Jaguars Pay for a Sloppy Effort

Neither a September rainstorm nor the Tennessee Titans should surprise the Jacksonville Jaguars anymore.

The Jaguars’ sloppy play Sunday, however, must have come as something of a surprise.

Taking advantage of the third of four Jacksonville turnovers, Neil O’Donnell threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Michael Roan with 3:26 left that put the Titans ahead for good in a rain-drenched 20-19 victory over the Jaguars.

Tennessee (3-0) won its fourth game in five years at Jacksonville--a victory the Titans feel should give them some long-missing credibility.

“Jacksonville just didn’t have any respect for us,” said cornerback Samari Rolle, who sealed the game with a late interception. “That’s what makes this win especially sweet. We’ve been in big games in the past that have been tight, and it seems we always found a way to fall short.”

Not this time. After O’Donnell’s touchdown pass, Mark Brunell drove the Jaguars (2-1) to the Titan three. But Rolle outleaped a double-covered Keenan McCardell on third-and-goal for an interception in the corner of the end zone. It was Brunell’s third interception.

“I made a poor decision,” Brunell said. “Throwing it out of the end zone would have been ideal. I should have just gotten rid of it and gone on to the next play.”

Four plays after the final turnover, punter Craig Hentrich took an intentional safety to run out the clock and end the game.

James Stewart, playing for the injured Fred Taylor (groin), had 98 yards in 25 carries but the Jaguars managed only one touchdown drive as Brunell completed only 22 of 42 passes for 232 yards.