barely eked the ball over the crossbar to give the Jags a 31-28 win.
The win proved that the Jags aren’t nearly as bad as they showed the previous two weeks, but they’re too inconsistent to be considered a playoff threat. The Colts showed they can put up points, but giving up 31 points proves their defense has some holes. As for Josh Scobee, his kick was the third longest game-winning field goal in history. That was one heck of a boot.
Photo Credit: AP Photo/John Raoux