Back to reality: Titans dominate 2nd half, top Jaguars 37-16

 Tennessee and Jacksonville each played much more like all those preseason predictions Sunday.

Derrick Henry, Delanie Walker and Jalston Fowler each ran for touchdowns, and the Titans pounded the Jaguars in the second half for a 37-16 victory.

Reality check? The result was quite possibly more indicative of what to expect from the AFC South rivals than what they showed in their season openers.

"Those guys wanted to come out the second half and make a statement, and I think they did," Titans coach Mike Mularkey said.

Henry finished with a career-high 92 yards on the ground for the Titans (1-1), including 87 in the final two quarters. His 17-yard touchdown run , which seemingly broke Jacksonville's defense in the third, came on a play the Titans installed Saturday night.

"It was awesome to start running the ball the way we did in the second half, to start popping the holes open and get the runs breaking out," right tackle Jack Conklin said.

"It was huge for us. It's picking up where we left off last year. That's the way we want to play. It's smash-mouth football. We love when (the coaches) want to run, run, run the ball. That's what we're all about."

Starting running back DeMarco Murray spent much of the second half standing on the sideline and wearing a baseball cap backward, nursing a tight hamstring. There was no need to risk him in this one, the third consecutive lopsided score in the series.

Marcus Mariota, returning to the place where he broke his right leg last December, completed 15 of 27 passes for 215 yards. He had a 32-yard touchdown pass to Jonnu Smith in the final quarter.

"Last year, I was leaving here on crutches," Mariota said. "To be able to walk out of here with the guys, huge divisional win, I'm going to enjoy it."

Tennessee's performance surely eased some concerns about a 10-point home loss to Oakland in the opener. The Titans ran 21 times for 95 yards against the Raiders, hardly the ground attack Mularkey craves.

Tennessee finished with 179 yards on the ground against Jacksonville, including 121 in the final 30 minutes.

"We tried it in the first half and it didn't go so well," Mularkey said. "It was the patience of sticking with it."

Jacksonville's home opener felt eerily similar to most of the team's performances the previous five years: Lackluster offense and countless mistakes.

Blake Bortles threw two interceptions, including one on a ball tipped at the line, and fumbled once. He completed 20 of 34 passes for 223 yards and a touchdown to Allen Hurns in garbage time.

Rookie Leonard Fournette scored for the second time in as many games , but this one came with the game out of reach. Tennessee led 30-3 before Fournette found the end zone. He finished with 40 yards on 14 carries.

The Jaguars (1-1) enjoyed a near-perfect opener at Houston, running the ball with authority, avoiding errors and playing stingy defense.

Jacksonville looked nothing like that against Tennessee. The team's biggest issues were turnovers (three) and penalties (10).

"With the way we play, we can't have any mistakes," receiver Marqise Lee said. "It's only the second game. You've still got 14. If you're sitting here worried, then you've got a problem."

KEY INJURIES

Titans rookie receiver Corey Davis injured a hamstring. Fellow receiver Taywan Taylor injured his left ankle on punt coverage in the second quarter, but later returned.

Jaguars defensive tackle Malik Jackson left the game with a groin injury in the third quarter. Linebacker Lerentee McCray injured a knee and did not return. Defensive tackle Michael Bennett left the game with a pectoral injury.

CHIPPY CORNERBACK

Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey got a little chippy after Walker's 1-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter. Ramsey pushed Walker after he was in the end zone and was flagged for unnecessary roughness. Several players exchanged words as Mariota grabbed Ramsey and whispered something into this ear.

"Going to let somebody walk in our end zone celebrating and (stuff) with the ball in one hand," Ramsey said. "I gave him a little nudge. I ain't even really get all in to him, to be honest. I gave him a little nudge."

IMRA TRIBUTE

The Jaguars wore "One Florida" stickers on their helmets to recognize those affected by Hurricane Irma. Defensive end Dante Fowler, who grew up in Florida, led the team onto the field while carrying the state flag.

UP NEXT

The Titans host Seattle next Sunday. Tennessee has lost six of the past seven in the series.

The Jaguars travel to London to play Baltimore. It will be Jacksonville's sixth consecutive season playing at Wembley Stadium, the most of any NFL team.

Fournette, strong defense lead Jaguars over Texans 29-7

 Leonard Fournette ran for 100 yards and a touchdown in his NFL debut, and Jacksonville had 10 sacks and forced four turnovers to help the Jaguars to a 29-7 win over the Houston Texans on Sunday.

