It Doesn’t Come Easy for Jaguars

Once the Jacksonville Jaguars got over the shock of seeing Cleveland lineman Orlando Brown flatten referee Jeff Triplette, they made sure the Browns didn’t do the same thing to them.

Jacksonville won its 11th game in a row and remained in position to have home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs Sunday with a 24-14 victory over the Browns.

Fred Taylor rushed for 136 yards and had a 41-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter when the Jaguars (13-1) finally put away the expansion Browns (2-13).

“I’m very disappointed,” Jacksonville Coach Tom Coughlin said. “I don’t care what the numbers are. It was not good preparation for us and certainly not a good football game. It’s not a game that I’m very proud of.”

Mark Brunell completed 21 of 33 passes for 267 yards for the Jaguars, who can clinch an AFC Central title next week with a victory over Tennessee, the only team to beat them this season.

The Jaguars lost linebacker Kevin Hardy to a sprained neck in the first half after he was involved in a helmet-on-helmet collision with teammate Tony Brackens. Hardy was motionless for several minutes.

X-rays were negative and the Jaguars said Hardy will be evaluated further.

Ty Detmer’s 10-yard touchdown pass to rookie Darrin Chiaverini with 1:20 left in the third quarter closed the Browns to 17-14, and Cleveland fans started to sense an upset when the Browns stopped Jacksonville on fourth and goal at the one.

But Cleveland couldn’t get a first down, and after a punt, it took Jacksonville one play to open a 10-point lead on Taylor’s touchdown run.

Detmer had replaced Tim Couch, who sprained an ankle.