1st Quarter:
RECAP: The Jaguars are moving the ball almost at will against the Panthers and get on the board first with a 22-yard TD strike from David Garrard to Reggie Williams. The Jaguars out-gain the Panthers 117-25 in the first quarter.
BIG PLAY: Jack Del Rio, who has gone for it on fourth down more than any coach in the league, goes for it on fourth-and-2 at the Carolina 35 and the gamble pays off. Garrard hits Maurice Jones-Drew with a 13-yard pass in the flat. That leads to the Jaguars first touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
BIG MISTAKE: On Williams’ touchdown catch, both Chris Gamble and Deke Cooper have a shot at tackling him at the 10 but they collide, allowing Williams to squeeze between for the score.
COMMENT: Where is all the creativity the Panthers displayed on offense last week? It seems to be back to the same old boring Panthers in this game.
SCORE: Jacksonville 7, Carolina 0
2nd Quarter:
RECAP: The Jaguars continue to dominate this game on both sides of the ball, but the Panthers are hanging around. Carolina has a chance to tie the game late in the first half, but Vinny Testaverde overthrows Jeff King down the middle of the field and the Panthers settle for a another field goal. The Panthers have just 67 total yards on offense in the first half.
BIG PLAY: With Jacksonville clearly in control, safety Chris Harris pops Fred Taylor in the backfield and the ball bounces high in the air – higher than most pooch punts, dare we say. Mike Rucker wisely jumps on the ball at the Jaguars 37-yard line instead of trying to pick it up and run with it. It is Taylor’s first fumble in 22 games.
BIG MISTAKE: This time Del Rio’s gamble doesn’t work. The Panthers stuff the Jaguars on a fourth-and-3 pass play at the Carolina 42. The Panthers offense responds with a 49-yard field goal by John Kasay.
COMMENT: How is it Kasay can kick the ball between the pipes on a field goal but he can’t kick it between the white lines on a kickoff? For the fifth time this season, Kasay boots one out of bounds, giving the Jaguars the ball at the 40. Luckily for the Panthers, the defense bails him out.
SCORE: Jacksonville 10, Carolina 6
3rd Quarter:
RECAP: The second half starts bad for the Panthers as DeShaun Foster fumbles on the first play and linebacker Daryl Smith recovers at the Carolina 21. Garrard capitalizes with a 6-yard touchdown toss to Matt Jones for a 17-6 lead. The Jags tack on a field goal to stretch the lead to 14.
BIG PLAY: Big plays? Big plays? The Panthers haven’t made a big play on offense all day. The Panthers have been out-gained 297-93 through three quarters. Carolina is 0-for-7 on third-down conversions to this point. Nothing is going right on offense and there is no flow at all.
BIG MISTAKE: Foster’s fumble ruined any momentum the Panthers had to begin the second half.
COMMENT: The Panthers have now been outscored 113-83 in the third quarter this season. The Jaguars are completely dominating the time of possession.
SCORE: Jacksonville 20, Carolina 6
4th Quarter:
RECAP: The Jaguars just put the game away on the first play of the fourth quarter as linebacker Clint Ingram steps in front of a Testaverde pass in the flat to fullback Brad Hoover and takes it 39 yards for a touchdown for a 27-6 lead. The Jaguars tack on 10 more for good measure. The Jags finish the game with an incredible 427-149 advantage in total yards and nearly an 18-minute edge in time of possession.
BIG PLAY: This wasn’t a big play, but how does Testaverde throw a pass in the flat on a fourth-and-11 at the Jaguars 20 when the team is down by 21 points? Gee whiz, at least take a shot at the end zone.
BIG MISTAKE: The Panthers allow Fred Taylor to run for an 80-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. It’s the longest regular season rushing touchdown in Jaguars history.
COMMENT: Well, the Panthers will finish this season without a winning record – again. Amazing how the Panthers simply refuse to use DeAngelo Williams on a consistent basis. Carolina’s offense is abysmal.
FINAL SCORE: Jacksonville 34, Carolina 6