Blake Bortles threw for 125 yards and a touchdown, Calais Campbell had four sacks and Dante Fowler returned a fumble 53 yards for a score as the Jaguars snapped a six-game skid against Houston.

The Texans hoped to provide a boost to the area ravaged by Hurricane Harvey with a win. Instead, Tom Savage struggled behind a porous line and was benched in favor of rookie Deshaun Watson at halftime with Houston down 19-0.

J.J. Watt returned after missing 13 games last season after back surgery, but injured his finger in the first half and finished with just one tackle.

A 42-yard field goal by Jason Myers made it 3-0 in the first quarter and he added one from 25 yards early in the second.

The Texans punted on their first four possessions, and the fifth one ended when Savage fumbled on a sack by Yannick Ngakoue and the Jaguars recovered the ball.

Fournette, who was the fourth overall pick in this year's draft, added his 1-yard touchdown after that, but the kick failed, leaving Jacksonville up 12-0.

Savage was sacked six times in the first half, playing behind a line without veteran left tackle Duane Brown, who is holding out. The Texans were also without receivers Will Fuller, who has a broken collarbone, and Jaelen Strong, who served a one-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.

Ngakoue picked up the last sack of the half, stripping the ball as he pulled Savage down. Fowler scooped it up and dashed for the score to make it 19-0.

When Houston traded up 13 picks to take Watson 12th overall in this year's draft, many assumed he'd be the starter to open the season. But coach Bill O'Brien insisted he'd back up Savage and raved about the progress of the third-year player.

He had seen enough after Houston's offense failed to move the ball for two quarters during which Savage managed just 62 yards passing and lost two fumbles.

The crowd, who had booed Savage for much of the first half, cheered loudly when Watson, who led Clemson to a national title last season, trotted onto the field for the second half.

He didn't waste any time getting going, throwing a 4-yard touchdown pass to DeAndre Hopkins on his first drive to cut the lead to 19-7 early in the third quarter.

Tommy Bohanon grabbed a 1-yard TD pass from Bortles after that to extend Jacksonville's lead to 26-7.

The Texans coughed it up again late in the third quarter when Watson fumbled on a sack by Fowler and Ngakoue recovered it.

Houston was driving late in the fourth quarter when Watson turned it over again on an interception by Tashaun Gipson, who returned it 67 yards. The Jaguars added a field goal after that to make it 29-7.

INJURIES

Houston linebacker Brian Cushing, tight ends Ryan Griffin and C.J. Fiedorowicz and receiver Bruce Ellington all left the game with concussions. Jaguars receiver Allen Robinson injured his left knee in the first quarter and didn't return.

UP NEXT

Jaguars: Host Tennessee on Sunday.

Texans: Face a quick turnaround with a trip to Cincinnati on Thursday.

Titans end home woes, roll to 36-22 victory over Jaguars

 There's nothing like a visit from the Jacksonville Jaguars to make the Tennessee Titans remember how to protect their home field.

Marcus Mariota threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns to end his home struggles and the Titans had their highest point total of the season in a 36-22 victory over the Jaguars on Thursday night.

Since the start of the 2014 season, the Titans are 3-0 at home against the Jaguars and 1-17 against everybody else. The Titans are 3-8 in home games started by Mariota, a second-year pro out of Oregon.

"It was important," Mariota said. "To give our fans an opportunity to see how this team can play, it was huge. Hopefully this will build a foundation for the rest of the year and give the fans what they really want."

Mariota was 18 of 22 and had a 148.1 passer rating, the second-highest of his career. DeMarco Murray ran for 123 yards and a touchdown to help the Titans bounce back four days after squandering a lead in a 34-26 home loss to Indianapolis.

"I thought it was good to have a short turnaround," Titans coach Mike Mularkey said. "It was a difficult loss we had against Indy. We had to get focused right on these guys immediately, especially with a prime-time game. We wanted to show what we're capable of doing, show the country what we're trying to do here."

The Titans (4-4) gained a season-high 494 total yards and won for the third time in four games. They scored on six straight possessions during a stretch that began in the first quarter and stretched into the third period.

Tennessee already led 3-0 before Mariota threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Kendall Wright on the first play of the second quarter. Rookie Derrick Henry capped the Titans' next drive by scoring his first career touchdown on a 6-yard run.

