THIS WEEK:Rematch and revenge. That's on the minds of the Jacksonville Jaguars, as they travel to Houston to face the expansion Texans at 1:00 p.m. EST Sunday at Reliant Stadium. The Jaguars lost to the Texans 21-19 three weeks ago in Jacksonville, and the Texans will be the first AFC South opponent that they will face for the second time this season.
The Jaguars are coming off their best performance in more than a month and looking to stay in the hunt for a postseason berth. They are 4-5 after soundly defeating the Washington Redskins 26-7 last Sunday at ALLTEL Stadium. Now they go back on the road for the final two road games of a streak in which they will have played five of seven games away from home. Following Sunday's game in Houston, the Jaguars will travel to Dallas to face the Cowboys on November 24. The Jaguars are 1-3 on the road in 2002. The Texans are 2-7 after losing to the Titans 17-10 on the road last Sunday.
With their victory over the Redskins, the Jaguars snapped a four-game losing streak and avoided suffering five straight losses for the third straight season. They are in third place in the AFC South but only one game out of first place behind the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans, who are both 5-4.
The Jacksonville offense broke out of a slump against the Redskins, scoring six times, with two touchdowns and four field goals. But the team's defense and special teams were the story of the day. The defense held Washington scoreless after surrendering a touchdown on the first drive of the game. Special teams contributed four Tim Seder field goals and four punts downed inside the 20, including three inside the Washington eight-yard line for punter Chris Hanson. For the season, the Jaguars have allowed only 164 points, an average of only 18.2 points per game that is the lowest in the AFC.
In the last six seasons, the Jaguars are tied with the seventh-best record in the NFL, a 53-36 mark that is eight games behind the Green Bay Packers. The Jaguars are have the NFL's fifth-best home record, 38-15 dating back to 1996, and they are the NFL's fifth-best road team with a 24-22 record going back to the 1996 season.
TELEVISION BROADCAST: The Jaguars-Texans game will be televised regionally on CBS and locally on WTEV Channel 47 (Ch. 6 cable), with Don Criqui calling the play-by-play and Steve Tasker adding analysis. The Jaguars Pregame Show airs at 11:30 a.m. on WTEV, with Brian Sexton, Ryan Elijah and Jordan Siegel.
RADIO BROADCAST: All Jaguars games are broadcast on WOKV (690 AM) and WKQL (96.9 FM) and the Jaguars Radio Network. Brian Sexton calls the play-by-play and former NFL quarterback Matt Robinson adds analysis, with Cole Pepper serving as field reporter for home games. Sexton and Robinson are in their eighth season together. Robinson, Vic Ketchman and Pepper handle the pre-game show (three hours before kickoff on both stations), and Pepper and ex-Oakland Raider Pete Banaszak do the post-game show. A total of 16 affiliates in three states on the Jaguars Radio Network will also broadcast the game.
ON THE INTERNET: The Jaguars website has unveiled a re-designed look for the 2002 season. For breaking news, columns, feature stories, press releases, historical information, video highlights, rosters, depth charts and statistics, go to www.jaguars.com Updated daily, the Jaguars' Official Web Site has been ranked among the 100 Best Sites in the World by PC Magazine. The site also features online ticket buying, new merchandise offerings and multimedia, including video of Jaguars television shows and live radio game broadcasts.
ON THE AIR THIS WEEK:Monday - Jaguars Reporters, 6:00 p.m., WOKV Radio, with Brian Sexton, Vic Ketchman - The Jaguars End Zone, 7:00 p.m., WJXT-TV4, with Sam Kouvaris, Donovin Darius and a guestWednesday - Jaguars This Week, 6:00 p.m., WOKV Radio, with Brian Sexton, Vic Ketchman, Jeff LagemanThursday - Tom Coughlin Show, 6:00 p.m., WOKV Radio, with Tom Coughlin, Brian Sexton- THE Jaguars Show, 8:00 p.m., WJXT-TV4, with Brian Sexton, Jeff LagemanSaturday - Tom Coughlin Show, 7:30 p.m., WJXT-TV4, with Tom Coughlin, Brian Sexton
THE OPPONENT:After a five-year absence, NFL football returned to the city of Houston this year. An expansion franchise was awarded on October 6, 1999 when the league announced that the 32nd NFL franchise would go to to owner Robert C. McNair and would begin play in 2002. The franchise was given its official name on September 6, 2000 when McNair announced the city's new team would be called the Texans. The Texans are in fourth place in the AFC South at 2-7. They are quarterbacked by David Carr, the No. 1 choice in the 2002 NFL draft and led by head coach Dom Capers.
