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Anderson, Browns hold off Jaguars

Oct 27, 2008 - 1:14 AM JACKSONVILLE, Florida (Ticker) -- What was shaping up as the beginning of an easy stretch on the schedule for the Jacksonville Jaguars got off to a rocky start.

Derek Anderson threw for 246 yards and a touchdown as the Cleveland Browns knocked off the Jaguars, 23-17, on Sunday.

Jacksonville (3-4) overcame a 10-point second-half deficit to tie the game at 17-17, but Phil Dawson kicked a pair of fourth-quarter field goals to help the Browns win for the third time in four games after starting the season 0-3.

"We feel good about getting this win because it keeps us in the AFC hunt," Browns coach Romeo Crennel said. "It was a critical game for us and sets up for next week (vs. Baltimore) because that is also a critical game. That is the way it's going to be for the rest of the season."

The Jaguars were hoping to start a playoff push over the next three weeks against teams with a combined record of 2-19 entering Week Eight, but Cleveland had different ideas.

"We'll get back after it and do all that we can to turn it," Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said. "It's just not good enough. I'm not happy about it. Too many things being given away and made too easy for the opponent. We've got to take care of those things."

Anderson completed 14-of-27 passes, connecting with Donte' Stallworth for a 3-yard touchdown, and Jamal Lewis added 81 yards and a score on 20 carries as the Browns (3-4) look to make a playoff push of their own.

"We can't get where we want to go losing consecutive games," Anderson said. "Last week, we probably could have gotten that one (14-11 loss to Washington). If we fall to 2-5, that's a big hole to climb out of. But to get to 3-4 and a chance next week with Baltimore coming in, we could get this thing going."

Dawson made a 20-yard field goal to put the Browns ahead, 20-17, with 4:39 left in the fourth quarter and knocked in a 42-yard attempt 38 seconds later after Brian Witherspoon fumbled the ensuing kickoff.

With the Browns leading, 17-14, Josh Scobee matched a career high with a 53-yard field goal with 8:53 left in the fourth quarter to tie the game. His 38-yard attempt was blocked by Shaun Rogers on the Jaguars' previous possession.

"That dude is an animal," Jaguars quarterback David Garrard said of Rogers. "We had a few plays designed to try and use his strength against him and he just put more strength into it. He made some huge plays on third and short and fourth and short. He is the biggest guy on the field and might be the biggest guy in the whole league."

Rogers had a big day, totaling a sack and nine tackles, including a key stop on 3rd-and-3 prior to his blocked field goal.

The Browns got on the board first when Anderson capped off a nine-play, 80-yard drive with the scoring strike to Stallworth.

Garrard found Reggie Williams on a 5-yard touchdown pass to tie the game, but Lewis scored from 2 yards out on Cleveland's next possession to make it 14-7.

"It was nice for the offense to come in early and get started to give them some confidence, which helped the defense a little bit," Crennel said. "That was a plus. Jamal had a good game because every time you gave it to him he is going to run with it and he ends up getting yards."

Dawson added a 32-yard field goal late in the second quarter to put the Browns ahead, 17-7.

Jacksonville reeled off 10 straight points to pull even on Garrard's touchdown pass to Matt Jones and a field goal by Scobee.

The Browns limited the Jaguars running back tandem of Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor to just 53 yards on 20 carries.

"It's a tough loss," Jones said. "We definitely expected we should win every game, especially a home game. We know we can play a lot better than we did and if we go out, we can still win four or five in a row, but it starts with one."

Garrard completed 25-of-42 passes for 283 yards for Jacksonville, which faces a pair of winless teams, Cincinnati and Detroit, in the next two weeks.