Murray added a 14-yard touchdown run 3 1/2 minutes later.

After starting out to his right and encountering traffic, Murray reversed his field, capitalized on a downfield block from Mariota and dove into the left corner of the end zone for his sixth touchdown run of the season.

Jacksonville (2-5) trailed 24-0 by the time it got its second first down of the game midway through the second quarter. The Titans led 27-0 at halftime.

"It's a broken record," Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles said. "It's a lack of execution. It's dumb mistakes. The same stuff every week."

Bortles threw three touchdown passes and went 33 of 54 for 337 yards, but much of his production came with the game out of reach.

UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY: This is the first time the Titans have reached the midway point of the season without a losing record since 2011, when they also were 4-4. That 2011 team went on to finish 9-7.

LARGER WORKLOAD FOR HENRY: Titans rookie Derrick Henry had a combined three carries in the two games leading up to this one, but the Heisman Trophy winner from Alabama was much busier Thursday.

Henry had 16 carries for 60 yards to set career highs in both categories. He also caught four passes for 37 yards.

RARE RECOVERY: LeShaun Sims got the Titans' first fumble recovery of the season in the third quarter after Jacksonville's Marqise Lee muffed a punt return. The Titans had entered the night as the only team in the NFL that hadn't recovered an opponent's fumble.

ANOTHER SLOW START: The Jaguars couldn't advance beyond their own 26 on their first series, continuing a long string of futility on opening possessions.

The Jaguars haven't scored a touchdown on their opening series of a game since the second week of the 2015 season against Miami. That 21-game drought marks the longest any team has gone without reaching the end zone on its first possession.

UNHAPPY HOMECOMING: This marked a return home for Jaguars rookie cornerback Jalen Ramsey, a first-round pick from Florida State who played high school football at Brentwood (Tennessee) Academy.

But it didn't turn out quite the way he wanted.

Ramsey was called for unnecessary roughness in the first quarter. In the second period, Ramsey was pushed backward on Henry's 6-yard run. One play later, Henry scored on another 6-yard carry.

UP NEXT: The Jaguars go back on the road to visit Kansas City on Nov. 6. Now that they've finished a three-game home stand, the Titans play at San Diego on Nov. 6.

Raiders beat Jaguars 33-16, get Del Rio win vs former team

Oakland Raiders coach Jack Del Rio heard boos throughout his return to Jacksonville. Most of them weren't directed at him.

Latavius Murray scored twice in his first game back from turf toe, and the Raiders handled the listless Jaguars 33-16 Sunday and gave Del Rio a victory against his former team.

"It is good to come back here and get a good effort in this stadium," said Del Rio, who was given the game ball by quarterback Derek Carr in the locker room.

Murray, who missed the past two games, finished with 59 yards on 18 carries. Michael Crabtree caught eight passes for 96 yards and a touchdown from Carr, Sebastian Janikowski kicked four field goals and Oakland played the kind of defense Del Rio has been looking for all season.

The result was the team's most complete win of the season. The Raiders improved to 4-0 on the road and moved to 5-2 for the first time since 2001.

"Any back wants the ball in his hands, and I'm one of them," Murray said. "When we run the ball, we do good things. I definitely think I got into a good comfort early on in the game and it felt good. The line of scrimmage is where it all starts and they played great up front there today. They were able to get me past there and into the second level."

The Jaguars (2-4) dropped a third straight at EverBank Field and added more speculation about the future of coach Gus Bradley.

Jacksonville fell to 14-40 during Bradley's four seasons, and the latest loss was filled with poor execution on both sides of the ball and a lack of discipline down the stretch. The Jaguars finished with 13 penalties for 122 yards and had two players ejected.

"As a professional in the NFL, that's not what it's supposed to look like by any means," veteran linebackerPaul Posluszny said.

"So that's what makes you mad. We're in the NFL. We need to have high standards for how we conduct ourselves at all times. I've never seen anything like that before. And that's unacceptable on a lot of different levels.

"Fans don't want to see that, you guys don't want to see that and we don't want to be a part of it."

Del Rio had to be thrilled with the outcome, getting the franchise its first win in three trips to Jacksonville. Del Rio spent nine years coaching the Jaguars and was fired with five games remaining in the 2011 season.

Del Rio was jeered while jogging onto the field with his team before the game.