THE SERIES: This will be the second game between the Jaguars and Texans, with Houston owning a 1-0 lead in the series. The Jaguars are 2-0 in Houston, having defeated the old Houston Oilers in 1995 (for their first win ever) and again in 1996.
THE LAST GAME: The Jaguars were defeated by the Houston Texans 21-19 on October 27 at ALLTEL Stadium. The loss dropped the Jaguars to 3-4 for the year and put them below .500 for the first time since the opening week of the season. The Texans' Kris Brown kicked the game-winning field goal with 2:11 to play, capitalizing on a 47-yard punt return off a lateral that put the ball on the Jacksonville 33-yard line four plays earlier. Houston then held off the Jaguars' desperation drive, with a Hail Mary pass falling incomplete at the goal line as time ran out. On the final drive, Mark Brunell completed only 2 of 8 passes and was sacked twice. The Jaguars held the Texans to 242 yards but allowed them to stay in the game, never leading by more than seven points. Jimmy Smith opened the scoring in the second quarter with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Brunell, but the Texans evened the score at 7-7 with their first TD ever by a running back. Eric Westmoreland blocked a punt for a safety and a 9-7 lead at halftime. But two missed field goals in the first half by Tim Seder, who was signed six days before the game, prevented the Jaguars from stretching their lead. In the third quarter, the teams traded field goals, with Houston taking a 10-9 lead on a 43-yarder by Brown and then Jacksonville going back ahead 12-10 after a 34-yarder by Seder. In the fourth quarter, the two teams alternated touchdowns. First the Texans scored on a one-yard pass from David Carr to Billy Miller and were successful on a two-point conversion for an 18-12 lead. The Jaguars took their last lead, 19-18, midway through the fourth period on a two-yard run by Stacey Mack. They were unable to run out the clock the next time they got the ball back, with Micah Ross dropping a pass that would have given them a first down with 3:32 remaining.
A JAGUARS VICTORY OVER THE TEXANS WOULD: Be their second consecutive victory and first win in the AFC South and give the team a .500 record. It would also be their first victory over the Texans, their second road win this season and give them a 3-0 record in games played in Houston.
COUGHLIN IN EIGHTH SEASON WITH JAGUARS: Jaguars head coach Tom Coughlin is in his eighth season as the team's head coach, tied for the third-longest tenure of any NFL coach with his current team. In addition, Coughlin has the seventh-best record of all current NFL coaches in division games (minimum of 20 wins) and the seventh-best record in home games (minimum of 16 home games). Records include all teams coached by an individual during the regular season.
