Taylor Runs Wild Against Steelers

O.J. Simpson. Jimmy Brown. Fred Taylor was running in some pretty fast company - and running right by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Taylor ran for 234 yards the most against the Steelers in their 67-year history and scored a career-high four touchdowns as the Jacksonville Jaguars rediscovered their missing offense, holding off Pittsburgh 34-24 on Sunday night.

Taylor had touchdown runs of 25, 2 and 26 yards against a defense that had allowed only two touchdowns in 24 quarters, and a 16-yard scoring catch.

"Incredible," Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell said. "That was one of the finest performances in our history, and it came against a pretty good defense. I don't think any of us would have expected that."

Taylor, who has five consecutive 100-yard games, set the previous Jaguars record of 183 yards on Dec. 6, 1998, against Detroit. Simpson held the record for most yards against the Steelers with 227 yards in 1975.

Taylor joined Brown as the only opposing player to score four touchdowns at Pittsburgh.

It certainly has for the Steelers, who had allowed only one 100-yard rusher all season. Baltimore's Priest Holmes had 119 yards in the Ravens' 16-0 victory on Sept. 3.

"They started doing things that were really hurting us," Steelers defensive end Kevin Henry said. "It hurts a lot, to watch a running back go up and down the field like that. That's unheard of around here."

The Jaguars (4-7) converted four of the Steelers' five turnovers

three fumbles and two interceptions into scores, including two of Taylor's touchdown runs in a span of less than five minutes in the third quarter.

"We kept dropping it and turning it over," Steelers receiver Hines Ward said. "There's no accounting for it."

The Jaguars have rarely developed any offensive rhythm or consistency this season as Brunell struggled behind an ever-changing offensive line.

But Brunell 17-of-31 for 190 yards again looked like the quarterback who has beaten the Steelers four times in his last five starts against them, repeatedly dodging the blitz to make key throws to Jimmy Smith, who had six catches, and tight end Kyle Brady, who had five.

Jacksonville turned a 7-0 deficit into a 34-10 lead by scoring on six consecutive possessions two touchdowns followed by two field goals by Mike Hollis and two more touchdowns in a 17-point third quarter.

Pittsburgh rallied on Kordell Stewart's touchdown runs of 2 and 45 yards in the fourth quarter, and could have closed within a field goal if a wide-open Ward hadn't slipped and dropped a pass near the goal line with 6 1/2 minutes left. Kris Brown then missed a 42-yard field-goal attempt.

The Steelers (5-6), coming off consecutive last-minute losses to Tennessee and Philadelphia, are on their second three-game losing streak of the season.

Stewart's 32-yard scoring pass to Ward, only the fifth by the Steelers this season, put the Steelers ahead 7-0 in the first quarter. After that, it was all Taylor and turnovers.

"It's going to be embarrassing to watch this," Steelers linebacker Joey Porter said.

Kevin Hardy's pass interception led to Taylor's first touchdown, a 25-yard run that tied it at 7 in the second quarter. Later in the quarter, Taylor's 31-yard run set up his own scoring catch on a deftly executed screen pass that put Jacksonville in the lead for good at 14-10.

Hollis later kicked field goals of 36 yards, after Larry Smith recovered Stewart's fumble, and 33 yards after Pittsburgh challenged an apparent touchdowcatch by Smith, who was ruled to be juggling the ball in the end zone.

Troy Edwards then fumbled the ensuing kickoff, with Daimon Shelton recovering, and Taylor followed with a 34-yard run to set up his own 2-yard touchdown run. Pittsburgh's Bobby Shaw later fumbled after making a 15-yard catch, with Taylor scoring from the 26 four plays later.

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