On a second-and-8, tight end Greg Estandia was the target of a David Garrard pass. With Marquand Manuel trying to catch up to the play in vain, Garrard's pass sailed over Estandia's head and Denver safety Marlon McCree arrived a beat later, hitting Estandia in the head.
The call? Pass interference on Manuel who never touched Estandia (there's no such thing as face-guarding for those complaining Manuel didn't turn around). The gain was 27 yards. The call should have been a personal foul head shot against McCree. Either way, the Jags are about to run this one out for a gritty road win. And Broncos fans will lament the blown call they got screwed on while ignoring the call that should have gone against them but didn't on the same play.
The Broncos just trimmed the Jags lead to a touchdown, 24-17 with a three-play drive highlighted by a ridiculous catch and run by Brandon Marshall and capped by a short TD pass to Daniel Graham.
Now with less than 7 left, the Jags are sticking close to the ground trying to grind down the clock. They face a key third-and-9 and....
and...
and
they didn't get it as Marlon McCree broke up a throw that would have picked up the first on Denver's side of the field.
Dre Bly just got called for a costly and questionable illegal contact penalty during a second-and-21 play that turns what would have been a third-and-17 into a Jags first down. And, not surprisingly, Garrard takes advantage with a 19-yard dart.
Fred Taylor, who went out after taking a hard shot to the helmet in the first quarter and then retreating to the Jags locker room, just was back on the field for an incomplete pass.
Taylor's return was termed questionable.
The Jags lead 17-10 late in the third.
Both teams can go into the locker room and kick coolers about missed opportunities in the first half.
First, you have the Broncos carrying it to the Jags in the early going, ripping off a first-drive touchdown and then following that up with as balanced a run/pass attack as they've shown all year (according to those who, y'know, have watched them all year). But they got nothing out of it, having one drive snuffed at the Jax 7 by a Drayton Florence fumble recovery off his hit on Brandon Marshall and another end on a fourth-down attempt at the Jags 30.
The Jags meanwhile, capitalized on two Broncos turnovers in the first half but then had a tough one of their own after stopping the Broncs on fourth down. David Garrard (16 of 19 for 148) got strip sacked on a play that started at the Denver 20 with :37 seconds left in the half or it would be more lopsided in the Jags favor.
Both teams have lost two fumbles. The Broncos also have that fourth-down snuffage and a pick on their balance sheet.
It's now 10-7 Jags after a lengthy 75-yard drive following the Brandon Marshall fumble. It was a 12-play drive that took 6:29 which (as may have been mentioned by some) is a good way to limit an explosive offense like Denver's ...keep 'em watching.
Jones-Drew had 26 yards on five carries and Greg Jones added another 13 on the drive with one carry.
The Broncos just had a nice drive go up in smoke when Brandon Marshall took a first down pass from Jay Cutler 9 yards down to the Jags 7, tried to work back to find room to get the first and was stripped by Drayton Florence. Florence returned it 18 yards and the Broncos - who have run for 62 yards on 11 carries so far - came away with nothing. It's still 7-3 Broncos and the Jags (working without a concussed Fred Taylor) are now sticking it in the belly of little MJD with regularity.
About this blog
Drilling deeply into the mantle layer of America's Passion, NBCSports.com's Tom Curran offers up quick hits and insights on all things NFL.