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Jaguars get revenge against Titans

Nov 12, 2007 - 12:31 AM By Chip Cirillo PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Ticker) - Fred Taylor passed a big milestone and the Jacksonville Jaguars earned a big win.

Taylor became the 21st player in NFL history to reach the 10,000-career yard mark in the Jacksonville Jaguars' 28-13 victory over the Tennessee Titans at LP Field on Sunday.

"It's been a roller-coaster ride ups and downs," Taylor said. "I questioned myself maybe once or twice along the ride over whether I could do it or not, considering the injuries I've had. But I've had a lot of help from some good people along the way."

A 10-year veteran who has never played in the Pro Bowl, Taylor reached the milestone on a 15-yard run on the Jaguars' fifth play from scrimmage in the first quarter.

Taylor said he's saving the football, his socks and everything he wore to put on a mannequin display in his house to commemorate the accomplishment.

"Obviously, Fred going over 10,000 is very special, and all the guys in the locker room are proud of that and proud that it happened during a win," Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said. "He joins some elite company. ... Fred has that combination of speed, elusiveness and power."

Taylor rushed for 45 yards and one touchdown on 16 carries as Jacksonville (6-3) moved into a second-place tie with Tennessee (6-3) in the AFC South Division behind first-place Indianapolis.

Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew rushed for 101 yards and one touchdown on 19 carries against the NFL's top-ranked run defense. The Jaguars capitalized on the absence of Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, who was out with a strained hamstring.

"Obviously, Haynesworth was out, but they still have a good plan," Jones-Drew said. "We just bought in to what we needed to do. The offensive line did a great job, and the receivers were downfield blocking. Everybody was having fun, and that's all that matters."

Fullback Greg Jones scored Jacksonville's first and last touchdowns. He caught a 2-yard pass from Quinn Gray that gave the Jaguars a 7-0 lead with 2:00 left in the first quarter, and his 3-yard run with 4:47 left put Jacksonville up 28-13 with 4:47 remaining.

"When your number is called, you step up and make the play," Jones said. "Do your job, that's all. It's been a while for me, but I finally got there so I'm going to enjoy it."

Jacksonville ended Titans running back LenDale White's streak of three consecutive 100-yard games when he left with a minor knee injury in the third quarter after rushing for just 12 yards on eight carries.

"Our main focus going in was to stop the run game, which is the main focus of every game," Jaguars middle linebacker Mike Peterson said. "But the way they embarrassed us in Week One, we put more emphasis on that this week."

Tennessee's Chris Brown rushed for a career-high 175 yards in Tennessee's 13-10 win over Jacksonville in the opener, but he sat out the rematch with a high ankle sprain.

Peterson posted a game-high 14 tackles, and his 12-yard interception return to the Tennessee 26-yard line set up Taylor's 4-yard TD run that gave Jacksonville a 21-3 lead with 7:49 left in the third quarter.

Titans quarterback Vince Young had 309 yards in total offense, including 257 passing and 52 running, but Tennessee trailed almost the entire game.

"It is the little things. It is us," Young said. "It is not them. It is just us like on the 4th-and-1 with the snap. Different things like that."

Trailing, 14-3, with a 4th-and-1 at the Jaguars 48, Tennessee fumbled the ball on a low snap that bounced off center Kevin Mawae's ankle.

"(Jacksonville's) defense was certainly improved over our first matchup against them," Titans coach Jeff Fisher said. "So I am disappointed that we couldn't stop the run, which is our strength. Then we couldn't run, which is our strength. They stopped it, and they ran it and that was the difference in the ballgame."

Trailing, 28-13, Tennessee drove to the Jacksonville 3 with 1:20 left, but cornerback Brian Williams ended the scoring threat by intercepting Young's pass intended for Bo Scaife at the 1 before returning it to the 6.