The louder heckles came later - for the Jags.

Blake Bortles threw two more interceptions and had a garbage-time touchdown. Allen Robinson caught two passes for 9 yards. The Jaguars finished with 344 yards of offense - the fewest gained against the league's worst-ranked defense this season.

"Obviously not playing good," Bortles said. "I couldn't tell you. I wish I knew; I'd fix it. It's just a continual thing and hopefully we can find a way to turn it around and solve some problems."

JAGUARS MELTDOWN

First, receiver Marqise Lee was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct and then defensive tackle Malik Jacksonwas penalized twice on the same play. It was an obvious meltdown near the end of a frustrating day for the Jaguars. Jackson was penalized for roughing the passer on a third-and-10 play and then given another 15-yarder for using abusive language toward an official. He was ejected four plays later following another exchange with an official. Jackson ran to the locker room, seemingly eager to get off the field early.

Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey and Raiders receiver Johnny Holton were ejected for fighting in the final minutes of the lopsided matchup.

"It was embarrassing," Jaguars tight end Marcedes Lewis said. "What we put out today is not who we are."

RED ZONE WOES

The Jaguars again struggled to score touchdowns in the red zone. They settled for two short field goals in three trips inside the 20-yard line against the Raiders, throwing an interception from the 18 and then failing to convert from the 8- and 9-yard lines. It's become a trend.

THROAT SLASH

Crabtree was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after his TD catch late in the first half. Replays showed back judge Steve Freeman signaling that Crabtree performed a throat-slash gesture, which has been banned by the league since 1999. Crabtree refused to talk to reporters after the game.

"It's nice to have two No. 1 receivers," Carr said, referring to Crabtree and Amari Cooper. "You look around the league and some teams are looking for one. ... It's a good problem to have."

Bortles hits Benn for 51-yard TD, Jaguars beat Bears 17-16

Arrelious Benn went five years between touchdowns. Once he finally scored, he sure made it count.

Blake Bortles threw for 271 yards, and a slipping Benn caught a 51-yard touchdown in the closing minutes, lifting the Jacksonville Jaguars to a 17-16 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

The Jaguars (2-3) wiped out a 13-0 deficit in the fourth quarter in a matchup of last-place teams. And the go-ahead touchdown might have been helped by the oft-criticized turf at Soldier Field.

Benn slipped as he caught a slant and so did Tracy Porter as he tried to tag the receiver. That allowed Benn, who spent the past three seasons on injured reserve, to get up and run untouched for his first touchdown since he caught three for Tampa Bay during the 2011 season.

"That goes to show you that I went through a lot of adversity," said Benn , who was sidelined by injuries to his knee and clavicle. "I had a lot of injuries, being injured three years, being out of football for three years. I know it's a slow process as far as getting back, especially behind the guys we have here.

"For me, I looked at it as an opportunity for me to better myself as far as those years I missed and also to bring that veteran leadership to the younger guys and help make those guys better."

Benn's TD put Jacksonville on top by a point with 2:49 left and sent the Jaguars to just their fifth win in 26 road games in coach Gus Bradley's four seasons.

It also gave the Bears (1-5) another loss after they dropped the previous game to Indianapolis on a late TD pass by Andrew Luck. Chicago racked up 389 yards, but came away with just one touchdown in four trips inside the 20.

"It's not lack of heart, lack of trying," Bears coach John Fox said. "Our guys battled. We just don't play well enough right now. That's on all of us."

The Bears' Brian Hoyer threw for 302 yards - his fourth straight 300-yard game filling in for the injured Jay Cutler (sprained right thumb).

Cameron Meredith had 11 catches for 113 yards. Alshon Jeffery added 93 yards receiving - all but three in the first half.

Willie Young had two sacks for Chicago. Porter intercepted Bortles in the end zone early on, but Chicago fell to 2-9 at home in two seasons under Fox.

Bortles completed 20 of 33 passes with a touchdown and interception. Allen Hurns added 74 yards receiving, and Chris Ivory ran for a TD for Jacksonville.

LATE RALLY

The Jaguars didn't score until the opening seconds of the fourth quarter, when Ivory ran in from the 1 to cut it to 13-7. On their next possession, a strip-sack by Young and recovery by Akiem Hicks gave Chicago the ball at the Jacksonville 28, leading to a field goal by Connor Barth.

