AFC: New York Jets 34.2C Jacksonville Jaguars 24 1998–99 NFL playoffs

at giants stadium, east rutherford, new jersey

game time: 12:30 p.m. est
game weather: 39 °f (4 °c), clear
game attendance: 78,817
referee: bob mcelwee
tv announcers (cbs): verne lundquist (play-by-play), randy cross (color commentator), , michele tafoya (sideline reporter)

quarterback vinny testaverde passed 284 yards jets held ball 39:16. receiver keyshawn johnson caught 9 passes 121 yards , touchdown, rushed 28 yards , touchdown, recovered fumble, , intercepted pass on defense near end of game when brought in defensive back. jets running curtis martin rushed 124 yards, caught 6 passes 58 yards, , scored 2 touchdowns. jacksonville receiver jimmy smith caught 5 passes 104 yards , 2 touchdowns. quarterback mark brunell threw 3 touchdowns, completed 12 of 31 passes 156 yards , intercepted 3 times.

on opening drive of game, new york drove 70 yards in 7 plays score on testaverde s 21-yard touchdown pass johnson. rest of first quarter scoreless, on second last play, new york started 59-yard drive ended on john hall s 51-yard field goal.

new york go on dominate second quarter, holding ball 51 seconds of it. on next drive, martin lost fumble safety chris hudson recovered on jaguars 18-yard line. during return, fumbled while attempting lateral teammate dave thomas being tackled testaverde, , johnson recovered ball on new york s 34-yard line. jets drove jacksonville territory , scored johnson s 10-yard run. however, brunell threw 52-yard touchdown pass smith on last play of half, cutting score 17–7.

early in third quarter, jets defensive corwin brown intercepted pass brunell on third down , returned 40 yards. on ensuing drive, testaverde s 23-yard completion johnson set 1-yard touchdown run martin. however, jacksonville s reggie barlow returned ensuing kickoff 88 yards new york 4-yard line, setting 3-yard touchdown pass brunell keenan mccardell , cutting deficit 24–14. new york struck right back, testaverde throwing 70 yards on six-minute drive ended martin s second touchdown run put them 31–14 going fourth quarter.

but jacksonville refused give up. first, 29-yard run fred taylor set off 64-yard scoring drive ended on brunell s 19-yard touchdown pass smith. linebacker kevin hardy forced fumble jets receiver wayne chrebet recovered thomas on jets 41-yard line, setting field goal mike hollis , bringing jaguars within 1 touchdown, 31–24. new york responded driving inside jacksonville 20-yard line. 2:30 left in game, rookie safety donovin darius intercepted pass testaverde in end zone, instead on kneeling down touchback, attempted return ball , tackled @ one-yard line. jacksonville unable first down on ensuing drive , turned ball on over downs. few plays later, hall kicked field goal put game away. johnson put finishing touch on exceptional performance intercepting brunell on next play.