THE COACHES: Jacksonville head coach Tom Coughlin (66-55 in regular season, 4-4 in postseason) has led the Jaguars to two AFC Central Division championships and two appearances in the AFC Championship game in seven seasons as the only head coach in franchise history. In his first seven seasons, Coughlin posted a 39-23 division record against the AFC Central, including 22-9 at home and 17-14 on the road. The Jaguars made the playoffs all four seasons from 1996 to '99 - a first for an NFL expansion team. In 1999, the Jaguars had the best record in the NFL (14-2), advancing to the conference championship game before losing to Tennessee. In 1998, Coughlin guided his team to its first AFC Central Division championship with an 11-5 record. The Jaguars defeated the New England Patriots in a Wild-Card game before losing to the New York Jets in the Divisional playoffs. In 1997, the Jaguars were 11-5 and finished second in the AFC Central, and they were defeated by Denver in the Wild-Card playoffs. In their second season in 1996, the Jaguars advanced all the way to the AFC Championship game, finishing second in the division with a 9-7 record. In the playoffs, the Jaguars upset the Bills and Broncos on the road before losing at New England. In 1995, the Jaguars finished with four victories in their inaugural season. Coughlin became head coach of the Jaguars on February 21, 1994 following three successful seasons as head coach at Boston College. He compiled a record of 21-13-1 from 1991 to '93 at Boston College, and had two bowl game appearances, as well as a ranking of 13th in the final AP poll of 1993. A veteran of 31 years in coaching, he was previously an NFL assistant coach with the New York Giants (wide receivers, 1988-90), Green Bay Packers (wide receivers and passing game coordinator 1986-87) and Philadelphia Eagles (wide receivers, 1984-85).Dom Capers, the first coach in Houston Texans' history, knows how to build an expansion team. Capers posted a 31-35 record in four seasons as coach of the Carolina Panthers (1995-98), including a trip to the 1996 NFC Championship game in the franchise's second season (a feat they share with the Jaguars). The Panthers set an NFL record for expansion teams, going 7-9 in their inaugural season. The following year, Carolina posted a 12-4 mark and knocked off the defending Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys in an NFC Divisional Playoff Game before ultimately falling to the Green Bay Packers, a performance that earned Capers coach of the year honors. Age and injury hampered the Panthers in Capers' final two seasons (posting records of 7-9 and 4-12). Capers served as Jacksonville's defensive coordinator (1999-2000) before being tabbed to run the NFL's newest franchise. Capers played safety-linebacker at Mount Union College (1971). He started his coaching career at Kent State (1972-1974) before moving on to Hawaii (1975-76), San Jose State (1977), California (1978-79), Tennessee (1980-81) and Ohio State (1982-83). Capers got his NFL coaching start with the New Orleans Saints (1986-1991) prior to being the defensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers (1992-94). He has an overall record of 33-42.
JACKSONVILLE-HOUSTON CONNECTIONS: Five Texans are former Jaguars: OT Tony Boselli (on injured reserve, played with Jaguars 1995-2001), DT Seth Payne (1997-2001), DE Gary Walker (1999-2001), OT Jimmy Herndon (1996) and LB Jeff Posey (2001) … Texans head coach Dom Capers was the defensive coordinator for the Jaguars in 1999 and 2000 … Texans offensive coordinator Chris Palmer was the offensive coordinator for the Jaguars in 1997 and '98 … One Jaguar is a former Texan: QB Kent Graham, who spent the preseason in Houston … Three Texans have ties to the state of Florida: WR Jabar Gaffney (Jacksonville, Raines High School, University of Florida), OT Tarlos Thomas (Monticello, Florida State) and OT Char-ron Dorsey (Jacksonville, Florida State) … Three Jaguars have ties to the state of Texas: LB Akin Ayodele (Grand Prairie), DT Clenton Ballard (San Antonio, Southwest Texas State) and DE Tony Brackens (injured reserve, Fairfield, University of Texas) … Players who were college teammates include: Jaguars OT Mike Pearson and Texans WR Jabar Gaffney at Florida; Jaguars DT Larry Smith with Texans OT Char-ron Dorsey and G Milford Brown at Florida State; Jaguars RB Dan Alexander with Texans LB Jay Foreman and PK Kris Brown at Nebraska; Jaguars CB Fernando Bryant and Texans TE Rod Rutledge at Alabama; Jaguars LB Danny Clark and Texans G Ryan Schau at Illinois; Jaguars LB T.J. Slaughter and G/OT Daryl Terrell with Texans LB Jeff Posey at Southern Mississippi; Jaguars DT John Henderson and LB Eric Westmoreland with Texans G Fred Weary at Tennessee; Jaguars WR Bobby Shaw and Texans DE Jerry Deloach at California; Jaguars LB Wali Rainer and FB Pat Washington with Texans LB Jamie Sharper at Virginia; Jaguars MLB Joe Tuipala and Texans G/OT Chester Pitts at San Diego State; Jaguars CB Robert Bean and Texans DT Willie Blade, SS Eric Brown, DE Corey Sears at Mississippi State; Jaguars LB Bobby Brooks and Texans QB David Carr at Fresno State; and Jaguars WR Kevin Lockett and Texans OT Ryan Young at Kansas State.
