JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (3-7) at PITTSBURGH STEELERS (5-5)
Sunday, November 19, 2000, 8:35 p.m. EST
Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pa.
THIS WEEK: The Jacksonville Jaguars will travel to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers on national television at 8:35 p.m. EST Sunday at Three Rivers Stadium. It will be the first of three straight intradivision games for the Jaguars, who are coming off a 28-21 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, dropping them to 3-7, their worst record since their inaugural season of 1995. The Jaguars remain in fourth place in the AFC Central Division.
With hopes of making the playoffs nearly gone, Jaguars head coach Tom Coughlin said, "Our focus is to win every week - that's exactly what it's all about, playoffs not withstanding. There are six games to go. Six wins would give us nine, and it's happened before that way (that the Jaguars have made the playoffs with a 9-7 record). But there's also pride to play for, there's professionalism, there's opportunity. There are many big games in front of us. We're always trying to win the game directly in front of us. This will be no different."
TELEVISION BROADCAST: The Jaguars-Steelers game will be televised nationally by ESPN and locally by WTLV Channel 12, with Mike Patrick calling the play-by-play, Paul Maguire and Joe Theismann adding analysis, and Solomon Wilcots as the field reporter.
RADIO BROADCAST: All of the Jaguars' games are broadcast on WOKV (690 AM), WBWL (600 AM) and WKQL (96.9 FM) and the Jaguars Radio Network. Brian Sexton calls the play-by-play, former NFL quarterback Matt Robinson adds analysis and Dan Hicken is the sideline reporter. Sexton and Robinson are in their sixth season together. Robinson, Jennifer Candelino, Vic Ketchman and Cole Pepper handle the pre-game show, and Pepper and ex-Oakland Raider Pete Banaszak do the post-game show. A total of 18 affiliates in three states on the Jaguars Radio Network will also broadcast the game. The radio broadcast is also simulcast live worldwide on the Jaguars' Official Website, jaguars.com, and on nfl.com.
The game will also be broadcast on CBS Radio, with Joel Meyers calling the play by play and Bob Trumpy on color.
JAGUARS BROADCASTING: The Jaguars produce more than 14 hours of television and radio broadcasting each week during the NFL season. Television shows include "Monday Night Live" at 7:00 p.m. Mondays on NBC12, "The Tom Coughlin Show" at 6:30 p.m. Saturdays on NBC12, and the "Jaguars Pregame Show" at 11:30 a.m. Sundays on NBC12. Normal game radio broadcasts begin three hours prior to kickoff on WOKV/WBWL/WKQL, with the postgame show immediately following the game. During the week, "Monday Evening Quarterback" airs at 6:00 p.m. Mondays on WOKV, "Jaguars This Week" is at 6:00 p.m. Wednesdays on WBWL, "The Tom Coughlin Show" airs at 6:00 p.m. Thursdays on WOKV, and "Countdown to Kickoff" is at 6:00 p.m. Fridays on WBWL.
THE OPPONENT: The fifth-oldest franchise in the NFL, the Steelers have been members of the NFL since 1933, when they were founded by Art Rooney as the Pittsburgh Pirates. They made their first playoff appearance in 1947, losing to the Chicago Cardinals, and their second in 1962, then didn't make the playoffs again until 1972 after coach Chuck Noll had arrived. Behind Noll and seven other Hall of Famers, the Steelers developed into one of the NFL's true dynasties. They won four Super Bowls (1974, 1975, 1978 and 1979), then made the postseason only once in seven years from 1985 to '91. They have advanced to the playoffs five times in the last seven years under Bill Cowher, playing in the AFC championship game in 1994 and '97 and the Super Bowl in 1995. The Steelers have won the AFC Central Division in five of Cowher's eight seasons as head coach, but not since 1997. They are 5-5 so far this year, having lost two straight games following a five-game winning streak.
