by John OehserFiled under: Cowboys, Jaguars, AFC South, NFC East
The Jacksonville Jaguars' up and down season continued Sunday afternoon with a decidedly big up at new Cowboys Stadium.
The Cowboys' season? Down, down, down.
Jaguars quarterback David Garrard turned in one of the best days of his career, passing for four touchdowns and running for another as Jacksonville pulled away from the mistake-prone, rapidly-fading Cowboys for a 35-17 victory Sunday afternoon.
The Jaguars improved to 4-4 and the Cowboys -- a preseason Super Bowl favorite -- are now 1-6.
A few quick thoughts on Jaguars-Cowboys:
o. How the Jaguars have fared this season often has depended on the play of Garrard. That was true early, when he started 10 of 10 with two touchdowns and 126 yards leading to a 14-3 Jaguars lead. He had a perfect 158.3 passer rating in the first half.
o. This game was typical of the Cowboys' season. They played well enough to be ahead in the first half, but trailed by 11 points and made too many careless mistakes throughout.
o. Playing for the injured Tony Romo, Cowboys veteran backup quarterback Jon Kitna looked sharper and more confident than he did a week ago against the Giants -- that despite the final score. He passed effectively, and was hurt when three catchable passes bounced off the hands of receivers and turned into interceptions. Defensive tackle "Pork Chop" Knighton and Derek Cox came up with the interceptions in the first half. Kitna finished with four interceptions.
o. The four interceptions were a Jaguars franchise record for one game.
o. Jaguars rookie defensive tackle Tyson Alualu sustained a knee injury in the second half and returned.
o. Jaguars safety Don Carey sustained a neck injury on a helmet-to-helmet hit on Cowboys tight end Jason Witten in the second half. Carey could be fined for the hit.
o. Cowboys cornerback Terence Newman left the game with a rib injury in the second half and did not return.
o. It almost defied reason when the Jaguars led by 11 points in the first half. The Cowboys moved efficiently, and Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin had 102 yards receiving in the first half. Turnovers killed.
o. The Cowboys also squandered a touchdown opportunity in the final seconds of the first half. On 4th-and-goal from the 1 with 11 seconds remaining, running back Marion Barber and Kitna collided at the handoff and the Jaguars stopped Barber inches short of the goal line. Dallas had five possessions inside Jacksonville territory in the first half and railed 14-3 at halftime.
o. When Knighton intercepted Kitna in the first half, it was the Jaguars' first takeaway since they beat the Colts in Jacksonville in Week 4. The two interceptions in the first half marked their first two- interception game since Week 2.
o. Marcedes Lewis of the Jaguars quietly has become one of the NFL's better tight ends. His 42-yard touchdown from Garrard in the second quarter was not only the Jaguars' longest play of the year, it was their first over 30 yards this season. It was Lewis' sixth touchdown reception of the year. Lewis caught a nine-yard score that gave Jacksonville a 28-3 second-half lead.o. The Jaguars entered the game with one of their worst statistical defenses in franchise history, and although the Cowboys moved effectively with big plays early, two interceptions off tipped passes kept the Cowboys to just three points midway through the second quarter.
o. Garrard's touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Sims-Walker was the first first-quarter touchdown pass for Garrard in his last 23 starts.
o. Jaguars defensive end Jeremy Mincey missed the game after sustaining a broken wrist/hand Wednesday. He had been named the starter over former first-round selection Derrick Harvey earlier that day.
o. Harvey said during the week his demotion had lit a fire under him and that he worked his "butt" off in practice during the week. But even with Mincey out, Harvey didn't get the start. Instead, that went to rookie Austen Lane.
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