Sunday, October 7, 2001, 4:05 p.m. EDT
Husky Stadium, Seattle, Wash.
THIS WEEK: The Jacksonville Jaguars will make their first road trip of the season - and first West Coast trip since 1997 - when they travel to Seattle to face the Seahawks at 4:05 p.m. EDT Sunday at Husky Stadium. The Jaguars are coming off their first loss of the season, a 23-14 defeat at home last Sunday to the Cleveland Browns. The Jaguars are 2-1 and remain in a four-way tie with Cleveland, Cincinnati and Baltimore atop the AFC Central Division. This is the 100th regular-season game in Jaguars history (they have a 58-41 record).
Because of the postponed game in Week 2, the game at Seattle is the Jaguars' first on the road this year following three straight home games. They have not played a regular-season road game since last December 23 at the New York Giants, more than nine months ago. This will also be the Jaguars' first non-division game of the year following three games against AFC Central opponents. The Seahawks are 1-2, having beaten Cleveland on opening day before losing to Philadelphia and Oakland the last two weeks.
The Jaguars hope to have both Mark Brunell and Tony Boselli back in the lineup. Boselli missed the Cleveland game with a shoulder injury, while Brunell suffered a concussion on the first play of the game and returned only briefly. In addition to Boselli and Brunell, the Jaguars are still missing RB Fred Taylor, DE Tony Brackens and SS Donovin Darius, all of whom didn't play against Cleveland and won't be back this week.
The Jacksonville defense has allowed only one touchdown in the first three games and 25 total points (another seven points were scored off a turnover). The Jaguars rank 10th in total defense (16th rushing and 11th passing).
The Jaguars head into their October schedule knowing it is the only month in which they have a losing record. In seven seasons, the Jaguars are 12-13 in October. However, in returning to the road, the Jaguars will be in a setting in which they are accustomed to winning. Their 20-14 road record dating back to the 1996 season is the best mark in the NFL. They have never played in Seattle, as all three previous games between the two teams were played in Jacksonville. Overall, in the last five seasons, the Jaguars have the second-best record in the NFL, a 45-22 mark that is one game behind Minnesota (and tied with Denver).
TELEVISION BROADCAST: The Jaguars-Seahawks game will be televised regionally on CBS and locally on WJXT Channel 4, with Ian Eagle calling the play-by-play and Solomon Wilcots adding analysis.The Jaguars Pregame Show, with hosts Brian Sexton and Sam Kouvaris, airs live at 11:30 a.m. on WJXT Channel 4.
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 and former NFL quarterback Matt Robinson adds analysis, with Sam Kouvaris serving as field reporter. Sexton and Robinson are in their seventh season together. Robinson, Vic Ketchman and Cole Pepper handle the pre-game show (three hours before kickoff on all three stations), and Pepper and ex-Oakland Raider Pete Banaszak do the post-game show. A total of 19 affiliates in three states on the Jaguars Radio Network will also broadcast the game.
ON THE INTERNET: 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 live video of Jaguars television shows and live radio broadcasts of games.
THE OPPONENT: The Seahawks were awarded an NFL franchise on June 4, 1974 and began play in 1976. They went 2-12 in their first season under head coach Jack Patera. In 1978 and '79, the Seahawks finished 9-7 but out of the playoffs. They finally made the playoffs in 1983 with another 9-7 record. Under head coach Chuck Knox, Seattle defeated Denver and Miami and advanced to the AFC Championship game before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Raiders. Seattle also advanced to the playoffs in 1984, '87 and '88. They missed the playoffs for 10 straight seasons from 1989 to '98. In 1999, Mike Holmgren's first season as head coach, the Seahawks finished 9-7 and qualified for the postseason. They hosted their first playoff game since 1984 (and only third ever) but lost to Miami in a Wild-Card playoff. Last season, the Seahawks finished 6-10.
