Jaguars Back in High Gear

Mark Brunell and Jimmy Smith played their best games of the season Sunday night and the Jacksonville Jaguars of old returned in grand fashion.

Brunell threw for 351 yards and two touchdowns to lead Jacksonville to a 41-23 victory over the New Orleans Saints, the seventh consecutive win for the Jaguars.

Meanwhile, the Saints lost more than a game, as quarterback Billy Joe Tolliver suffered torn ligaments in his left knee in the third quarter. Coach Mike Ditka said he might be out for the season.

For the Jaguars, Smith caught nine passes for a career-high 220 yards, which was 88 more yards than the entire Jacksonville offense gained last week in an unimpressive 6-3 victory over Baltimore.

Coach Tom Coughlin called that an embarrassing performance.

The Jaguars (9-1) redeemed themselves against the Saints (2-8), gaining a season-high 494 yards.

“These are a little more fun,” Coughlin said. “We challenged them. We talked about how poor a performance it was the week before.”

The Saints played the Jaguars even in the first half, as Ricky Williams’ first NFL touchdown, on a 19-yard run, made it 14-14. The Saints led briefly, 17-14, and it was 17-17 at halftime.

After his touchdown, Williams laid on his back and flopped his hands to his side, briefly savoring a moment Ditka expects to repeat itself often.

Williams finished with 94 yards in 19 carries and scored again on a one-yard run after the game was out of reach in the fourth quarter.

The Jaguars took control quickly in the third quarter. Brunell passed to Smith for 57 yards down the right sideline, and James Stewart scored from four yards out on the next play for a 24-17 lead.

On Jacksonville’s next drive, Smith made a highlight-reel catch, bobbling the ball, then batting it up with his right hand, before catching it and diving into the end zone for a 46-yard touchdown.