THE SERIES: This is the 12th game between the Jaguars and the Steelers, with the Jaguars holding a 6-5 lead in the series. Pittsburgh won the first game this season, 24-13 on October 1, their first win ever in Jacksonville. The Jaguars won the previous three games, holding the Steelers to a total of 12 points and no touchdowns in those games. The home team won the first eight games in the series, until Jacksonville swept the series in 1999. The Jaguars won the first meeting in 1995 20-16 and then lost at Pittsburgh 24-7. In 1996, the Jaguars won the season opener between the two teams 24-9 and then lost at Three Rivers Stadium 28-3. In 1997, Jacksonville won 30-21 on "Monday Night Football" and then lost 23-17 in overtime in the rematch at Pittsburgh. In 1998, the Steelers won 30-15 in Pittsburgh, and Jacksonville won 21-3 at home on Monday night, December 28. Last year, the Jaguars won 17-3 on October 3 at Pittsburgh and 20-6 on Dec. 2 at ALLTEL Stadium.
THE LAST TIME: The Jaguars were defeated 24-13 by the Pittsburgh Steelers on October 1 at ALLTEL Stadium, sending them to a 2-3 record and below .500 for the first time in four seasons. The loss was the first ever at home to the Steelers. The Jaguars gained only 206 yards on offense - their sixth-lowest output ever - but 90 of those came on the final drive that resulted in their only touchdown. Their 26 rushing yards were their fewest ever in a game, and they tied a team low with just one rushing first down. Jacksonville didn't fare much better passing the ball, as Mark Brunell was sacked seven times, tying a team record. The loss ended the Jaguars' NFL-best streak of 58 consecutive weeks at or above the .500 mark that dated back to December of 1996. Jacksonville took a 3-0 lead in the first quarter after Donovin Darius blocked Josh Miller's punt and Greg DeLong recovered on the 4-yard line. However, the Jaguars could not reach the end zone and had to settle for a 19-yard field goal by Steve Lindsey. On Pittsburgh's next possession, Fernando Bryant intercepted Kordell Stewart, who was making his first start of the season, but again the Jaguars couldn't advance the ball. The Steelers scored a touchdown on their third possession of the first quarter and never relinquished the lead. Meanwhile, in the first quarter the Jaguars had no first downs and minus-4 yards and were penalized seven times.
A JAGUARS VICTORY OVER THE STEELERS WOULD: Give the Jaguars a 4-7 record and their third win on the road. It would also give them a split of the series against the Steelers this season and a 7-5 mark in six seasons.
INJURY UPDATE: There were no major injuries suffered in the Seattle game. Five players missed the game with injuries: MLB Hardy Nickerson (knee), LB Lonnie Marts (groin), CB Aaron Beasley (back), RB Shyrone Stith (knee) and OT Leon Searcy, who has missed the first 10 games with a quadriceps injury suffered early in training camp. The status of all players will be updated during the week.
THE COACH: Jacksonville head coach Tom Coughlin (52-38 in regular season, 4-4 in postseason) has led the Jaguars to two consecutive AFC Central Division championships and two appearances in the AFC Championship game. The Jaguars have made the playoffs each of the last four seasons - a first for an NFL expansion team and one of only two teams in the NFL to do so (along with Minnesota). 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 them to their first AFC Central Division championship with an 11-5 record. They 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 the regular season in second place 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 appearances in bowl games and a ranking of 13th in the final AP poll of 1993. A veteran of 30 years of 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).
In his first six years as head coach in Pittsburgh, Bill Cowher guided the Steelers to six consecutive playoff appearances, a feat matched only by Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Paul Brown. Last year, the Steelers missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The 1997 Steelers finished 11-5, winning their fourth consecutive AFC Central Division championship. In 1995, Cowher led Pittsburgh to the AFC championship and Super Bowl XXX, losing to Dallas 27-17. In 1994, the team overcame a 3-4 start and advanced to the AFC Championship Game. The Steelers won 53 regular-season games in Cowher's first five seasons (1992-96), which tied for third highest among coaches in their first five NFL seasons. In his second season, the Steelers appeared in the 1993 AFC playoffs as a wild-card entry. He was NFL coach of the year in 1992, his first season, after bringing the AFC Central Division title to Pittsburgh for the first time in eight years. Cowher served as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the Chiefs (1989-1991) after four seasons as an assistant at Cleveland (1985-88). He began his NFL career as a free-agent linebacker with the Philadelphia Eagles (1979). He played three seasons for the Cleveland Browns (1980-82) before being traded back to Philadelphia (1983-84). Cowher was a three-year starter at linebacker for North Carolina State (1976-78). He was the team's captain and most valuable player as a senior. He has an all-time record of 82-56 during the regular season and 5-6 in the playoffs.
