Jaguars Rebound for Best Start

Another close game, another victory for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Mike Hollis kicked two field goals in the fourth quarter and rookie running back Fred Taylor rushed for 116 yards as the Jaguars came from behind to beat the Tennessee Oilers, 27-22, on Sunday for the best start in the team’s short history.

On a day when Mark Brunell struggled and the Jaguars (4-0) turned the ball over three times, the defense led the way with four sacks and two interceptions.

“It was obviously one of our goals to have a perfect record going into the bye week,” defensive tackle John Jurkovic said. “It hasn’t been easy. We’re staying patient right now. We’re not panicking.”

The Oilers (1-3) took a 19-14 halftime lead by controlling the ball for more than 19 minutes. But the Jaguars turned the tables in the second half behind Taylor and against a defense that hadn’t given up 100 yards to an opposing player since last December.

Taylor, starting for the injured James Stewart, had only 33 yards in the first half in 10 carries. He finished with 25 carries as the Jaguars kept the ball for more than 21 minutes in the second half.

When the Oilers did get the ball in the second half, they couldn’t move it. They finished with their worst offensive performance this season with 219 yards total offense. They managed only 40 yards on the ground as Eddie George had only 14 carries for 25 yards.

“We are in a bit of a hole,” Tennessee Coach Jeff Fisher said. “But it’s not as big a hole as we were in last year [with a 1-4 start], and I have a better football team today than I did then.”

Steve McNair, 16 for 30 for 198 yards, threw two touchdowns to Yancey Thigpen, but he also was intercepted twice.

McNair left the game early in the fourth quarter because of a sore hip, and backup Dave Krieg, who led the Oilers to victory in their opener, could do nothing as he dropped his first two snaps.