But Jacksonville cut the lead back to six with 4:59 remaining on a 30-yard field goal by Jason Myers.

PICKED OFF

Porter intercepted Bortles in the end zone on Jacksonville's first possession off a pass that popped out ofAllen Robinson's hands, stopping a drive that began at the Bears 10.

QUOTABLE

Jaguars coach Gus Bradley: "We have the capabilities of doing this. We have to mature as a team. We have to grow up as a team. When you go and experience this, this is a good sign. This is a good step toward that."

Hoyer on the Bears' struggles: "No one is going to give us a chance the rest of the way and that's OK. As long as the people in that room believe we'll be fine."

INJURY REPORT

Jaguars: FS Tashaun Gipson (knee) was active after being listed as questionable on Saturday.

Bears: WR Eddie Royal left with a toe injury in the fourth quarter. ... Porter hurt his knee near the end of the game. ... LG Josh Sitton left in the closing minutes because of an ankle injury. He was already dealing with a shoulder problem. ... Besides Cutler, the Bears were missing LB Leonard Floyd (calf), NT Eddie Goldman(ankle) and RB Jeremy Langford (ankle).

Jaguars survive late Colts rally, win 30-27 in London

Blake Bortles threw for two touchdowns and ran for another as Jacksonville held off a furious Indianapolis Colts rally to win 30-27 in London for the Jaguars' first win of the season.

Sunday's victory at a raucous Wembley Stadium elevated Jacksonville into a tie with Indianapolis at 1-3 in the AFC South.

Andrew Luck led the Colts on three fourth-quarter touchdown drives to rattle the Jaguars' nerves. But his fourth-and-1 pass at the Jacksonville 49 with 1:36 remaining fell from the hands of tight end Dwayne Allen to preserve the victory for under-fire Jaguars coach Gus Bradley.

The Jaguars got a semblance of a running game going for the first time this season. T.J. Yeldon carried 13 times for 68 yards and Bortles added seven scrambles for 36 yards, including a 1-yard run that put Jacksonville ahead 14-6 midway through the second quarter.

The Colts repeatedly self-destructed on offense with dropped balls and another costly Luck interception that led to Jacksonville's opening touchdown. The Colts proved just as reckless on defense as pass interference and unnecessary roughness penalties extended three Jacksonville scoring drives.

The Jaguars led 23-6 after three quarters before the Colts mounted a tenacious comeback.

Their first touchdown drive of the final period was aided by an end zone pass interference on safety Jonathan Cyprien. Frank Gore (16 carries for 68 yards) punched the ball through on the next play to complete a nine-play, 75-yard drive barely seconds into the final period.

After a Jacksonville punt, Luck led a 12-play, 78-yard touchdown drive capped by his rollout scoring toss toT.Y. Hilton alone in the right corner of the end zone.

But Bortles found Allen Hurns on a short out route. Hurns made reserve cornerback Rashaan Melvin miss, then cut inside and through the defense for a 42-yard touchdown that seemingly put the Jaguars safely ahead 30-20 with 5:31 left.

But Luck pulled the Colts back to 30-27 barely two minutes later. A defensive miscue by Jaguars rookie Jalen Ramsey left Phillip Dorsett streaking alone to haul in a 64-yard touchdown throw.

FOREIGN POWER: Frank Gore added to his somewhat strange status as the NFL's greatest rusher outside the United States. Sunday marked his fourth time in regular-season action on foreign soil dating back to his rookie year of 2005 in Mexico City. Gore also had strong 2010 and 2013 performances as a 49er in London's Wembley. Adding Sunday's productive numbers leaves Gore with 66 non-American carries for 264 yards and four touchdowns.

BIG CROWD: Wembley Stadium announced a sold-out attendance of 83,764, divided fairly equally between Jaguars and Colts supporters.

WHAT'S NEXT: The Jaguars enjoy a bye week before traveling to Chicago to face the Bears. The Colts, unusually for teams making the London trip, chose not to schedule their bye after the game and will face the Bears at home Oct. 9.

Tucker's late field goal lifts Ravens to 19-17 win at Jags

As his 54-yard field goal split the uprights, Justin Tucker raised both arms in celebration and turned toward Baltimore's bench.

He probably should have taken a bow.

