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5 Plays That Made A Difference

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 29, 2007

Quinn Gray didn't attempt to throw until the Jaguars were nine plays into their second offensive series. Considering the success the Jaguars were having running the ball, it is easy to understand why. Still, Gray made his first throw count. On a third-and-4 play from the Bucs' 16, Gray threw a dump-off over the middle to Maurice Jones-Drew that turned into a 15-yard gain to the 1. One play later, LaBrandon Toefield rumbled over right tackle for a touchdown to give the Jags the lead.

Trailing 10-3 midway through the second quarter, the Bucs came out throwing on a first-and-10 play from their 26. Jeff Garcia chose to fire at Joey Galloway on a quick out to his left, but Jags CB Aaron Glenn played it as if he knew what was coming. His timing perfect, Glenn stepped in front of Galloway just as the ball reached him and picked off Garcia's pass. From there, Glenn ran untouched into the end zone with Garcia's first interception of the season to give the Jaguars a 17-3 lead.

The Bucs continued to play aggressively on offense following Aaron Glenn's pick. Their second play was a pass that moved them 17 yards downfield and their third, on first-and-10 from their 42, got them more than a good chunk of yardage. Hitting Galloway between two defensive backs spread wide deep downfield, Garcia connected on what turned out to be a 58-yard touchdown that narrowed the Jaguars' lead and got the Bucs back in the game with 5:45 left before halftime.

The Jaguars already had converted two fourth-and-1 plays when they lined up and tried to convert another from the Bucs' 40 midway through the third quarter. But Ronde Barber made sure they didn't go 3-for-3. Reading a run to the defense's left for LaBrandon Toefield, Barber swept in from the right side, caught Toefield from behind and took him down before he could get back to the line of scrimmage. It took two more possessions before the impact of the play was felt, but when Michael Bennett took a lateral from Jeff Garcia and ran 19 yards for a touchdown to finish a three-play drive that started at the Jags' 33, the Bucs had their first lead since the first quarter.

The Bucs were doing a super job stopping the Jaguars on third down. They were, at least, until they lined up to try to stop Jacksonville on a third-and-6 play from the Tampa Bay 22 early in the fourth quarter. The Jaguars opted to pass, and Quinn Gray's target was WR Ernest Wilford. As usual, Gray's throw was a little off target. Wilford adjusted, however, and after juggling the ball, he secured it and got both feet down inbounds to secure the first down. The Bucs challenged the play, the challenge was denied (costing Tampa Bay a timeout it would need later) and, two plays later, Matt Jones re-enacted Wilford's catch in the end zone for a Jaguars score.

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