Jaguars rely on running

The Philadelphia Eagles had a dropped pass, a penalty and a sack on their first three plays.

It only got worse for the NFL’s top-ranked offense against a Jacksonville defense missing three starters.

Fred Taylor keyed a strong running attack, backup quarterback David Garrard was efficient, and the Jaguars shut down Donovan McNabb in a 13-6 victory Sunday.

“As a team, it was embarrassing,” McNabb said.

Jacksonville limited the Eagles to 229 total yards -- 164 before the last drive. Philadelphia (4-4) came in averaging a league-best 417 yards per game but couldn’t generate much, even with the return of receiver Donte’ Stallworth.

The Jaguars (4-3) kept it simple on offense without injured quarterback Byron Leftwich and relied on Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew, who totaled 103 and 77 yards rushing, respectively. Of the Jaguars’ 285 total yards, 209 were gained on the ground.

The Jaguars were without linebacker Mike Peterson (chest) and defensive end Reggie Hayward (Achilles tendon). Both are out for the season, and three-time Pro Bowl tackle Marcus Stroud (ankle) sat out his third consecutive game.

“We felt challenged by some comments made this week,” Jaguars Coach Jack Del Rio said. “I feel good about the character and toughness of this team.”

A swirling wind made it difficult for both offenses, but Jacksonville drove 48 yards -- all on the ground -- to score on its first possession.