INJURY UPDATE: Players injured in the Redskins game were: DT John Henderson (concussion), OT Todd Fordham (ankle), LB Eric Westmoreland (hamstring) and DE Rob Meier (hip), and WR Patrick Washington was inactive (abdomen). The status of all players will be updated during the week.
Practices are held at the practice fields adjacent to ALLTEL Stadium. Check with the Jaguars' Communications office (633-6000) to schedule interviews.
LAST WEEK: The Jaguars defeated the Washington Redskins 26-7 behind four field goals by Tim Seder and a stout defense that kept the Redskins from scoring after their first possession. The victory snapped a four-game losing streak and gave the Jaguars a 4-5 record, one game out of first place in the AFC South. Seder, who was signed by the team three weeks earlier, tied a career high with his four field goals, and Stacey Mack and Fred Taylor scored rushing touchdowns, as the Jaguars broke out of an offensive slump. After the Redskins scored on their first possession, the Jaguars struck back with 23 points in the second and third quarters. The Jaguars came up with three interceptions and two sacks. On Washington's final 11 drives, they punted five times, suffered three interceptions, were stopped on downs twice and missed a field goal. Meanwhile, the Jaguars had a balanced offense with 142 yards rushing and 167 yards passing. RB Fred Taylor accounted for 109 yards, with 82 rushing and 27 on seven receptions. WR Jimmy Smith added five catches for 68 yards and Bobby Shaw had three receptions for 69 yards. Punter Chris Hanson pinned the Redskins at their own 19-, 5-, 7- and 6-yard lines with excellent punts. Washington drove 77 yards for a touchdown on its first series, then managed only 127 yards until midway through the fourth quarter. By that time, the Jaguars had scored on six of eight possessions and they spoiled Steve Spurrier's return to the state of Florida.
NOTES FROM THE REDSKINS GAME: The win was the team's second in three games vs. the NFC East this season, giving them a 16-14 record vs. the NFC in eight seasons. They are 12-6 (.667) vs. the NFC in their last 18 games. … In the month of November, the Jaguars have an 18-11 record, their best month in their eight seasons. … The Jaguars had fewer first downs (18 to 23), but more yards (309 to 307) and more time of possession (season-high 33:43 to 26:17). They converted 6 of 15 third downs (40 percent) and held the Redskins to 3 of 12 third downs (25 percent). … The Jaguars had no turnovers and three takeaways and are now plus-seven for the season (tied for first in the AFC). … The Jacksonville defense allowed a season-low 68 yards rushing. … Washington's 51 pass attempts is the most ever against the Jaguars, and its 16 rushing attempts was tied for the fourth fewest by a Jaguars opponent. … Mark Brunell completed 19 of 29 passes (65.5 percent) for 194 yards, 0 TD and 0 INTs and a passer rating of 84.6. … Fred Taylor led the team in rushing with 82 yards on 21 carries (3.9 average) and one touchdown, followed by Stacey Mack with 56 yards and one TD on seven rushes. Taylor also led the team with seven receptions (his most since 10/8/00 vs. Baltimore) for 27 yards. … Jimmy Smith caught five passes for 68 yards. He moved up two spots into 22nd place on the NFL's all-time receiving list, passing Rob Moore (628) and Hall of Famer Raymond Berry (631) and now has 632 career receptions. Smith also moved into 31st place on the receiving yardage list ahead of Mark Duper (8,869). He has 8,931 career receiving yards. … Bobby Shaw led the team with 69 yards on three catches, including as season-long 48-yarder. … Chris Hanson punted five times for a 48.2-yard average, with no touchbacks and tying his career-high with four inside the 20. He had no kicks returned (one fair catch) and a net average of 48.2, which set a team single-game record (previous: 46.8 by Bryan Barker on 11/2/97 vs. Tenn.). Hanson also tied his career long with a 64-yarder. … PK Tim Seder scored 14 points on four field goal and two extra points. He was successful on field goals from 27, 43, 27 and 42 yards. He tied his career-high of four FGs in a game set 12/10/00 vs. Washington when he played for Dallas. His four field goals were the most for a Jaguars kicker since Mike Hollis on 12/30/01 vs. Kansas City. … The team got two sacks, one each by Marcus Stroud (fourth of the year and third in his last two games) and Danny Clark (second of the season). The Jaguars allowed three sacks. … The team also came up with three interceptions, after opponents had gone 192 consecutive passes and five games without an interception. Making interceptions were Jason Craft (second this year, fourth of career), Marlon McCree (team-leading third of year), and Danny Clark (first of career). … LBs T.J. Slaughter and Danny Clark led the team with 10 tackles each. … Every player saw action except G/C Drew Inzer and QB Kent Graham. The inactive players were: RB Dan Alexander, S James Boyd, LB Bobby Brooks, OT Roger Chanoine, G/OT Leander Jordan, WR Patrick Johnson, DT Clenton Ballard and QB David Garrard (third QB).