COUGHLIN RANKED AMONG LEAGUE'S TOP COACHES: With every regular-season victory, Jaguars head coach Tom Coughlin moves up on two lists when compared to other active NFL head coaches. In 2000, Coughlin has two victories in six games vs. AFC Central teams and one win in five home games. Coughlin has the fifth-best record of all current NFL coaches in division games and the seventh-best record in home games (minimum of 16 home games).
JACKSONVILLE-PITTSBURGH CONNECTIONS: Steelers offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride held the same job with the Jaguars in 1995 and '96, and Jaguars defensive coordinator Dom Capers held the same position with Pittsburgh from 1992 to '94. … The Jaguars have four former Steelers on their roster: MLB Hardy Nickerson, G Brenden Stai, S Carnell Lake (on injured reserve) and OT Leon Searcy (out with a quadriceps injury) … There are two former Jaguars on the Steelers' roster: G Tom Myslinski (an original Jaguar in 1995) and G Rich Tylski (Jaguars practice squad in 1995 and active roster 1996-99) … Two Steelers have ties to the state of Florida: LB Earl Holmes (Tallahassee, Florida A&M) and OT Wayne Gandy (Haines City) … Four Jaguars have ties to the state of Pennsylvania: CB Aaron Beasley (Pottstown), TE Kyle Brady (New Cumberland and Penn State), S Mike Logan (McKeesport) and RB Stacey Mack (Temple). … Jaguars special teams coordinator Frank Gansz was born in Altoona, Pa. … Jaguars TE coach Fred Hoaglin started at center and linebacker at the University of Pittsburgh … Jaguars RB coach Jerald Ingram grew up in Beaver, Pa. … Jaguars DL coach John Pease was born in Pittsburgh … Jaguars director of player personnel Rick Reiprish was born in Shamokin, Pa. … Jaguars WR coach John McNulty was born in Scranton and played safety at Penn State … Steelers TE coach Mike Mularkey was born in Ft. Lauderdale and attended the University of Florida. ... Players who were college teammates include: Jaguars TE Kyle Brady and Steelers FB (I.R.) Jon Witman at Penn State, Jaguars QB Mark Brunell and Steelers TE Mark Bruener at Washington, Jaguars DT Renaldo Wynn and Steelers RB Jerome Bettis and WR Malcolm Johnson at Notre Dame, Jaguars LB Brant Boyer and TE Rich Griffith and Steelers P Josh Miller at Arizona, Jaguars PK Steve Lindsey and Steelers NT Kendrick Clancy at Mississippi, Jaguars DT Gary Walker and Steelers OT Wayne Gandy at Auburn, Jaguars CB Jason Craft and S Erik Olson and Steelers LB Clark Haggans and OLB Joey Porter at Colorado State, Jaguars CB Fernando Bryant and Steelers CB Deshea Townsend at Alabama, Jaguars DT Emarlos Leroy and Steelers WR Hines Ward at Georgia, and Jaguars DBs Aaron Beasley and Mike Logan and Steelers RB Amos Zereoue at West Virginia.
JAGUARS VS. STEELERS: Jaguars QB Mark Brunell has started 10 of the 11 games against the Steelers, going 5-5. He is 190 of 349 for 2,067 yards, 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions. His 70.9 passer rating vs. Pittsburgh is his lowest against any of the AFC Central teams.… Jimmy Smith is the Jaguars' leading receiver, with 49 catches for 640 yards and three TDs. … In nine games, Keenan McCardell has caught 44 passes for 585 yards, three TDs and a two-point conversion. … In four games, RB Fred Taylor has rushed for 190 yards on 48 carries and two TDs. … PK Mike Hollis was inactive for the 10/1/00 contest but is 13 of 15 on field goals and 18 for 18 on extra points for 57 points. … For the Steelers, RB Jerome Bettis has 196 carries for 717 yards and four TDs … TE Mark Bruener has 20 catches for 145 yards and three TDs. … QB Kordell Stewart has played in all 11 games and completed 103 of 182 passes for 1,112 yards, five TDs and six interceptions.