THE SERIES: The Jaguars and the Seahawks have played three times, with Seattle holding a 2-1 lead in the series. Every game has been played in Jacksonville. In the first meeting between the two teams in 1995, the Seahawks won 47-30, the Jaguars won the second game 20-13 in 1996, and last year Seattle won 28-21.
THE LAST TIME: The Jaguars were defeated 28-21 by the Seattle Seahawks on November 12, 2000 at ALLTEL Stadium, their fourth straight loss at home. The loss dropped Jacksonville's 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 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.
A JAGUARS VICTORY OVER THE SEAHAWKS WOULD: Give them a 3-1 record and their first road victory since November 19, 2000. It would tie the series between the two teams at 2-2 and give the Jaguars a 23-26 road record in seven seasons.
INJURY UPDATE: QB Mark Brunell suffered a concussion in the Cleveland game and his status will be updated on Wednesday. TE Kyle Brady suffered a hip pointer during the game that will be updated as well. RB Fred Taylor suffered a groin injury on September 23 and is expected to be out for at least three weeks. Three players missed the Browns game because of injuries: OT Tony Boselli (shoulder), DE Tony Brackens (knee) and S Donovin Darius (hip).
THE COACHES: Jacksonville head coach Tom Coughlin (58-41 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 six seasons as the only head coach in franchise history. The Jaguars made the playoffs all four seasons from 1996 to '99 - 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 season (1999), Mike Holmgren led the Seahawks to their first AFC West title and postseason appearance since 1988, along with hosting their first playoff game since 1984. Prior to going to Seattle, Holmgren had a successful career as head coach at Green Bay (1992-98). The highlight was the Packers' 35-21 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI. Holmgren also led Green Bay to a second consecutive NFC championship before falling to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXII. During his tenure in Green Bay, the Packers posted a regular-season record of 75-37 (.670) and finished first in the NFC Central Division three times. Prior to becoming a head coach, Holmgren spent six seasons as an assistant with the San Francisco 49ers (1986-1991). Holmgren coached the quarterbacks from 1986-88, under Bill Walsh, and was the team's offensive coordinator from 1989-1991, under George Seifert. During his time in San Francisco, the 49ers won back-to-back Super Bowls. Holmgren was a quarterback at Southern California (1966-69) and was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the eighth round in 1970. He was an assistant at San Francisco State (1981) and Brigham Young (1982-85) before joining the 49ers. He has a career record of 91-56 in the regular season and 9-6 in the postseason.
COUGHLIN IN SEVENTH SEASON WITH JAGUARS: Jaguars head coach Tom Coughlin is in his seventh season as the team's head coach, tied for the fourth-longest tenure of any NFL coach with his current team. In addition, Coughlin has the fourth-best record of all current NFL coaches in division games and the fifth-best record in home games.
JACKSONVILLE-SEATTLE CONNECTIONS: Jaguars WR Sean Dawkins played for the Seahawks in 1999 and 2000 … Jaguars director of player personnel Rick Reiprish spent 10 years (1984-94) as a scout for the Seahawks … Seahawks area scout Bucky Brooks was a cornerback and kick returner for the Jaguars in 1996 and '97 … Three Jaguars have ties to the state of Washington: QB Mark Brunell (University of Washington), DE Rob Meier (Washington State) and PK Mike Hollis (Spokane) … Four Seahawks players have ties to north Florida: CB Ike Charlton (Orlando), WR Darrell Jackson (University of Florida), OT Walter Jones (Florida State) and CB Paul Miranda (University of Central Florida), … Jaguars DL coach John Pease coached at the University Washington (1978-82). … Jaguars TE coach Fred Hoaglin played his final year (1976) of professional football with then-expansion Seattle Seahawks … Seahawks special teams coordinator Pete Rodriguez was the defensive coordinator at Florida State (1974-75) ... Players who were college teammates include: Jaguars TE Kyle Brady and Seahawks WR Bobby Engram at Penn State; Jaguars CB Fernando Bryant and Seahawks RB Shaun Alexander at Alabama; Seahawks DE Antonio Cochran and Jaguars DT Marcus Stroud at Georgia; Seahawks WR Darrell Jackson and Jaguars RB Fred Taylor at Florida; Jaguars DT Larry Smith and Seahawks OT Walter Jones at Florida State; Seahawks DE Lamar King and Jaguars DE Paul Spicer at Saginaw Valley State; Jaguars DE Rob Meier and Seahawks PK Rian Lindell at Washington State; Jaguars RB Stacey Mack and Seahawks LB Tim Terry at Temple; Jaguars WR Alvis Whitted and Seahawks WR Koren Robinson at North Carolina State; Jaguars P Chris Hanson, C/G John Wade and Seahawks WR James Williams at Marshall.
