FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Third-round draft pick Ryan Mallett played the entire second half and drove New England to touchdowns on his first four series, helping turn a 19-9 halftime lead into a 47-12 rout of the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday night.
The former Arkansas star was 12 of 19 for 164 yards and a touchdown. Stevan Ridley, a third-round choice from LSU, scored three touchdowns on two 1-yard runs and a 16-yard pass from Mallett. Richard Medlin, a rookie free agent from Fayetteville State, had two 2-yard touchdown runs.
Blaine Gabbert, the former Missouri quarterback drafted 10th overall, completed 9 of 16 passes for 85 yards for Jacksonville. Playing against mostly backups as top players for both teams sat out the game, the Jaguars scored three field goals on Gabbert’s six possessions. He played the entire first half with starting quarterback David Garrard unavailable because of a back injury.
Gabbert was replaced by Todd Bouman on Jacksonville’s first possession of the second half.
The Patriots started a quarterback who wasn’t drafted, Brian Hoyer. But he spent the past two years with the Patriots and his experience paid off. He completed 15 of 21 passes for 171 yards and an 11-yard touchdown pass to Taylor Price in the first half.
On Mallett’s first series, he completed 6 of 8 passes for 79 yards, setting up Ridley’s 1-yard scoring run. Then he connected with Ridley for a 16-yard touchdown pass to cap a 67-yard drive.
On the Patriots’ next possession, Mallett threw for 44 of the 80 yards and Medlin got his first touchdown. They didn’t have to work as hard for their next score after Buddy Farnham intercepted Bouman’s pass. That drive went just 31 yards with Medlin carrying for the last 2.
COWBOYS 24, BRONCOS 23
ARLINGTON, Texas - Tim Tebow showed off his fancy moves on a wild play that didn’t even count.
Tebow’s failed scramble just before halftime stood as the play of the game, until Stephen McGee - another option quarterback in college - ran around to throw a 13-yard touchdown pass and a two-point conversion with 15 seconds left, giving the Dallas Cowboys a victory over the Denver Broncos.
Tebow led the Broncos to two field goals in four drives. The first came on a drive that started on his own 10-yard line, the other on a series that started 7 yards from the end zone. He completed 6 of 7 passes for 91 yards. He also ran twice for 15 yards.
McGee threw three touchdown passes.
EAGLES 13, RAVENS 6
PHILADELPHIA - Michael Vick threw for 74 yards and a touchdown pass in his only series and the new-look Philadelphia Eagles beat the Baltimore Ravens.
Nnamdi Asomugha, Vince Young and several other big-name acquisitions made their first appearances for the Eagles, who’ve signed a slew of free agents with impressive resumes in the past two weeks.
Joe Flacco played two series and led the Ravens to a field goal on the opening possession. He completed 3 of 6 passes for 60 yards. Ricky Williams, who signed with Baltimore on Monday, was inactive.
Vick, the runner-up to Tom Brady for NFL MVP, completed 4 of 6 passes, including a 3-yard touchdown pass to Brent Celek. Vick drove the Eagles right down the field against Ray Lewis and Baltimore’s vaunted defense.
SEAHAWKS 24, CHARGERS 17
SAN DIEGO - Thomas Clayton scored on a 25-yard run with 3:05 left to lift Seattle past San Diego.
Tarvaris Jackson passed for 13 yards over two moderately successful series in his debut as Matt Hasselbeck’s replacement with the Seahawks. San Diego’s Phillip Rivers went 5 for 6 while leading an 89-yard scoring in his only series.
Cornell graduate Bryan Walters returned a kickoff 103 yards for a touchdown late in the third quarter for the Chargers, and Mike Tolbert caught an 8-yard scoring pass to cap the only drive by Rivers.
Leon Washington rushed for a 1-yard score on the Seahawks’ opening drive of the second half, and Josh Portis Portis hit Anthony McCoy with a tying 6-yard touchdown pass with 4:02 left.
San Diego rookie Scott Tolzien’s fumble set up Clayton’s go-ahead score, but the former Wisconsin quarterback drove the Chargers to the Seattle 5 in the final minute before his final pass pinballed among several players and fell incomplete in the end zone.
Sports, Pages 26 on 08/12/2011