| Too little, too late
By David Neville, Chargers.com
10.05.03 - The San Diego Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars entered Sunday's game at ALLTEL Stadium with a lot in common.
Both had yet to win a game so far this season and were sporting 0-4 records. Each team went into the game hoping to rely heavily on their star running backs, San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson and Jacksonville's Fred Taylor.
Both teams also had their top wide receivers back, with David Boston returning to San Diego's lineup after a one-game, team-mandated suspension and Jimmy Smith suiting up for the Jaguars for the first time this season after serving a four-game league suspension.
But it was the Chargers inability to get Tomlinson going, combined with their lack of pressure on rookie quarterback Byron Leftwich, which led to them dropping a 27-21 decision in their first-ever meeting with the Jaguars in front of 48,954 fans at ALLTEL Stadium on Sunday.
Boston and Smith each surpassed the 100-yard receiving mark, with Boston catching a career-high 14 passes for 181 yards and one touchdown and Smith checking in with 137 yards on eight receptions. Taylor slashed and dashed his way for 87 yards and one touchdown on 27 carries, while adding three catches for 77 yards, including a 60-yard touchdown catch with 1:46 left in regulation that essentially sealed the win for the Jaguars.
Tomlinson was held to 38 rushing yards, his second-lowest rushing output of the season behind 34 yards against Kansas City in the season opener. He added 30 more yards on four catches for 68 combined yards, but really didn't figure prominently in the Chargers offensive game plan late in the game when the Bolts were trailing in the fourth quarter.
Leftwich, the seventh pick in the 2003 draft out of Marshall, completed 19 of 28 passes for 336 yards and two touchdowns. Conversely, Chargers quarterback Drew Brees, who was harassed and harried all game long, completed 24 of 41 passes for 296 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions while being sacked four times. Most of Brees' yards came late in the fourth quarter when the Chargers were trying to get back into the game.
By falling behind by 13 points early in the fourth quarter, the Chargers were forced to do something they really aren't comfortable with; playing catch-up. Jacksonville's lead also took Tomlinson effectively out of the game.
Brees responded, though, throwing late touchdown passes to Boston and wide receiver Eric Parker, but scores came too late, combined with Taylor's late catch and run, to propel the Chargers to victory.
Taylor struck first, scoring on a 1-yard run in the first quarter to put Jacksonville up 7-0.
Jacksonville advanced into scoring range early in the second quarter, marching to San Diego's 26-yard line where they were facing a fourth and one. Instead of trying an approximately 43-yard field goal, the Jaguars went for the first down but were foiled when Leftwich was sacked for an 8-yard loss by Jason Fisk and Marcellus Wiley.
Four plays later Boston and Brees made the Jaguars pay, with Boston taking a screen pass for a 46-yard touchdown that knotted the score at 7-7. Boston caught the pass near the line of scrimmage and weaved his way through the Jaguars defense with the help of some excellent downfield blocking.
The Chargers thwarted another Jaguars scoring opportunity on the next possession when Fisk recovered a failed handoff between Leftwich and running back LaBrandon Toefield at San Diego's 35-yard line.
The Jaguars took a 10-7 lead on the last play of the first half when kicker Seth Marler nailed a 53-yard field goal.
The Chargers got the ball first in the second half but missed an opportunity to put points on the board when rookie tight end Antonio Gates fumbled after a 13-yard gain to Jacksonville's 10-yard line.
The Jaguars recovered and promptly marched 90 yards in 10 plays before Leftwich found wide receiver Troy Edwards for an 18-yard touchdown to increase Jacksonville's lead to 17-7.
After Edwards' touchdown, the wheels fell off briefly for the Chargers. They were called for holding on the ensuing kickoff, then Brees was sacked on back-to-back plays. After a delay of game penalty, Darren Bennett was forced to punt from his own end zone.
Following a 24-yard return by David Allen, the Jaguars had first down at San Diego's 17. Jacksonville turned the field position into three points when Marler hit a 27-yard field goal, increasing the Jaguars lead to 20-7.
The Chargers tightened the score to 20-14 with 4:19 left in regulation when Brees found wide receiver Eric Parker for a 33-yard touchdown pass.
But the Jaguars basically sealed the win on their next possession when Taylor took a dump-off pass from Leftwich and raced untouched 60 yards for a touchdown and a 27-14 Jacksonville lead.
Brees and Boston hooked up for a 13-yard touchdown pass to make the score 27-21 with 20 seconds remaining in regulation, but Jacksonville recovered the ensuing onside kickoff, sending the Chargers back to San Diego with a record of 0-5 heading into the bye week. | |