LAST WEEK: The Jaguars suffered their first loss of the season and were defeated by the Cleveland Browns for the first time ever, losing 23-14 at ALLTEL Stadium. The loss snapped a streak of six straight wins over Cleveland. Jacksonville went into the game without OT Tony Boselli, RB Fred Taylor, DE Tony Brackens and SS Donovin Darius, and they lost QB Mark Brunell and TE Kyle Brady before the first half was over. Cleveland led 13-0 at halftime, as the Jaguars' defense allowed its first touchdown of the season. Jonathan Quinn replaced Brunell and led the Jaguars to a touchdown on the first series of the second half, and less than a minute later CB Aaron Beasley picked up a fumble and ran 40 yards for a touchdown. But that was the only scoring for Jacksonville. Mike Hollis missed a 42-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter that would have given Jacksonville a four-point lead. Late in the game, with the Browns up 16-14 after a Phil Dawson field goal, the Jaguars drove to the Cleveland 36-yard line, but four straight incomplete passes ended the drive. Quinn was intercepted on the next drive, with the ball returned for a touchdown and the final score. Substituting for Taylor, Stacey Mack rushed for a career-high 93 yards. But Quinn passed for only 136 yards on 30 passes, as the Jaguars' offense gained a season-low 259 yards in the loss (their lowest total in 52 weeks).
NOTES FROM THE BROWNS GAME: The Jaguars' home loss was their first since last November 12, snapping a streak of five straight wins. … The Jaguars had held their opponents without a touchdown for nine consecutive quarters until Cleveland scored with 3:22 remaining in the second period. That tied the team record of nine straight quarters without a touchdown allowed that was set in 1999. … The Jaguars had fewer first downs (14 to 19), fewer total yards (259 to 321) and less time of possession (24:20 to 35:40). They had their least time of possession since 12/26/99 at Tennessee. … The Jaguars converted only 4 of 12 third downs (33 percent), while the Browns were 9 of 16 (56 percent). Going into the game, Jaguars opponents had converted only 7 of 30 third downs. … The Jaguars had two turnovers and three takeaways, putting them at plus-three for the season. … Mark Brunell completed 4 of 7 passes for 34 yards, no TDs and one interception (which was his first of the year, snapping a streak of 67 attempts without an interception). It marked his fewest passes in a game since 12/6/98 vs. Detroit. … Jonathan Quinn completed 15 of 30 passes for 136 yards, one TD and one INT. He had not thrown a pass in a regular-season game since 12/28/98, his rookie season. … Stacey Mack's 93 yards rushing broke his previous high of 80 yards set a week ago vs. Tennessee. … Appearing in his 98th Jaguars game, Jimmy Smith caught a game-high nine passes for 88 yards. … Keenan McCardell caught 2 passes for 17 yards, extending his team-best streak to 36 straight games with at least one reception. … SLB Kevin Hardy made his 52nd consecutive start, extending his team record. … MLB Hardy Nickerson led the team lead with 19 tackles (9 solo), followed by SLB Kevin Hardy with 15 tackles (1 solo). … Aaron Beasley's fumble return for a touchdown was his third defensive score and 15th career takeaway, tying the team record held by Tony Brackens. … Ainsley Battles made his first career interception. … The Jaguars had three sacks, two by SLB Kevin Hardy (giving him four for the season) and CB Kiwaukee Thomas (first of his career). The Jaguars have had three or more sacks in seven straight games. … Chris Hanson punted six times for a 47.8-yard average, one touchback, one inside the 20 and a long of 55. … Every player who dressed played except RB Frank Moreau. The inactive players were: S Donovin Darius, RB Fred Taylor, LB Eric Westmoreland, G/OT Gannon Shepherd, OT Tony Boselli, WR Randal Williams, DE Tony Brackens and QB Phil Stambaugh (third QB). … Jaguars captains were WR Jimmy Smith, MLB Hardy Nickerson and LB Danny Clark. … The attendance was 57,875.
