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Improved defense, Taylor's running have Jags singing

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Posted: Monday January 04, 1999 08:58 PM

Without Brunell, Taylor has shouldered the load for Jacksonville AP

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- The song was "New York, New York." The singer was defensive lineman John Jurkovic. And the refrain echoed through the hallways at Alltel Stadium Monday.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are going to New York to play the Jets in a second-round playoff game.

The reason: In their 25-10 victory over the New England Patriots, they accomplished the two things coach Tom Coughlin has been talking about for more than a year -- running the ball and stopping the run.

It was a year ago this week that the Jaguars returned home from a 42-17 wild-card loss at Denver where they allowed 310 yards rushing and gained only 50.

Improving in both areas became Coughlin's year long obsession and on Sunday, the work paid off.

Fred Taylor rushed for 162 yards, the third-highest postseason total by a rookie. The defense allowed only 35 yards on the ground.

The defensive effort was surprising, considering the Jaguars had allowed 180 rushing yards to the Minnesota Vikings two weeks ago and 205 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the regular-season finale.

"The Minnesota totals and Steelers totals were not something I was very excited about on defense," Coughlin said. "But we made a good stand and played with outstanding intensity. It was one of our overall better defensive games, to the point where the ability to follow our game plan all the way through, was as [good] as what we've done all year."

The Jaguars held Robert Edwards to 28 yards on 17 carries and didn't allow a run of more than seven yards. It was an important step forward at the right time for a rush defense ranked 22nd in the NFL after the regular season.

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New England came in averaging 153 yards rushing in its previous three games, but never got going against the suddenly stout Jaguars.

"I don't know what we were statistically, I don't care what we were statistically," said Jurkovic, a run-stopping specialist. "We did win 11 games in the regular season and you don't win 11 games in the NFL without having a halfway decent defense."

Taylor's performance wasn't as big a surprise.

He did it with his usual mix of power and speed. His best play wasn't necessarily his longest. Rather, it was a 21-yard gain in which he headed right, stopped quickly, pivoted and headed toward the left sideline while pointing Tony Boselli towards a block downfield.

"I just dove at some guy and completely whiffed," Boselli said. "I made him run behind me. You're not going to catch Fred if you get him running behind a block."

The Jaguars know it's Taylor's big-play potential that gives them their best chance at New York, especially with quarterback Mark Brunell still bothered by an ankle injury.

Brunell said he didn't worsen the injury against the Patriots, although he took a direct hit to the ankle just before halftime.

Coughlin conceded the days of Brunell scrambling and making plays outside the pocket could be over for the rest of the season.

"I don't think he's going to ever be -- in this season -- what you'll see next preseason," Coughlin said. "These things have a way of limiting you. But we'll see. We have plenty of things available to us if he can't move well enough."

 

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