FROM COACH TOM COUGHLIN ON THE REDSKINS GAME: "We played well. Our kicking game came through for us in terms of backing up the Redskins. Four times Chris Hanson punted the ball deep for us, and that was a huge factor. We punted for field position, downing the ball inside the 10-yard line. That's a heck of a weapon. We got some consistency out of that today. The defense did a great job of keeping them out of the end zone. We had 13 points in the third quarter and held them to 49 yards. That was huge. We had no turnovers and we got three today."(on the Coughlin vs. Spurrier talk all week) "This was our football team against the Washington Redskins, and that's exactly what it is. Steve is an excellent football coach; he's a friend. It was the Redskins against the Jaguars and that was it. It wasn't about any carnival or sideshow that was being created by the media."(on the week of preparation) "It was very good. We went back to our players and point-blank told them what we thought were the issues and the problems and why we weren't performing well. We put the pads back on and practiced with speed, talked about accountability. If there were mistakes, we repeated it. Some days we had four or five things we had to repeat. Players accepted it very well. They worked hard and they were focused. That's something we will continue to do. We weren't playing well; we weren't making any plays. We were not as emotional, excited or enthusiastic. We were standing around waiting for something to happen. Action creates inspiration; it's not the other way around. We needed people to make plays and inspire their teammates and get us back on track."(on where to go from here) "We're 4-5. I'm disappointed it isn't better, but on the other hand we creep a little closer. We have to maintain some kind of relative position in our division."
FROM QB MARK BRUNELL: "Hopefully we can build on this. It was a big afternoon for this football team. Considering our previous four games, guys played hard. There were some potential distractions this week, different things going on, but the guys responded. We played hard and played with a lot of intensity. I'm excited; we needed this. Hopefully we can build on this, get some momentum, play some solid football in the upcoming weeks. It would be great if we could make a run. Everything is still out there for us."(on coach Coughlin having extra motivation) "I'm sure there was (with) all the talk about Steve Spurrier. It was obviously a special win for him and a special win for this team."(on the passing game) "We relied on the passing game early on, and once it got going it came on in the third quarter when we needed it. It was great. To get Fred and Stacey in the backfield and get those big 10 and 20-yard gains really sealed it for us."(on Bobby Shaw) "Bobby's getting better each week. I'm getting more confident in him and he is certainly a guy we want to get the ball to. He was a great addition to this football team. With the coverage that they played he was the No. 1 guy."
FROM WR JIMMY SMITH: (on the losing streak) "It's kind of like a bad dream. It's like a nightmare you can't wake up from. Fortunately, we got a win, and I'm praying we can get on a roll now."
FROM RB FRED TAYLOR: (on the running game) "We thought we could wear them down some. In the third and fourth quarters, the O-line opened up some huge holes for me and Stacey and we were able to gain chunks of yards at a time. You've got to tip your hat to the O-line."(on the importance of the game) "Every game is important. Every game is do-or-die right now with our record. The other guys won in the division today, so every game is pretty much do-or-die. You've just got to refocus week in and week out and try to win them all. We have to take them one game at a time, but it feels good. Look around … mo's (momentum) back."