LAST GAME: The Jaguars were defeated 28-21 by the Seattle Seahawks at ALLTEL Stadium, their fourth straight loss at home. The loss dropped their record to 3-7, their worst after 10 games since their inaugural season of 1995. The Jaguars were stopped at the 1-yard line on the final play of the game with a chance to tie, and they were also stopped at the 1-yard line on two plays earlier in the fourth quarter with a chance to go up 28-21. Mark Brunell passed for 340 yards, Fred Taylor rushed for 103 yards, and Keenan McCardell and Jimmy Smith both gained more than 100 yards receiving. But the Jaguars' defense allowed the Seahawks to drive 67 yards for a touchdown and the lead with 2:01 remaining in the game, converting twice on third downs. Also, just before halftime, the Seahawks scored a touchdown in 1:03, converting on both third and fourth downs. The Jaguars failed to score any points in the third quarter for the eighth consecutive game, and they had no points in the second half for the third straight game. They took a 7-0 lead on a two-yard run by Mark Brunell in the first quarter, and they went up 21-7 in the second quarter following a 10-yard TD run by Fred Taylor and a 67-yard TD pass from Brunell to McCardell. From that point on, they were outscored 21-0, as Jon Kitna threw three touchdown passes for Seattle. Losing a 14-point lead was the biggest ever at home, surpassing a 10-point lead that was blown to Tennessee in 1999.
NOTES FROM THE SEAHAWKS GAME: The Jaguars are now 4-2 coming off bye weeks, snapping a streak of four straight wins. … With the Seahawks' 28 points, the Jaguars have now allowed more points this season (235) than all of last season (217). … The Jaguars outgained the Seahawks by 111 yards (437 to 326), had more first downs (24-22) and more time of possession (30:48 to 29:12). … They converted 6 of 12 third downs (50%) to Seattle's 8 of 15 (53%). … Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell both surpassed 100 yards receiving in the same game for the eighth time, breaking the NFL record of seven games that was previously held by Don Maynard and George Sauer of the New York Jets. … The Jaguars had a 100-yard rusher, two 100-yard receivers and a 300-yard passer in the same game for the third time in team history. The other times it happened were Dec. 2, 1999 vs. Pittsburgh and Sept. 20, 1998 vs. Baltimore, both victories. … Mark Brunell completed 24 of 34 passes for 340 yards, one TD and no interceptions for a passer rating of 115.7 … Fred Taylor rushed 21 times for 103 yards, his fourth consecutive game with more than 100 yards, extending his team record. It was his 13th 100-yard game of his career in the regular season. … Jimmy Smith's 10 receptions for 117 yards gave him his third 100-yard game of 2000 and his 13th regular-season 100-yard game of his career. He has had at least one reception in 81 consecutive games in which he has played. The streak is the seventh longest among active players. … Keenan McCardell caught 6 passes for 156 yards, giving him four 100-yard games this season and tying his previous single-season high of four 100-yard games set in 1997. His 67-yard touchdown reception from Mark Brunell tied his career long that was set Dec. 6, 1998 vs. Tennessee from Jamie Martin. … The Jaguars allowed five sacks and have now been sacked an NFL-high 43 times for the season, (they yielded 36 in all of 1999). The Jaguars had only one sack, by Tony Brackens, giving him 3.5 for the season. He is the first starting defensive lineman since Week 3 to notch a sack. … The Jaguars had no takeaways (an interception by Fernando Bryant was nullified by a roughing-the-passer penalty) and only one turnover, but it was crucial. McCardell fumbled at the Seattle 26-yard line on the first drive of the third quarter. It was the third straight game in which McCardell has fumbled. … DE Tony Brackens led the team with 10 tackles (4 solo), followed by MLB T.J. Slaughter and WLB Kevin Hardy with nine tackles each. … CB Aaron Beasley missed his first game since Nov. 23, 1997, snapping a streak of 45 consecutive and 25 straight starts … Neither team attempted a field goal which is only the second time it has happened, the last time was Oct. 27, 1996 at Cincinnati. … Bryan Barker punted four times for a 42.5-yard average, with a long of 54, two inside the 20 and no touchbacks. He had one kick returned for 43 yards. … Every player who dressed played except QB Jamie Martin, CB Shad Criss and TE Ryan Neufeld. Friday's inactives were: RB Shyrone Stith, MLB Hardy Nickerson, OT Mark Baniewicz and OT Leon Searcy; Sunday inactives were: CB Aaron Beasley, LB Lonnie Marts, DE Paul Spicer and QB Jonathan Quinn (third QB). … Jaguars captains were OT Tony Boselli, WR Keenan McCardell and LBs Kevin Hardy and Brant Boyer.