FROM COACH TOM COUGHLIN ON THE BROWNS GAME: "When you lose the quarterback on the first series and you have umpteen penalties in the first half, there was more going back and forth verbally in the first half than I've seen in a long time, and we were the recipient of the penalties. We came back in the second half and we fought ourselves into the lead. Then we missed a field goal, which would have put the game, as far as I'm concerned, out of reach. That would have been a four-point ballgame. We had opportunities to win the game and we didn't get it done. Even on the final drive, the ball's on the 36-yard line, first down, and we're looking to get inside the 25-yard line for a field goal, but we stall four straight times. You have to make plays. The game is about making plays. At some point in time, every player in the lockerroom has to be prepared to contribute, and that's the shame of it. To lose a game of this stature in our house with a chance to go 3-0 in the division, it's a shame."
(on the first half) "It was a very disappointing first half. Penalty-ridden. We didn't get a lot of things done in the first half at all. We came out in the second half and made some plays, did some good things. We got ourselves in position to make the field goal to put ourselves in a four-point advantage, but we missed the field goal. That's been an on-going story (this year). It's unfortunate. We knew in the second half, offensively, we would have to take the ball each time we got it and do something with it. We took it down and scored the first time, and we ended up with the Aaron Beasley fumble recovery, running it in the end zone for a touchdown. But we had other opportunities we didn't take advantage of."
(on Stacey Mack) "Stacey did a good job. He pounded it in there. He did a good job and got us some tough yardage inside. But we didn't make any big plays. That stat will be the story. We have to make some plays."
(on the hit on Mark Brunell) "He suffered a concussion. I don't know how serious it is. He tried to go back in and had recurring headaches so it was best to not let him return. I kind of picked up (the hit) out of the corner of my eye. I saw the play, the attempt to flip the ball underhand to Stacey Mack, which ended up in an interception which ended up in a field goal. Some of the things that happened in that first half, I don't think I've ever seen. I guess if you're around long enough, you're going to see it all. I asked the referee, Bob (McElwee) to come over and he told me he did not see anything that was not legal."
(on Jonathan Quinn) "He did look like he was going to give us the spark we needed to win the game. But (on the last drive), first down, second down, third down, fourth down - nothing. In the last possession we did a good job, they were only rushing a maximum of four players and they got pressure in his face."
(on Tony Boselli) "Tony has an injured shoulder. It became obvious at Wednesday's practice that he was not going to be able to perform the way that we would want him to. There was an issue of strength and it was going to be evaluated on Sunday. He was not in a position that the doctors felt he could play. He may (need surgery) at the end of the season. Hopefully, we can work with him and regain strength in that shoulder and allow him to play. We'll try that. I'm not going to say what it is. It's a shoulder injury. I'm not sure exactly what it is. I don't want to give you something inaccurate at this time. There may be a chance (he could play) next week. The rest will help."
