Round 1: '06-JAX 23, '06-PIT 16

Pittsburgh (AP) -- The 2006 Jacksonville Jaguars, with productive special teams play and a stingy defense, got off to a fast start and then held on down the stretch to claim a hard-fought 23-16 victory over the 2006 Pittsburgh Steelers in opening round action.

The Jaguars Alvin Pearman returned a kick-off 93-yards for a momentum changing TD score with 1:05 remaining in the first half and their defense was stout, registering six sacks and an interception. David Garrard completed 12-of-26 pass attempts (46%) for 149 yards and was sacked twice. Fred Taylor rushed for 59 yards on 13 carries to lead the ground attack. Maurice Jones-Drew (9 att / 25 yards) scored from 1-yard out to cap Jacksonville's opening possession 7 play, 65 yard drive.
Ben Roethlisberger threw for 251 yards on 19-of-43 passing (46 %) for the Steelers. Willie Parker ran 9 times for 16 yards and Verron Hayes and Najeh Davenport combined to rush for 10 carries and 32 yards to pace Pittsburgh's ground game. Hines Ward caught five passes for 29 yards and Santonio Holmes and Heath Miller each had four receptions. Pittsburgh cut the lead to 7-3 early in the second quarter after engineering a 6-play, 26 yard drive that ended with Jeff Reed 39-yard FG.

The Jaguars responded with a 7-play, 58 yard drive and had to settle for 20-yard Josh Scobee FG and take a 10-3 lead. With 3:35 remaining in the half, Pittsburgh marched 42 yards in seven plays to cut the deficit to 10-6, following a 35-yard Reed FG.

Pearman made his presence felt on the ensuing kick-off return, sprinting 93 yards to the endzone and put the Jaguars out in front 17-6 with 1:17 remaining.

Pittsburgh went three-and-out to begin the third quarter and Jacksonville responded with an impressive 14-play, 83 yard drive that consumed eight minutes and 30 seconds off the clock and ended with a 26-yard Scobee FG. The Jags led 20-6. Jacksonville got another Scobee FG, this one from 19-yards out, to cap a 9-play, 44 yard drive with 13:10 left in the game and take a 23-6 advantage.

The Steelers moved the ball on their next possession down to the Jaguars 23 before Rashean Mathis intercepted a Roethlisberger-to-Heath Miller medium long pass attempt at the Jacksonville 6-yard line. Following a Jacksonville three-and-out series, Pittsburgh wasted little time on their next drive, as Big Ben hit Cedrick Wilson twice, one for 31yards and the second, a 13-yard TD strike with 6:44 left in the game to cut the deficit to 23-13. The Steelers added a 49-yard Reed FG with 2:02 left to close out the game's final score.

Jacksonville was 6-of-14 and Pittsburgh was 5-of-16 on 3rd down conversions.