NEXT WEEK: The Jaguars will return to Texas to face the Dallas Cowboys at 1:00 p.m. EST Sunday, November 24 at Texas Stadium. It will be the Jaguars' fifth road game in a seven-game stretch and second straight game in Texas. The Jaguars and Cowboys have played two times, with each team winning once (both games were played in Dallas). In 1997, the Cowboys won 26-22, and in 2000, the Jaguars won 23-17 in overtime. This season, the Cowboys are 3-6 and in last place in the NFC East.
THE TEAL IS REAL . . . In the last six seasons, the Jaguars' record is the seventh best in the NFL, seven games behind the Green Bay Packers. The Jaguars have won 53 of their last 89 regular-season games (they also won their final five games in 1996).
JAGUARS HAVE FIFTH-BEST HOME RECORD AND FIFTH-BEST ROAD RECORD SINCE 1996: After the Jaguars went 7-1 at ALLTEL Stadium four times from 1996 to '99, they have a 38-15 record that is the fifth-best mark at home since the start of the 1996 season. On the road, the Jaguars have the fifth-best record and they are one of only seven NFL teams with a better-than-.500 mark on the road dating back to November 24, 1996.
CONSISTENT SACKERS: The Jaguars have made at least one sack in 33 consecutive games, the third-longest active streak in the NFL. Also, since 1999, the Jaguars have made 160 sacks, tied for the fifth-highest total in the NFL.
JAGUARS HAVE BALANCED OFFENSE: In the last five seasons, the Jaguars have rushed for 9,063 yards on the ground, the fifth most in the NFL. They were the only team to have more than 2,000 yards rushing each of the three seasons from 1998 to 2000 (an injury to Fred Taylor held them to 1,600 rushing yards in 2001).
And, over the past seven seasons, the Jaguars have the sixth-most passing yards in the NFL.
JAGUARS SCORE ON THE GROUND ... In the last six seasons, the Jaguars have rushed for 101 touchdowns, tied for the most in the NFL.
AND STOP THEIR OPPONENTS: In the last seven seasons, the Jaguars have allowed only 70 rushing TDs, the NFL's fourth-best mark.
THE BRUNELL AND SMITH CONNECTION: Mark Brunell and Jimmy Smith have connected on three touchdowns this season, giving the tandem 41 scores in eight seasons, ranking second among active players.
TDs Quarterback/Receiver Team53 Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison Indianapolis41 Mark Brunell to Jimmy Smith Jacksonville37 Jeff Garcia to Terrell Owens San Francisco28 Rich Gannon to Tim Brown Oakland24 Daunte Culpepper to Randy Moss Minnesota22 Kurt Warner to Isaac Bruce St. Louis
SMITH RANKS 24TH AMONG ALL-TIME RECEIVERS: Jaguars WR Jimmy Smith is in 22nd place on the NFL's all-time receiving list, and he is 31st in career receiving yards. Smith has 632 career receptions for 8,931 yards. Here are the lists:
SMITH IS NFL'S LEADING RECEIVER SINCE 1996 ...Since the start of the 1996 season, Jaguars WR Jimmy Smith has the most receptions in the NFL. He was the NFL leader in 1999 with 116 receptions - the sixth most in a season in NFL history - and he finished the 2001 season with 112 catches to rank second in the league.
AND SMITH LEADS ALL RECEIVERS IN YARDAGE: Over the last seven seasons, Jaguars WR Jimmy Smith has amassed more receiving yardage than any receiver in the NFL. Here's a quick look at the NFL's top receiving-yardage leaders since 1996:
SMITH HAS MORE RECEPTIONS THAN 15 OF 19 HALL OF FAME RECEIVERS: Even though he is in only his eighth season as a Jaguar, Jimmy Smith already has more receptions and receiving yards than 15 of the 19 receivers who have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Here's the list:
(Notes: Players such as Bobby Mitchell, Charley Taylor, Lenny Moore and Frank Gifford also played halfback for several seasons before switching to end. In addition, there are five other members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame who played end in the early decades of pro football and therefore caught few passes in their era: Guy Chamberlin, Red Badgro, Bill Hewitt and Wayne Millner.)
