Stewart Scores Five Touchdowns Jaguars Back Answers Critics With Near-Record Performance

No one asked James Stewart about fumbles or playing second-fiddle to Natrone Means. Everyone wanted to know about touchdowns and how it felt to be mentioned with Jim Brown.

Stewart became only the fourth player in NFL history to rush for five touchdowns in a game as Jacksonville manhandled the Philadelphia Eagles in a 38-21 victory Sunday.

The Jaguars lost Means to a sprained ankle on their first drive but got the rushing they wanted from Stewart, a first-round pick in 1995 who bore the brunt of criticism in their expansion season.

He scored on runs of 7, 8 and 2 yards and twice from 1 yard out to become the first player to rush for five TDs since Buffalo’s Cookie Gilchrist on Dec. 8, 1963, against the New York Jets when the teams were in the AFL. The NFL recognizes those records.

Ernie Nevers and Jim Brown are the only others who have at least five rushing touchdowns in a game. Nevers holds the record with six.

“My dad is from Cleveland, so I grew up hearing about Jim Brown,” said Stewart, who ran 15 times for 102 yards in the second 100-yard game of his pro career. “I can’t be mentioned with those guys. They’re all great running backs. My career is young.”

As a rookie, Stewart was booed for not producing 100-yard rushing games on an expansion team with a patchwork offensive line. He was blamed for last year’s 20-6 loss to New England in the AFC championship game when his fumble was returned for a touchdown.

It was the 10th straight home win for the Jaguars (5-1), who had 149 yards rushing on just 24 carries.

That kind of performance was expected out of the Eagles, who were fifth in the league in rushing.