Tucker kicked four field goals, including the long-distance winner with 1:02 remaining, and the Ravens remained unbeaten with a 19-17 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

The fourth quarter featured four interceptions, a muffed punt, a blocked field goal and a huge fourth-down conversation. The fourth-down play - Joe Flacco's short pass to Steve Smith - helped set up Tucker's kick.

"It was controlled chaos. That's all it is," Smith said. "In the fourth quarter, there are either blowouts or there are nail-biters, and that definitely was a nail-biter. We make it interesting, and I think we make it more interesting than we really like."

The Ravens improved to 3-0 for the third time in franchise history and first time since 2009.

The Jaguars are 0-3 for the third time in the last four years and surely will hear more talk about coach Gus Bradley's job security. Bradley is now 12-39 in four seasons, the second-worst winning percentage of any NFL coach with at least 50 games.

The blame for this one fell on Blake Bortles and an offense that had plenty of chances down the stretch. The Ravens turned the ball over on three consecutive possessions in the fourth - Devin Hester muffed a punt, and Flacco threw back-to-back interceptions - and gave Jacksonville the ball in field-goal range all three times.

The Jaguars came away with three points, thanks to Blake Bortles' second of three interceptions and Jason Myers' blocked field goal.

"We have to stop giving games away," Jaguars veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis said. "Execution down the stretch could have been better. The turnovers, the penalties, you do that in this league, the parity is so good in this league, the margin for error is so small, you can't be out there playing like on some plays like we've never practiced it.

"We've got to go out there and execute. I feel sick right now."

FRANCHISE RECORD: Flacco completed 29 of 40 passes for 214 yards. It doesn't seem like a record-setting outing, but it was. He broke his own franchise record for consecutive completions by connecting on 21 straight. Flacco misfired on four of his first five throws, but then reeled off 21 in a row. The streak ended on Mike Wallace's drop in the end zone early in the third quarter. Flacco's previous record was 14 straight set in 2009.

BRIGHT SPOT: Allen Robinson was Jacksonville's lone bright spot on offense. He finished with seven catches for 57 yards and two touchdowns. He had a 3-yard score in the first quarter and an 11-yarder in the third. After his first TD of the season, Robinson chucked the ball into the stands in a release of frustration.

"In these first couple of games, I may have left some plays out there or I may not have impacted the game how I know I can," Robinson said. "I'm trying to lead this team each and every week."

PENALTY BOOST: Tucker's 42-yard field goal at the end of the first half was huge, and it was helped by two Jacksonville penalties. The Jaguars looked like they had forced a three-and-out, but Malik Jackson was flagged for roughing the passer when he touched Flacco's facemask. Tucker was short on a 57-yarder a few plays later, but Dante Fowler Jr. was called for unsportsmanlike conduct for "leveraging" during the kick. The 15-yard penalty gave Tucker another shot from 42 yards, and he drilled it.

WOE LINE: Injuries forced the Jaguars to shuffle their offensive line for the first time this season. Left tackle Kelvin Beachum (concussion) and center Brandon Linder (knee) were inactive, leaving center Tyler Shatley and guard Chris Reed to make their first career starts. The injuries also forced guard Luke Joeckel to slide back to left tackle. All the movement was evident as Bortles was sacked four times and Jacksonville averaged 2.3 yards a carry.

SLOW START: Bortles now has thrown first-quarter interceptions in every game this season, leading to 17 points for opponents. Ravens linebacker C.J. Mosley had the latest, making a leaping, one-handed catch in front of Allen Robinson down the field. The Ravens turned it into a field goal and a 10-0 lead.

IVORY RETURNS: Running back Chris Ivory made his Jaguars debut but was mostly ineffective. Ivory missed the first two games because of a "general medical issue" that required an overnight hospital stay. Ivory was a 1,000-yard rusher with the New York Jets last season. He finished with 14 yards on 12 carries, hobbling to the sideline several times with an apparent knee injury.

ANTHEM PROTEST: Four Jaguars - Fowler Jr., linebacker Telvin Smith, defensive end Jared Odrick and linebackerHayes Pullard III - raised their right fists during the national anthem.

Rivers throws 4 TD pass as Chargers rout Jaguars 38-14

 Philip Rivers couldn't help but saying it in the locker room at halftime.

"It's kind of funny, isn't it, up 21 again."

Unlike a week earlier, the San Diego Chargers didn't turn a three-touchdown lead into a soul-crushing loss. They added on, beating the mistake-prone Jacksonville Jaguars 38-14 Sunday.