SMITH HAS SIX STRAIGHT 1,000-YARD SEASONS: Jaguars WR Jimmy Smith has surpassed the 1,000-yard mark receiving six straight seasons, a feat accomplished by only four other players in NFL history. Currently, he ranks fifth all time behind Jerry Rice (11 straight 1,000-yard seasons), Tim Brown (9 straight), Cris Carter (8 straight) and Lance Alworth (7 straight).
TAYLOR HAS SIXTH-MOST TOUCHDOWNS LAST FIVE YEARS: Despite missing 24 full games and parts of nine others, Jaguars RB Fred Taylor is tied with the sixth-most touchdowns over the last five seasons among active players.
BRUNELL'S TOUCHDOWN TARGETS: Mark Brunell has thrown 133 TD passes in eight seasons with the Jaguars. Here are the 20 players who have caught them: Jimmy Smith (41), Keenan McCardell (26), Damon Jones (11), Willie Jackson (10), Pete Mitchell (8), Kyle Brady (6), James Stewart (5), Fred Taylor (4), Ernest Givins (3), Cedric Tillman (3), Alvis Whitted (3), Andre Rison (2), Elvis Joseph (2), Patrick Johnson (2), Derek Brown (1), Ty Hallock (1), Desmond Howard (1), Natrone Means (1), R. Jay Soward (1), Stacey Mack (1) and Bobby Shaw (1).
BRUNELL HAS 10TH-BEST WINNING PERCENTAGE: Jaguars QB Mark Brunell has the 10th-best career winning percentage of active quarterbacks (minimum 20 wins). Also, in the last eight seasons, Brunell has the most victories of any quarterback other than Green Bay's Brett Favre.(regular season only, minimum 20 wins)
JAGUARS AMONG THE LEAGUE LEADERS: Through 10 weeks, the Jaguars rank 17th in the NFL in total offense (7th rushing, 24th passing), and they are 15th in defense (21st rushing and 14th passing). They have allowed 164 points, an average of 18.2 per game that is the best in the AFC. … The offense is 12th in the AFC with 17.9 first downs per game and tied for 10th in the conference in third-down percentage (48 of 123, 39.0 percent). The defense is tied for 12th in allowing 20.4 first downs a game and is 12th in the AFC in opponent's third-down conversions (54 of 125, 43.2 percent). … The Jaguars are plus-seven on the turnover table, tied for the lead in the AFC. … The Jaguars are sixth in the AFC with a 57.7 percent rate on scoring touchdowns inside the red zone (15 of 26). Defensively, the Jaguars are sixth in the AFC with opponents scoring touchdowns on 48.4 percent of red zone opportunities (15 of 31). … QB Mark Brunell is 11th in the AFC in passing with a 83.6 passer rating. … RB Stacey Mack is tied for 12th in the AFC with six touchdowns, and RB Fred Taylor is tied for 16th with 32 points (five TDs, 1 X2). … Taylor ranks sixth in the AFC with 772 rushing yards and is fourth in the AFC with 1,062 yards from scrimmage. … WR Jimmy Smith is ninth in the AFC in receiving with 48 receptions, and his 671 receiving yards is seventh. … Chris Hanson leads the AFC in gross punting (45.4) and is fourth in net punting (36.2). The Jaguars have more downed punts (10) than any NFL team. … Bobby Shaw is third in the AFC with a 14.2 average on punt returns. … S Marlon McCree's three interceptions is tied for sixth in the AFC. … DT John Henderson's five sacks is tied for eighth, and DT Marcus Stroud is tied for 16th with four sacks. … The Jaguars are tied with the NFL's second-fewest fumbles lost (3).