FROM COACH TOM COUGHLIN ON THE SEAHAWKS GAME: (on going for the touchdown on 4th-and-1 early in the fourth quarter) "I would go for the 4th-and-1 anytime. It should easily have been a score and given us a 28-21 lead. Even then, they got the ball on the 1 and by the time we get it it's on the 30. So we weren't able to do anything about that field position. You have to knock it in the end zone from there. We had success with the run and you have to go for it there. I think the momentum would have been there had we punched in the score, but we did not."
(on the final play of the game) "When you get an opportunity to tie the game or put it into overtime, we have it on the one-yard line (and you fail) you just come away with an empty feeling because you didn't get done what you wanted to get done. That's normally a combination that Jimmy (Smith) and Keenan (McCardell) run. They showed blitz and we were going for this combination route. This combination, Alvis (Whitted) didn't react to it. I take responsibility for that. I feel empty about the last play of the game. It was not Alvis' fault. It was a combination in which he needed to be able to work more and he didn't. That's my fault."
"It was clearly a game I think we should have won, could have won, had many opportunities to win. The second half was obviously nowhere near where we expected it to be. We did not stop them and we did not put the ball in the end zone when we had opportunities. And we had them. When we needed to keep the ball and make some drives, we didn't do it today. We were three-and-out twice in a row and that hurt."
(on the penalties) "The penalties today really hurt us. Without a doubt, this is a day in which the penalties proved to haunt us. Even on the early drive, where we drove down deep into their territory and had a holding penalty and a procedure penalty, we might very well have scored right there. Again, we had all the yards but we didn't have enough points."
FROM QB MARK BRUNELL: (on the last play of the game) " The last play, we didn't anticipate that coverage. We had a run on, we were forced to check to a pass and they had a couple of DBs in the middle. The run wasn't there. It was
miscommunication, and it's unfortunate because opportunity was there. We got the break to win it and it just didn't happen. It's usually a combination in that formation (of Smith and McCardell). It's frustrating, pretty frustrating."
"We did get 21 points; it wasn't enough. Even if we win the football game, it's not enough. We had an opportunity down there in the goal-line situation, (if we score) that's 28 right there and not a bad day. At the same time, we had a turnover and that hurt us really bad as we were getting on a roll. Penalties hurt us. Although we're having some good individual efforts out there, the things that lose football games for us are still happening - turnovers, penalties. We're better than we used to be, but who cares? Who cares if you're putting up good numbers or if this individual is playing well. You have to win the football games."
FROM OT TONY BOSELLI: "You saw it. Everything we tried came out wrong. We didn't have a lot of opportunities in the second half, and the ones we had we gave away. Give Seattle credit. They made the plays when they had to. The first drive of the second half, we thought we should score a touchdown, but we turned the ball over. We just didn't make the plays."
FROM LB KEVIN HARDY: (on the defensive performance) "We're still just having trouble with consistency. Guys just aren't use to playing beside each other, and it leads to mistakes. We let them come back and we put ourselves in a bad position."
(on how he deals with frustration) "It's really tough. You play a 1:00 game and then go home and all you see is football. If you love sports like I do, I mean I'm a SportsCenter guy every night. Now you try to watch something else or go out. It's just really tough."
