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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- The Baltimore Ravens are winning games
with defense and field goals. The Jacksonville Jaguars are losing
every way imaginable.
|  | | Baltimore's Ray Lewis corrals Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell for a second-quarter sack Sunday night. |
Matt Stover kicked five field goals and the Ravens took
advantage of a team-record six turnovers in a 15-10 victory Sunday
night that gave the defending AFC Central champions a three-game
losing streak for the first time since 1996.
Baltimore (5-1) was trying to become the first team since the
1976 Pittsburgh Steelers to record three straight shutouts. It had
to settle for its eighth straight victory against AFC Central
teams.
"It was an ugly game, but somebody has got to take the ugly
girl to the prom," Ravens tight end Shannon Sharpe said. "We'll
take it."
The Jaguars might not make it to the dance this year.
They botched four snaps, losing two of them. The fumbled eight
times, failed to field a kickoff that resulted in another turnover
and twice got inside the 15 without scoring. It got so bad at the
end that coach Tom Coughlin benched quarterback Mark Brunell, who
threw interceptions on consecutive series early in the fourth
quarter.
"Some of these things are so bizarre it's hard to explain,"
Coughlin said. "I've lost games in my time, but I've never lost
one like that. We just made some of the dumbest things I've ever
seen happen."
Jamie Martin replaced Brunell and completed seven straight
passes on a 75-yard drive, with Fred Taylor scoring from the 1 to
make it 15-10 with 4:04 left. But rookie R. Jay Soward, who dropped
three straight passes early in the game, fielded a punt at his 4,
the final gaffe in a game filled with them.
Brunell was visibly upset at being pulled.
"I was very surprised," said Brunell, who was 18-for-28 for 167
yards and two interceptions. "I would have liked to have a chance
to win the game. This is new territory for me."
It is for the Jaguars (2-4), too.
This is the first time they have lost home games in consecutive
weeks since their expansion season, and that's about how they
played. Despite gaining 348 yards, and getting into Baltimore
territory on eight of 15 possessions, they found a way to lose.
The Ravens are one leg away from an improbable journey, the only
NFL team to start the season with five of their first seven games
on the road, their only loss at Miami.
"There's something special about this defensive group," coach
Brian Billick said. "There's something special about this team."
There was nothing special about the offense. The Ravens had only
193 yards, but never had to go far thanks to Jacksonville. On two
drives, Baltimore actually lost yards before Stover hit chip-shot
field goals.
The Ravens have gone two straight games without a touchdown, but
won both of them.
The Jaguars now face a Monday night game at Tennessee, the only
team that beat them last year.
"Your thoughts aren't what happened last year," Brunell said.
"It's the situation we're in now."
On a bizarre play that embodied the Jaguars' fate, Baltimore
quarterback Tony Banks tried to get rid of the ball under pressure
in the end zone and defensive end Tony Brackens snagged it for an
interception. But he fumbled as he tried to bull across the line,
and Baltimore recovered.
The Ravens were called for holding on the play, putting the ball
on the 2. Coughlin challenged unsuccessfully, and the Ravens
escaped.
And in a scene that repeated itself four times, Jeff Smith
dribbled the snap on a first-and-goal from the 8 late in the
first half, and linebacker Ray Lewis recovered. It was the third
botched snap by Smith, filling in for the injured John Wade.
He was replaced on the next possession, but that didn't cure
everything. After the defense forced another punt, Corey Harris
poked the ball loose from Taylor after a short pass play, and
Robert Bailey recovered and returned the ball to the 33.
The Ravens got another field goal after Bryan Barker shanked a
punt so badly that it landed in the bleachers. The ensuing kickoff
floated into the wind and bounced back away from the Jaguars. Anthony
Davis recovered at the 34 for Baltimore, but Aaron Beasley sacked
Banks and forced a punt.
Game notes
Mike Hollis, who had back surgery three weeks ago,
practiced field goals about three hours before the game and hit one
from 50 yards. ... A Jacksonville fumble recovery was overruled
when Baltimore successfully challenged that receiver Travis Taylor
never had control of the ball. But the officials spotted the ball
on the Baltimore 41. Before the play, it had been first-and-10 from
the 46. The error was attributed to the replay crew. ... Rod
Woodson has 57 career interceptions, the most by any active
player. Carolina's Eugene Robinson has 56. ... Baltimore's Qadry
Ismail had a career-high nine receptions.
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ALSO SEE
NFL Scoreboard
Baltimore Clubhouse
Jacksonville Clubhouse
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