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MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- Miscommunication has been a major factor in the Minnesota Vikings' season. Why should Sunday be any different? Stacey Mack rushed for 111 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the Jacksonville Jaguars rolled to a 33-3 victory in a game that might have been the last in Minnesota for Vikings wide receiver Cris Carter. The Vikings never got untracked as third-string quarterback Spergon Wynn replaced an injured Todd Bouman early and led just one scoring drive. Wynn completed 24-of-39 passes for 218 yards and an interception, often misfiring on throws to Carter and Randy Moss. But the miscommunication wasn't limited to the field. Carter, an eight-time Pro Bowl selection who is second among active receivers with 1,087 catches, left a telling message on the scoreboard as he approaches free agency. The Vikings finish the year with two road games. "I want to take a few minutes to tell all the fans in the state of Minnesota and the Twin Cities area, thank you," the message stated. "Thank you for letting my dreams become a reality." Carter also took pictures of the stadium, then hinted that his return was a possibility but that he believes that someone else deserves the opportunity to play. Coach Dennis Green was a little more certain of Carter's future. "I don't think it will be Cris' last game," he said. "I think Cris will be playing for the Vikings in the future. He has a great passion for the game. I think the fans enjoy that passion." There was no passion for the Vikings on Sunday. The Jaguars scored the first 16 points over the opening 25 minutes on three field goals by Mike Hollis and a three-yard TD run by Mack. Mark Brunell added a touchdown pass to Keenan McCardell in the third quarter before Hollis kicked his fourth field goal and Mack found the end zone from two yards to cap the scoring. The Jaguars scored on seven of their eight possessions en route to their third straight win. They can garner a .500 season with victories over Kansas City and Chicago. "It's a siginificant achievement to get back to .500 considering how we squandered so many games in the fourth quarter," Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin said. "We look back at the losses to Pittsburgh and Baltimore and Tennessee. We should be a playoff team." Mack eclipsed 100 yards for the second straight week and Brunell went 17-of-24 for 217 yards and a score. Jimmy Smith had eight catches for 122 yards -- equalling the total for Carter and Moss. "We wanted to come in here and show them exactly the kind of receivers we were," Smith said of himself and McCardell. "Randy and Cris get a lot of publicity. We don't." Carter had seven catches for 88 yards while Moss finished with just three grabs for 34 yards. The two worked with their third quarterback of the season, with starter Daunte Culpepper nursing a bad knee and Bouman leaving Sunday's game early after aggravating a thumb injury. "Anytime you don't come out with a 'W,' it feels like your performance is not good enough," Wynn said. "Obviously, this team could have played better, myself included." |
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