Jacksonville, FL (My Sportsbook) - Josh Scobee's 36-yard field goal in overtime gave Jacksonville a 23-20 victory over the still winless Rams.
Maurice Jones-Drew rushed for 133 yards and three touchdowns on 33 carries and added five catches for 45 yards for the Jaguars (3-3), who were coming off a humiliating 41-0 road loss at Seattle last week.
"[Jones-Drew] talked about wanting the ball and we got it to him plenty today," Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio said. "He did a nice job giving us an opportunity to win this football game. I thought he was special today."
David Garrard threw for 335 yards on 30-of-43 attempts but was picked off twice. Mike Sims-Walker, who was deactivated last week by the team for disciplinary reasons, was Garrard's primary target, catching nine passes for 120 yards in the win.
Torry Holt logged five catches for 101 yards against his former team, which has dropped 16 straight dating back to last season.
Marc Bulger resumed his starting role behind center after coming in as a backup last week and finished with 213 yards on 22-of-34 attempts. The QB was intercepted once and threw a touchdown to Donnie Avery, who left the game early on with a bruised hip.
Steven Jackson had 128 yards from scrimmage for St. Louis (0-6), which came into the game averaging less than seven points per contest.
St. Louis led 10-6 after three quarters, but Jones-Drew, who had 11 rushing yards in the first half, wore the defense down in the fourth quarter and OT.
On 3rd-and-3 from the St. Louis 27-yard line, the small but powerful back broke several tackles on a delayed draw and took it to the one. He needed three downs to penetrate the goal line, taking a big hit before punching it in for the go-ahead score with 8:05 left.
The Rams quickly punted, but Leonard Little anticipated a screen intended for Greg Jones, picked off Garrard's toss and went 36 yards the other way for a 17-13 St. Louis edge.
Again the hosts leaned on Jones-Drew, who had gains of 18 and 13 yards and capped the 75-play drive by spinning his way into the end zone from three yards out, giving Jacksonville a 20-17 lead with 1:53 to play.
Jackson's screen covered 38 yards on the first play of the next drive, and St. Louis had the ball at Jacksonville's 22 with 35 seconds left before eventually settling on a 27-yard Josh Brown field goal to send the game into the extra session.
The Jaguars won the toss and held the ball for the next seven minutes thanks to a pair of third-down conversions, the last a 17-yard reception by Mike Thomas down to the St. Louis 37.
Scobee came in after three Jones-Drew rushes produced 19 more yards and knocked in the game-winner from 36 yards out to keep Steve Spagnuolo winless in his young coaching career.
"I'm disappointed, there's no question," Spagnuolo said. "I feel good about how hard we fought, but that doesn't give us anything. There's no moral victories."
Bulger was perfect on all five of his attempts on the game's first possession, the last a 17-yard toss to Avery in the back of the end zone.
Jacksonville countered, as Holt's 41-yard catch down to the St. Louis four set up Jones-Drew's score. A botched snap on the extra point prevented the hosts from tying it.
Danny Amendola returned the kickoff into Jags territory, but Rashean Mathis picked off Bulger shortly thereafter.
Brown hit a 52-yard field goal with 37 seconds left in the half, and St. Louis maintained a 10-6 lead after Scobee was wide left on a 58-yard attempt just before intermission.
Game Notes
Holt, who spent 10 years with the Rams before signing with the Jags in the offseason, became the 12th player to eclipse 13,000 receiving yards...St. Louis was the only NFL franchise that Jacksonville had never defeated in the regular season or postseason...Jackson had 50 yards rushing on 16 carries and a team-high six catches for 78 yards...Jacksonville had 33 first downs, compared to 13 for St. Louis, which was outgained 492-262.