MILLER LITE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: The Jaguars' nominee for the Miller Lite Player of the Week Award is WR Keenan McCardell, who caught six passes for 156 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown pass from Mark Brunell in the Jaguars' 28-21 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. He and teammate Jimmy Smith set an NFL record, as they both had 100-yard receiving games for the eight time in the same game, breaking the record they shared with Don Maynard and George Sauer of the New York Jets.
NEXT WEEK: The Jaguars will return home for the first of three straight games at ALLTEL Stadium (their last of the season) when they host the Tennessee Titans at 4:15 p.m. Sunday, November 26. The Jaguars have lost five straight games to the Titans, including three straight at home. The Titans hold a 7-5 lead in the series, the only AFC Central team to hold an edge on the Jaguars. The Titans are 8-2 this season, having lost to the Baltimore Ravens 24-23 on Sunday.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES ... OR FIVE YEARS: Here's how the 2000 Jaguars compare statistically to 1999 and their inaugural season of 1995 through the first 10 games of each season:
Category 2000 1999 1995
Record 3-7 9-1 3-7
Points scored 186 257 168
Points allowed 235 102 233
Sacks 16 41 10
Sacks allowed 43 21 41
Turnovers 22 8 16
Takeaways 18 22 15
THE TEAL IS REAL . . . In the last four seasons, the Jaguars' record is the second best in the NFL, three games behind the Minnesota Vikings. The Jaguars have won 39 of their last 58 regular-season games (they also won their final five games in 1996).
. . . WITH THE THIRD-BEST RECORD AT HOME . . . The Jaguars went 7-1 at ALLTEL Stadium each of the last four seasons and are 1-4 so far this season, giving them a 29-8 record, tied for the third-best mark at home since the start of the 1996 season. The Jaguars have lost only seven home games since the second week of the 1996 season and have won 30 of their last 38 home games dating back to December 24, 1995, in their inaugural season.
. . . AND THE BEST RECORD ON THE ROAD . . . The Jaguars have the best road record in the NFL (tied with Minnesota) and they are one of only four NFL teams with a better than .500 mark on the road dating back to November 24, 1996. The Jaguars have a 19-12 record away from home during that time (they have also won two postseason road games since 1996). Their 7-1 road record last season was the best in the league and they have now won 15 of their last 23 games away from home. The Jaguars' all-time regular-season road record is 21-24.
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 and teammate Keenan McCardell ranks fifth (Smith missed one game and most of two others). The two receivers are close friends, with McCardell nicknamed "Thunder" and Smith called "Lightning." Smith was the NFL leader last year with 116 receptions - the sixth most in a season in NFL history - and he easily broke the team record of 85 set in 1996 and '97 by McCardell. McCardell has a total of 458 career receptions, while Smith has 440.
... AND SMITH LEADS ALL RECEIVERS IN YARDAGE: Over the last four-plus seasons, Jaguars WR Jimmy Smith has amassed more receiving yardage than any receiver in the NFL, and teammate Keenan McCardell is sixth.
LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE: Jimmy Smith's performance of 15 receptions and 291 yards on September 10 at Baltimore is the fifth-most receiving yards ever in a game in NFL history and tied for the sixth-most receptions.
SMITH AND McCARDELL SET NFL RECORD: Jaguars WRs Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell set an NFL record in the November 12 game vs. Seattle when they both had 100 yards receiving in the same game for the eighth time. That broke the league mark they shared with Don Maynard and George Sauer of the New York Jets, who combined for 100-yard games seven times in the 1960s.
HOLLIS IS NFL'S THIRD-MOST ACCURATE FIELD GOAL KICKER EVER: Jaguars PK Mike Hollis is the third-most-accurate field goal kicker in NFL history in the regular season (he is also the second-most accurate in the postseason). This season, Hollis has been successful on 13 of his 14 attempts, giving him an accuracy mark of 82.49 and falling behind Miami's Olindo Mare on October 29. Mare held the No. 1 position for two weeks until being passed by Ryan Longwell.
BRADY CATCHING A BUNCH: Jaguars TE Kyle Brady has set career highs for both receptions and receiving yards in a game this season, and he is now the fifth-leading receiver among tight ends in the NFL. On October 22 vs. Washington, Brady caught eight passes for 111 yards, and on October 29 at Dallas, he caught 10 passes for 134 yards and his first TD of the season. For the season, Brady has caught 43 passes for 508 yards. His previous career bests were set in 1999, when he caught 32 passes for 346 yards.
