Garrard, Sims-Walker help Jaguars rebound against Chiefs, 24-21

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Jacksonville Jaguars are getting good at bouncing back from embarrassing losses.

David Garrard threw for 264 yards, including a 61-yard touchdown to Mike Sims-Walker, and the Jaguars rebounded from a lopsided loss at Tennessee with a 24-21 victory against Kansas City on Sunday.

The Jaguars (4-4), up and down all season, responded in similar fashion following losses to Arizona and Seattle earlier this season.

The latest one came after coach Jack Del Rio ripped his team's defensive effort in a 30-13 loss at the Titans, calling it "insulting, ugly and embarrassing." He considered putting his players in live tackling drills, but settled for an intense, full-pads practice.

He also switched back to a 4-3 defensive scheme.

It worked, at least against Kansas City (1-7). Playing without running back Larry Johnson, the Chiefs managed little offense until late in the fourth quarter.

With left tackle Branden Albert and center Rudy Niswanger back in the lineup, Matt Cassel threw for 262 yards and two scores — both to newcomer Chris Chambers.

Chambers, claimed off waivers Tuesday from San Diego, caught a 54-yard TD pass with 2:32 to play. Placekicker Ryan Succop recovered an onside kick, Cassel hooked up with Dwayne Bowe for 36 yards and then Cassel found Chambers near the sideline for a 5-yard score.

The Chiefs made the 2-point conversion, cutting the lead to 24-21 with a little more than a minute to play.

But Jaguars fullback Greg Jones recovered the ensuing onside kick, and Maurice Jones-Drew sealed the victory with a first-down run.

Jones-Drew had 97 yards rushing and a touchdown. Sims-Walker caught six passes for 147 yards.

Chambers finished with three catches for 70 yards. Bowe had four receptions for 74 yards. Charles, starting in place of Johnson, finished with 36 yards on six carries. Kansas City remains the only team in the NFL without a touchdown rushing.

Until Chambers got hot late, punter Dustin Colquitt had the team's three top highlights. He had a 70-yard punt, a 59-yarder, and tackled Rashean Mathis by the dreadlocks after the Jacksonville cornerback returned a failed 56-yard field goal on the final play of the first half.

The Jaguars had a few more bright spots.

Rashad Jennings ran 28 yards for the first touchdown of his career. Jarret Dillard made an impressive 33-yard catch on a third-and-13 play. Mike Thomas had an 18-yard run, then added a 44-yard punt return. Sims-Walker slipped down the sideline for his TD catch that made it 14-6 late in the second quarter, then added a 45-yard reception that set up Josh Scobee's 27-yard field goal in the third.

Jones-Drew capped Jacksonville's scoring with a 10-yard run, making it 24-6. Teammates pushed him the final few yards and across the goal line for his 11th touchdown rushing of the season.

Jacksonville, which entered the game with a league-low five sacks, even got steady pressure on Cassel. Too bad hardly anyone saw it in the area. The game was blacked out on local television and in secondary markets, and announced attendance was 45,516.