JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Elvis Grbac capped what was perhaps a season-saving drive with a three-yard touchdown pass to tight end Shannon Sharpe with nine seconds remaining Sunday as the Baltimore Ravens squandered a big lead before rallying for a 24-21 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
"We kept our cool and poise all the way down," Grbac said. "It was a collective group confidence."
Signed to a five-year contract in the offseason to become the starting quarterback for the defending Super Bowl champions, Grbac has been the target of criticism for his erratic play this season.
In last week's loss to Cleveland, Grbac threw four interceptions and lost a fumble, prompting Sharpe to openly question the play of his new signal caller.
But on Sunday, Grbac had an answer for his critics after he watched his team relinquish a 17-0 lead in the second half.
Stacey Mack scored on a three-yard run with 1:32 remaining to put Jacksonville in front, 21-17, after which the Ravens took over on their own 26.
Grbac needed nine plays to lead his team down the field with key completions of 16 and 25 yards to Qadry Ismail, a 17-yard pass to Brandon Stokley and a 10-yard throw to Sharpe.
On third down from the Jacksonville three, Grbac threw off his back foot, lofting a pass over safety Ainsley Battles for Sharpe in the back of the end zone. Sharpe got his right foot down inbounds before dragging his left for the touchdown.
Grbac went four of six for 71 yards on the 74-yard drive. He finished 21 of 30 for 259 yards with one interception.
"We made a couple of big plays," Grbac said. "The guys down field made some great catches, and Qadry (Ismail) made a key catch down the stretch."
Afterward, Sharpe had nothing but praise for Grbac.
"We are going to ride him and if the horse can make it, we're going to stand him up, beat him, and ride him some more," Sharpe said. "He's the guy that could get us to where we need to go. When he's protected, he could throw the football as good as anyone in the league and that's what we were able to do today."
Ravens coach Brian Billick, who supported Grbac through his struggles, made it clear that he has confidence in him.
"Anyone want to ask me who my quarterback is next week? Again remember now, that's why owners own, coaches coach, players play and writers write," Billick said. "Keep that in mind. I'm bigger than saying (I told you so). But that's why that guy is my quarterback. Under tough conditions to come back the way he did, maybe, maybe some of you (media) understand that."
On the winning score, Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin was not happy with his defense on the field and could be seen asking for a timeout on the sidelines, but his players did not see him.
Jason Brookins rushed for two touchdowns, but lost a key fumble in the fourth quarter for the Ravens (7-4), who remained 1 1/2 games behind Pittsburgh in the AFC Central.
"There's no way I could tell you right now when we scored that last touchdown, there's no way we're going to lose that game," Coughlin said. "We did. We found a way. Like so many times this year, when people have been in that position, we've been unable to stop them. If you'd ask me with 1:32 to go if there was any way we were going to lose, I'd have said no."
Jacksonville wide receiver Jimmy Smith said he is getting tired of the tough losses.
"It's unbelievable. There's so many bad things that have been happening to us and I just can't explain it -- this isn't a three-hour show," he said. "This was just like the first game up in Baltimore. The offense was sitting on the bench watching a nightmare unfold. The defense played great the whole ballgame. I just wish the offense could have put some points on the board."
Mack had a pair of touchdown runs for Jacksonville (3-7), which lost the two meetings this season against the Ravens by a combined four points. They have dropped the last four to their division rival by 12 points.
The Ravens dominated the contest for the first 3 1/2 quarters, building a 17-0 lead on a 41-yard field goal by Matt Stover and a pair of short touchdown runs by Brookins.
But Jacksonville, which was held off the board on its first eight possessions, was able to mount a comeback against the Ravens' record-setting defense.
Mark Brunell, who passed for just 45 yards in the first half, caught fire late in the third quarter.
Brunell orchestrated a 10-play, 71-yard drive by completing five of seven passes for 56 yards on the march. Mack capped the drive with a four-yard run, pulling the Ravens within 17-7 with 1:44 left in the quarter.
On their first possession of the fourth quarter, the Jaguars continued to move behind Brunell, who engineered a seven-play, 87-yard drive.
Brunell had completions of 25 yards to Mack and 26 yards to Keenan McCardell. He found Smith over the middle, who cut to his right and beat safety Corey Harris into end zone for a 12-yard touchdown, making it 17-14 with 8:16 remaining.
Brunell, who finished 23 of 38 for 259 yards and was not intercepted, said his team was calm despite being down at halftime.
"It certainly wasn't a panic," he said. "There wasn't any screaming. Guys were poised, calm. I believe it was 10-0 at halftime, which isn't a lot of points. We knew what we had to do. There wasn't a lack of confidence, we just came out and did some things."
Later in the fourth quarter, the Jaguars' defense made a big play that helped them take the lead.
Backup linebacker Danny Clark, who played in place of the injured Kevin Hardy, drilled Brookins along the left sideline and jarred the ball free. Defensive lineman Tony Brackens took the ball out of the air and returned it one yard to the Baltimore 38 with 4:25 left.
Brunell quickly put his team in position to take the lead, finding Smith over the middle for 15 yards to the 20. But it was a mistake by the Ravens' defense that kept the short drive alive.
On third and goal from the nine, veteran safety Carnell Lake was called for interference on a pass intended for Smith. Two plays later, Mack barrelled through the middle for a two-yard touchdown, giving Jacksonville a 21-17 lead with 1:32 remaining.
Mack finished with 50 yards on 13 carries. Baltimore has not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 48 straight games, including playoffs.
The comeback, however, was wasted when Grbac played the role of hero. After throwing for the winning score, Grbac was mobbed by his teammates and received a hug from Brookins, who had the costly turnover earlier in the quarter.