SEVEN IS HEAVEN FOR JAGUARS: The Jaguars had five selections in the seventh round of the 2000 college draft (four on compensatory picks), and all five players are on the team's 53-man roster. In fact, only six of 15 players chosen leaguewide on compensatory picks in the seventh round are still in the NFL, and four of those six players are Jaguars.
Only eight of the last 19 players drafted this year made opening day rosters, five of them Jaguars. In all, the Jaguars had 11 draft choices in 2000, and all 11 are still with the team - nine on the 53-man roster, one on injured reserve (OT Joe Chustz) and one on the practice squad (WR Emanuel Smith).
Brunell's TOUCHDOWN TARGETS: Mark Brunell has thrown 98 TD passes in six seasons in Jacksonville. Here are the 17 players who have caught them: Jimmy Smith (29), Keenan McCardell (19), Damon Jones (10), Willie Jackson (10), Pete Mitchell (7), James Stewart (5), Ernest Givins (3), Cedric Tillman (3), Fred Taylor (2), Andre Rison (2), Alvis Whitted (2), Derek Brown (1), Ty Hallock (1), Desmond Howard (1), Natrone Means (1), R. Jay Soward (1) and Kyle Brady (1).
JAGUARS AMONG THE LEAGUE LEADERS: After 11 weeks, the Jaguars are 9th in the NFL in total offense (21st rushing, 7th passing), and they are 20th in defense (17th rushing and 24th passing). … The Jaguars have scored 186 points, an average of 18.6 per game. … The Jaguars' offense is sixth in the AFC and 13th in the NFL with 198 first downs. The Jaguars are fourth in the AFC and ninth in the NFL in third down percentage (62 of 148, 41.9 percent), and the defense is third in the AFC and fifth in the NFL in opponent's third-down conversions (43 of 125, 34.4 percent). … The Jaguars are minus-four on the turnover table. … The Jaguars rank 14th in the AFC and 28th in the NFL with a 35.5 percent rate on scoring touchdowns inside the red zone (11 of 31). … Despite missing four games with a back injury, PK Mike Hollis is 11th among AFC kickers in scoring with 52 points. … WR Jimmy Smith's six touchdowns are tied for ninth in the AFC. … QB Mark Brunell is seventh in the AFC in passing with a 83.1 rating. His 2,434 passing yards is second in the AFC and sixth in the NFL. … WR Keenan McCardell is third in the AFC and third in the NFL with 66 receptions, and Jimmy Smith is fourth in the AFC and seventh in the NFL with 59 receptions despite missing nearly three full games. … McCardell is fifth in the AFC with 822 receiving yards, and Smith is sixth with 774 yards. … Kyle Brady has 43 receptions, 17th in the AFC and fifth among NFL tight ends. His 508 yards is 18th in the AFC. … Despite missing three full games, Fred Taylor is 11th in the AFC with 581 rushing yards. … Bryan Barker is eighth in the AFC with a 43.4 gross punting average and he is ninth with a 36.2 net average. However, only five punters have more inside-the-20 kicks than Barker, who has 16 on his 47 punts after missing two games. … R. Jay Soward is 10th in the AFC with a 7.8-yard average on punt returns … Shyrone Stith is fourth in the AFC with a 25.9-yard average on kickoff returns.
