Notes, hints, allegations and no things left unsaid from the first quarter …
1:55 P.M. MDT: As I go into Brent Musburger mode … Folks, you would have been stunned to see the reaction back on the east club level to the Packers touchdown that put them in front of the Chargers 24-21. The roar and applause made it sound like the Broncos had just crossed the goal line.
1:56 P.M. MDT: Here come the Jaguars.
2:02 P.M. MDT: Jacksonville wins the toss and will receive, moving from north to south (left to right for those of you watching on television).
2:05 P.M. MDT: And away we go … Todd Sauerbrun’s kickoff goes three yards into the end zone and is returned 26 yards to the Jacksonville 23. Elvis Dumervil remains in the starting lineup at right end for Simeon Rice; Rice replaces John Engelberger for second-and-8.
2:07 P.M. MDT: D.J. Williams tackles Fred Taylor after a 5-yard gain … now third-and-3 … David Garrard gets it to Ernest Wilford just in front of Champ Bailey; the play covers six yards.
2:08 P.M. MDT: Broncos try bringing John Lynch forward on the next play; he tackles Taylor after the tailback gains four years. An incompletion follows, and the Jaguars are in third down again — third-and-6.
2:09 P.M. MDT: McKinleynomics! Alvin McKinley gets makes a good upper-body move on the right guard to get the sack … and then Domenik Hixon nearly broke a return before being ankle-tackled by Joe Zelenka.
2:11 P.M. MDT: Looks like the standard starting XI for the Broncos on offense; one tight end, a formation with a fullback (Cecil Sapp) and two receivers (Javon Walker and Brandon Marshall).
2:12 P.M. MDT: The reverse goes nowhere on first down … second-and-10 brings a Jay Cutler rollout to a completion to a 33-yard completion, but it comes back because of an illegal-motion call against Nate Jackson.
2:13 P.M. MDT: Second-and-16 … inside handoff to Cecil Sapp; he bolts through a gaping hole and gets back 11 of the yards.
2:14 P.M. MDT: Timeout, Jaguars.
2:17 P.M. MDT: Cutler for Marshall short across the middle in traffic falls incomplete … and by the way, the matrix boards here at the stadium are out.
2:19 P.M. MDT: Sauerbrun crushes a 61-yard punt into the end zone … the net is 41 yards, not too shabby. JAX begins at its 20.
2:20 P.M. MDT: Jacksonville on the move … Fred Taylor makes a spin move that left Ian Gold on the ground … Jaguars at their 47.
2:22 P.M. MDT: Jaguars alternating the backs now … Now have third and about a yard and a half from the 45.
2:23 P.M. MDT: For the second time today, the Jaguars convert a third down by finding Wilford short under the zone coverage at Bailey’s side of the field. Scoreboards are working again, but the Broncos defense has some work to do; the Jaguars are at the Denver 33 with second-and-2.
2:25 P.M. MDT: With third-and-2, Maurice Jones-Drew runs through tackle attempts from both D.J. Williams and Ian Gold … Jeff Shoate finally catches him 10 yards upfield. One play later, the Jaguars are in the red zone.
2:26 P.M. MDT: Jacksonville keeping it on the ground with the end-around to Dennis Northcutt … still with one yards to get now from the 14 … Jones-Drew gets the first down.
2:28 P.M. MDT: Check that … Jones-Drew is short by a few inches. Jacksonville going for it.
2:28 P.M. MDT: Garrard keeps it and falls barely forward. Looked like a somewhat generous spot to me, but what I feel doesn’t matter much.
2:29 P.M. MDT: Garrard keeps it and runs to the 8-yard-line after gaining five yards. Clock continues to run in the first quarter.
2:30 P.M. MDT: Jaguars now face third-and-4 from the 7-yard-line. This is simply the worst kind of drive you can allow … the drive is now at 14 plays, about to be 15, covering over eight minutes.
2:31 P.M. MDT: Garrard runs for a touchdown, but the Jaguars are called for an illegal-shift infraction. Jacksonville will now have third-and-9 from the Denver 12. The clock mercifully stops with 25 seconds left in a swift quarter.
2:31 P.M. MDT: Garrard finds Jones-Drew for 10 yards and first-and-goal, which the Jaguars will run as the second-quarter ends.