Oilers overpower the Jaguars
In a battle of 4-6 teams, it was the Tennessee Oilers who took a step forward and launched themselves in the AFC Wildcard picture. The Oilers used a physical running game to pound the Jaguar defense. They racked up 234 yards on the ground in the 38-19 win at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville.
The Oiler running game not only kept their offense moving but it also kept the ball away from QB Mark Brunell and the Jaguar explosive offense. The Oilers held the ball for over 33 minutes and won the time of possession battle.
RB Eddie George rushed for 94 yards on 25 carries. Backup RB Rodney Thomas rushed for 51 yards on only 7 carries and had 3 rushing touchdowns on the day. Even QB Steve McNair was hard to corral as he rushed for 89 yards on 11 scrambles.
Missed opportunities were the story for the Jaguars. They had multiple scoring opportunities throughout the game; however, they squandered most of them with trading in field goals for touchdowns. The Oilers also came up with some huge sacks, which forced the Jaguars out of scoring opportunities.
The Jaguars were only able to muster up 164 total yards. Brunell was only able to throw for 116 yards and they could only rush for 90 yards.
The Oilers are now in the AFC Wildcard race. They host the Buffalo Bills next week. The Jaguars are now 4-7, but they have a favorable schedule down the stretch, but they are in a must-win scenario next week at Cincinnati, who has been red-hot.