2000 STATS AND SUCH: Mark Brunell is 47-31 as a starter in regular-season games, 51-35 overall. He has won more games under head coach Tom Coughlin than any current NFL quarterback under his head coach. … PK Mike Hollis has scored in 71 consecutive regular-season games in which he has played (and all eight in the playoffs). He has 628 points in his six years with the Jaguars. … Of the Jaguars' 228 completed passes, 145 have been to wide receivers, 39 to running backs and 44 to tight ends. … The Jaguars are 2 for 7 on fourth-down conversions this season; their opponents are 3 for 5. … A total of eight players (five on offense and three on defense) have started all 10 games this year: WR Keenan McCardell, OT Tony Boselli, Gs Brad Meester and Brenden Stai, QB Mark Brunell, DE Tony Brackens, LB Kevin Hardy and S Donovin Darius. … The offense has used eight different starting lineup combinations in 10 games, and the defense has had a different starting lineup in nine of the 10 games. … The Jaguars have 15 plays of 30 or more yards so far this season. They had 23 plays of 30-plus yards in 1999, 29 in 1998, 22 in 1997, 26 in 1996 and 12 in 1995. … Jaguars opponents have begun 30 possessions inside their own 20 and they have scored on five of those drives (3 TDs, 2 FGs). The Jaguars have begun 22 possessions inside their own 20 and scored on five of them (3 TDs, 2 FGs). On 31 drives inside the opponent's 20, the Jaguars have scored 11 TDs and 10 FGs (and 10 drives with no points). Their touchdown percentage of 35.5 inside the red zone is the fourth worst in the NFL. Their opponents have 29 trips inside the red zone and have scored on all of them, with 21 TDs and 8 FGs. … The Jaguars used turnovers to score 32 points, while their opponents scored 68 points off turnovers. … In six seasons, the Jaguars are 12 for 18 on two-point conversions (0 for 0 this year), while their opponents are 4 for 17 (1 for 1 this year). … In six seasons, the Jaguars have a .500 or better record in every month except October. They are 1-0 in August, 12-11 in September, 12-13 in October, 14-7 in November, 12-7 in December and 1-0 in January. … This season, the Jaguars have outscored their opponents in the first quarter (46-38) and have been outscored in the second (77-79), third (13-54) and fourth quarters (44-64).
The average age of the 53-man roster as of November 13 is 26.55 years old. There were 26 players 25 or younger, 16 players between 26 and 29 years old, and 11 players 30 or older. The youngest player is RB Shyrone Stith (22 years, 7 months). … There are 10 rookies on the roster, including nine of the 11 draft choices (WR R. Jay Soward, G Brad Meester, MLB T.J. Slaughter, CB Kiwaukee Thomas, S Erik Olson, DE Rob Meier, RB Shyrone Stith, LB Danny Clark and OT Mark Baniewicz) and G Aaron Koch. … More than half of the players (29) have four years or less of NFL experience, and nine players are in their eighth season or more. … There are 18 players who are new to the team this year, and 35 who were with the team before this year. In addition to the 10 rookies, the other eight new players are: MLB Hardy Nickerson and QB Jamie Martin (unrestricted free agents); RB Anthony Johnson, C/G Jeff Smith and TE Ryan Neufeld (veteran free agents); G Brenden Stai (trade); and DE Paul Spicer and CB Shad Criss (first-year free agents). … The Jaguars have nine players who were first-round selections in the college draft, including seven of their own picks: OT Leon Searcy (1992, Pittsburgh), OT Tony Boselli (1995, Jaguars), TE Kyle Brady (1995, N.Y. Jets), LB Kevin Hardy (1996, Jaguars), DT Renaldo Wynn (1997, Jaguars), RB Fred Taylor (1998, Jaguars), S Donovin Darius (1998, Jaguars), CB Fernando Bryant (1999, Jaguars) and WR R. Jay Soward (2000, Jaguars).
In six seasons, only one Jaguar has played in all 98 games (regular season and postseason) in franchise history: P Bryan Barker (WR Jimmy Smith and PK Mike Hollis had their streaks ended this year). … The longest streak of consecutive starts is held by WLB Kevin Hardy (43), followed by OT Tony Boselli (29). CB Aaron Beasley had a streak of 25 consecutive starts ended last Sunday. … Seven players have played in 100 or more games during their careers: MLB Hardy Nickerson (194), P Bryan Barker (161), RB Anthony Johnson (154), DE Joel Smeenge (150), LB Lonnie Marts (147), OT Leon Searcy (126) and WR Keenan McCardell (110). … Nickerson has 171 career starts, followed by Searcy (111) and Marts (108). … OT Tony Boselli has started 81 games for the Jaguars, followed by QB Mark Brunell (78), WR Keenan McCardell (71) and OT Leon Searcy (63).
