Johnson Running Jaguar Show Just Fine

Now, Rob Johnson is even starting to run like Mark Brunell.

In his final tuneup before his first NFL start next Sunday, Johnson scrambled five times for 61 yards and led the Jacksonville Jaguars on two long scoring drives in a 26-17 exhibition victory Friday night over the Atlanta Falcons at Jacksonville, Fla.

“You ask me what I’ve learned from Mark sitting on the bench for a couple of years, maybe it was how to run,” Johnson said. “I thought I had a No. 8 on my jersey out there.”

Johnson won’t have to wear Brunell’s number, but he will have to carry the load for the Jaguars (4-0) until Brunell can return from torn ligaments in his right knee. Johnson completed nine of 14 passes for 86 yards against Atlanta (1-3) and threw his first interception in exhibition play. He had thrown five touchdown passes the previous two games.

The Jacksonville crowd cheered as Atlanta kicker Morten Andersen came on in the first quarter for a 20-yard field goal. Andersen, whose missed 30-yard field goal last year put the Jaguars in the playoffs, made the kick.

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Backup quarterback Billy Joe Hobert brought Buffalo back from a 25-point deficit, throwing a 36-yard touchdown pass to Mitchell Galloway with 28 seconds left to give the Bills (2-3) a 31-28 victory over the Baltimore Ravens (0-4) at Baltimore. Hobert, acquired in the off-season from the Oakland Raiders, was 21-for-27 passing for 242 yards and three touchdowns in the second half as the Bills rallied from a 28-3 deficit. Todd Collins, already named to replace Jim Kelly as Buffalo’s starting quarterback, was 6-for-17 passing for 77 yards and got sacked three times in the first half. Linebacker Peter Boulware, the Ravens’ No. 1 draft pick who ended a five-week holdout last Sunday, had six tackles and two sacks. . . . The New York Jets, 1-15 last season under Rick Kotite, completed an undefeated exhibition season (4-0) under new Coach Bill Parcells with a 15-9 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-3) at Orlando, Fla. Wide receiver Wayne Chrebet had 10 receptions for 140 yards for the Jets, who last went undefeated in exhibition play in 1992 but were 4-12 during the regular season.

Third-string quarterback Jon Kitna, who spent all of last season on Seattle’s practice squad, finished a strong exhibition season with a six-yard touchdown pass to Deems May with six seconds left to gave the Seahawks (3-2) a 31-28 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals (2-2) at Cincinnati. Kitna completed 42 of 51 passes for 420 yards with five touchdowns and one interception in exhibition play. Joey Galloway, Seattle’s leading receiver, sprained the big toe on his right foot on the first play. X-rays showed no fracture, but Galloway did not return and will have an MRI exam today to determine the severity of the injury. . . . Two rookies from San Diego State, running back George Jones and wide receiver Will Blackwell, combined to score three touchdowns as the Pittsburgh Steelers (5-0) were 27-19 winners over the Carolina Panthers (0-4) at Charlotte, N.C. Jones had an 80-yard touchdown run while Blackwell had scoring receptions of 38 and 58 yards. Pittsburgh kicker Chris Jacke pulled a muscle in his right thigh on an extra point and his status is uncertain for the Aug. 31 season opener.

The Green Bay Packers had five turnovers and needed two touchdowns in the closing minutes to defeat the New York Giants, 22-17, before the biggest home crowd in their history--76,704 at Madison, Wis. The Packers (5-0) wrapped up their first perfect exhibition season since 1967 while the Giants finished 1-3. Rookie Ryan Longwell from Cal took a big step toward beating out Green Bay’s other rookie kicker, Brett Conway of Penn State, with three field goals--including a 50-yarder. . . . Emmitt Smith scored his first exhibition touchdown and job-seeking kicker Richie Cunningham had two field goals--including a 51-yarder--as the Dallas Cowboys (2-2) defeated the Tennessee Oilers, 34-10, at Irving, Texas. The Oilers (0-4) scored their second exhibition touchdown--and first with quarterback Steve McNair in the game--on Rodney Thomas’ one-yard plunge. . . . Quarterback Jake Plummer, the star of Arizona State’s Rose Bowl team last season, led a last-minute drive that set up Kevin Butler’s fifth field goal, a 42-yarder with 14 seconds left that gave the Arizona Cardinals (1-3) a 15-13 victory over the Oakland Raiders (2-2) at Tempe, Ariz. Raider running back Joe Aska had 111 yards in 16 carries.

Quarterback Brad Johnson completed 10 of 14 passes for 149 yards and two touchdown as the Minnesota Vikings (3-2) defeated the San Diego Chargers, 28-22, at Minneapolis. San Diego quarterbacks Stan Humphries, Jim Everett and Craig Whelihan combined for 436 passing yards but Chargers (3-1) had 18 penalties for 151 yards and gained only 45 yards rushing. . . . Tackle Orlando Pace, the No. 1 overall selection in the 1997 NFL draft who signed a rookie-record seven-year $29.4-million contract Sunday, played most of the second half as the St. Louis Rams (2-2) were 14-13 winners over the Kansas City Chiefs (1-3) at St. Louis. . . . New Orleans defensive end Renaldo Turnbull, a first-round draft choice in 1990 and a Pro Bowl player in 1993, was released hours before the Saints’ 13-7 victory over the Chicago Bears (2-3) in Chicago. The Saints (3-1) intercepted four passes and outgained the Bears, 385-245.