STATS AND SUCH:There are 25 new players on the Jaguars' roster: six of the nine draft choices (DT John Henderson, OT Mike Pearson, LB Akin Ayodele, QB David Garrard, TE Chris Luzar and DT Clenton Ballard), three unrestricted free agents (WR Patrick Johnson, G Chris Naeole and WR Bobby Shaw), eight veteran free agents (LB Bobby Brooks, OT Roger Chanoine, DE Marco Coleman, QB Kent Graham, G/OT Leander Jordan, TE Pete Mitchell, PK Tim Seder and G Daryl Terrell), one first-year free agent (WR Jimmy Redmond), one undrafted free agent (DE Javor Mills), two trade acquisitions (CB Ike Charlton and LB Wali Rainer) and four waiver pickups (RB Dan Alexander, CB Robert Bean, C/G Drew Inzer and WR Kevin Lockett). Jacksonville opened the season with 10 new starters: C John Wade, RG Chris Naeole, WR Patrick Johnson, LDE Marco Coleman, DTs Larry Smith and Marcus Stroud, SLB Danny Clark, MLB Wali Rainer, WLB Eric Westmoreland and RCB Jason Craft (Zach Wiegert also moved from RG to LT). There were no rookies in the starting lineup on Opening Day for the first time since 1997, although Ayodele has started three games at strongside linebacker, DT John Henderson started the last six games, and OT Mike Pearson started the last four games.Mark Brunell is 61-47 in 108 regular-season starts, 65-51 overall. He has won more games under head coach Tom Coughlin than any current NFL quarterback under his head coach. … In nine games, the offense has used five different starting lineup combinations and the defense has used five different starting combinations. … The Jaguars have had 11 plays of 30 or more yards so far this season. They had only 11 plays of 30-plus yards in 2001, 26 in 2000, 23 in 1999, 29 in 1998, 22 in 1997, 26 in 1996 and 12 in 1995. The Jaguars have allowed only seven 30-plus plays this season… Of the Jaguars' 159 completed passes, 83 have been to wide receivers, 33 to tight ends and 40 to running backs. … The Jaguars are 10 for 15 on fourth-down conversions this season; their opponents are 7 for 13. … On 26 drives inside the opponent's 20, the Jaguars have scored 15 touchdowns and 9 field goals (and two drives with no points). Their opponents have had 31 trips inside the red zone and have come away with 15 touchdowns and 8 field goals (and 7 drives with no points). … Jaguars opponents have begun 18 possessions inside their own 20 and they scored on 3 of those drives (2 TDs and 1 FG). The Jaguars have begun 22 possessions inside their own 20 and scored on 4 of those drives (2 TDs, 2 FGs). … The Jaguars have used turnovers to score 61 points, while their opponents have scored 34 points off Jaguars' turnovers. … In eight seasons, the Jaguars are 16 for 23 on two-point conversions (2 for 2 in 2002), while their opponents are 7 for 23 (2 for 2 in 2002). … In eight seasons, the Jaguars have a winning record in every month except October (they are .500 in January). They are 1-0 in August, 16-13 in September, 13-19 in October, 18-11 in November, 17-11 in December and 1-1 in January. … In 2002, the Jaguars have outscored their opponents in the second quarter (67-50), third quarter (50-33) and fourth quarter (63-50), and have been outscored in the first quarter (10-31).The average age of the 53-man roster as of November 11 is 26.03 years old. … There are 27 players 25 or younger, 20 players between 26 and 29 years old, and six players 30 or older. The youngest player is OT Mike Pearson (22 years, 3 months); the oldest player is QB Kent Graham (34 years). … More than two-thirds of the players (38) have four years or less of NFL experience, and six players are in their eighth season or more. … The Jaguars have eight players who were first-round selections in the college draft, including five of their own picks: DE Marco Coleman (1992, Dolphins), TE Kyle Brady (1995, N.Y. Jets), G Chris Naeole (1997, Saints), RB Fred Taylor (1998, Jaguars), S Donovin Darius (1998, Jaguars), CB Fernando Bryant (1999, Jaguars), DT Marcus Stroud (2001, Jaguars) and DT John Henderson (2002, Jaguars). … WR Jimmy Smith has played in 120 of the 121 games in Jaguars history. Of this year's players, next are QB Mark Brunell (111) and DE Tony Brackens (92, on injured reserve). … The longest streak of consecutive starts is held by G Brad Meester (41), followed by TE Kyle Brady (39) and WR Jimmy Smith (32). … Five players have played in 100 or more games during their careers: DE Marco Coleman (164), WR Jimmy Smith (127), TE Kyle Brady (117), QB Mark Brunell (113) and TE Pete Mitchell (107). … Coleman leads with 162 career starts, followed by Brady (111) and Brunell (108).