Rivers matched his career high with four touchdown passes, including two to Travis Benjamin, and Melvin Gordon ran for one score and had his first 100-yard game

The Chargers (1-1) bounced back from their stunning loss at Kansas City, when they blew a 21-point third-quarter lead and fell 33-27 in overtime.

"It was huge. I'm glad it happened again right away," Rivers said. "It was good for us mentally to get that put to bed that in the sense, `When we're up 21, guys, we're going to win,' instead of that, `Oh, we're hanging on.' "

The Jaguars started 0-2 for the fourth time in five seasons. They crossed midfield only six times and committed three turnovers.

"I think we kind of took ourselves out of rhythm by doing stupid stuff, the turnovers and the penalties," Blake Bortlessaid.

Casey Hayward led the Chargers' defense with two interceptions of Bortles. His first set up a short drive Rivers capped with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Benjamin for a 14-0 lead on the first play of the second quarter.

Rivers threw a 2-yard scoring pass to tight end Antonio Gates for a 21-0 lead midway through the second period. That drive started after a missed 54-yard field goal by Jacksonville's Jason Myers, who went to Mater Dei High in suburban Chula Vista.

His third scoring pass went 44 yards to Tyrell Williams, who bounced off two defenders and broke two tackles just before going into the end zone in the third quarter.

Benjamin, signed as a free agent from Cleveland, caught a 45-yarder late in the third quarter.

Bortles threw TD passes of 4 yards to Marcedes Lewis and 15 to Corey Grant in the fourth quarter.

The Chargers lost a playmaker for the second straight week. Running back Danny Woodhead was helped off the field in the first quarter and taken to the locker room on a cart. The severity of the knee injury wasn't immediately known.

Star receiver Keenan Allen suffered a season-ending knee injury a week earlier.

What could be the Chargers final home opener in San Diego drew only 52,165 fans at 72,000-seat Qualcomm Stadium.

The Jags were coming off a four-point loss to Green Bay.

"I don't know if you're defined by one game," coach Gus Bradley said. "I think the big thing is to see how we'll respond from this."

HUNGRY GORDON: Gordon, a second-year pro, scored on a 3-yard run on the game's opening drive, his first TD at Qualcomm Stadium. Gordon went in standing up, and then right guard D.J. Fluker lifted him off the ground in celebration. He finished with 102 yards on 24 carries.

"It feels good," Gordon said. "I don't get overly excited about anything. It's early. I'm just hungry, man. But I am happy now. I definitely wanted it, so it's even better you get the 100-yard game with a win."

Gordon failed to score a TD during his rookie season, then scored twice at Kansas City.

ANTHEM: Chargers offensive linemen Joe Barksdale and Chris Hairston held up their right fists during the national anthem.

"It's just a solidarity thing," Barksdale said. "Chris has two kids, I have a daughter on the way. You never want to bury your kids. We still stand for the national anthem, we're happy to be in the country. At the same time, things need to change."

There was also a malfunction with a giant American flag as it was being unfurled on the field by Marines and U.S. Navy sailors. The flag appeared to have a big twist in the middle and couldn't be fully opened.

A SAN DIEGO INSTITUTION: Rivers and Gates have hooked up on 78 touchdown passes, the most in NFL history for a quarterback-tight end tandem. Gates has caught 80 TD passes since Rivers became the starter in 2006, but two were thrown by LaDainian Tomlinson on halfback option plays. Gates needs six more scoring catches to match Tony Gonzalez's all-time mark of 111 for a tight end.

WEST COAST WOES: The Jaguars fell to 2-11 on the West Coast and 0-4 in San Diego. The Jags haven't won on the West Coast since 2004 and have been outscored 260-93 during an eight-game losing streak, falling by double digits in seven of those.

INJURIES

Jaguars: LT Kelvin Beachum was taken to a hospital after sustaining a concussion late the third quarter. The stadium was hushed as he was placed on a back board and lifted onto a cart. The team said he was to be kept overnight for observation, returning to Jacksonville Monday. ... Jared Odrick hurt an elbow on the opening drive and returned. ...WRArrelious Benn sustained a cut on Jacksonville's first possession. The team didn't give further information. ... DT Roy Miller hurt his left hand.

Chargers: In addition to Woodhead, SS Jahleel Addae left with an apparent shoulder injury in the fourth period.