FROM LB KEVIN HARDY: "It is very disappointing. You look at how we started the year off, 2-0, beating two solid football teams and having an opportunity to go 3-0 with another divisional opponent. The Browns are a good football team. You have to give them credit. They came in here and played well. Some things we could have stopped and we made them look better than I feel like they actually played."
(on the defensive effort) "They drove the ball on us. It seemed like they moved the ball up and down the field pretty good and we just couldn't stop them. The disappointing part is we came in the second half and did some things. We just couldn't keep it going."
FROM DE PAUL SPICER: (on the team's mistakes) "When we came in at the half coach said we weren't playing Jaguars football. We knew that. We were undisciplined. We had a lot of missed tackles. You can't have that. We were better in the third quarter, but we let up. We have to look at this as a learning experience. You can't get caught up in all that jaw-jacking. That hurt us in the first half. You saw the penalties. Now we've got to get it out of our system and move forth."
MILLER LITE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: The Jaguars' nominee for the Miller Lite Player of the Week Award is RB Stacey Mack, who rushed for a career-high 93 yards on 17 carries (5.5-yard average) in the Jaguars' 23-14 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
NEXT WEEK: The Jaguars will have their bye week and will not play on the weekend of October 14-15. They will return to action on Thursday night, October 18, when they host the Buffalo Bills on ESPN's "Thursday Night Football." The Bills are quarterbacked by Rob Johnson, who played for the Jaguars from 1995 to '97. The two teams have played three times, with each team winning once in the regular season and the Jaguars winning in the 1996 playoffs in their first-ever postseason game.
THE TEAL IS REAL . . . In the last five seasons, the Jaguars' record is the best in the NFL, tied with the Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos. The Jaguars have won 45 of their last 66 regular-season games (they also won their final five games in 1996).
JAGUARS HAVE THIRD-BEST HOME RECORD AND BEST ROAD RECORD SINCE 1996: The Jaguars went 7-1 at ALLTEL Stadium from 1996 to '99 and are 2-1 this season, giving them a 34-9 record for the third-best mark at home since the start of the 1996 season. On the road, the Jaguars have the best record and they are one of only six NFL teams with a better-than-.500 mark on the road dating back to November 24, 1996. The Jaguars' all-time regular-season road record is 22-26.
JAGUARS HAVE BALANCED OFFENSE ... Although the Jaguars are often referred to as a passing team, in reality they have a balanced attack that features the run. In the last four seasons, the Jaguars have rushed for 6,543 yards on the ground, the fifth most in the NFL, and they are the only team to have more than 2,000 yards rushing each of the three seasons from 1998 to 2000. And, over the past six seasons, the Jaguars have the seventh-most passing yards in the NFL.
JAGUARS SCORE ON THE GROUND … In the last five seasons, the Jaguars have rushed for 78 touchdowns, second most in the NFL.
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 is fifth. They are the only wide receiver tandem in NFL history to have 400 receptions each over a five-year span. The two receivers are close friends, with McCardell nicknamed "Thunder" and Smith called "Lightning." Smith was the NFL leader in 1999 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. Lifetime, Smith has a total of 496 career receptions, while McCardell has 493.
... AND SMITH LEADS ALL RECEIVERS IN YARDAGE: Over the last six seasons, Jaguars WR Jimmy Smith has amassed more receiving yardage than any receiver in the NFL, and teammate Keenan McCardell is eighth.
SMITH'S LAST FIVE SEASONS SURPASSED ONLY BY RICE: From 1996 through 2000, Jaguars WR Jimmy Smith caught 450 passes for 6,599 yards. No other receiver in NFL history - except for future Hall of Famer Jerry Rice - has caught more passes for more yards in any five-year period.
In three different five-year periods, Rice had more catches and more receiving yards than Smith's totals. In addition to Rice, only three other players ever caught more passes in a five-year period than Smith, but they always had fewer yards receiving. Similarly, one other player ever had more receiving yards but fewer receptions than Smith.
The three players who had more receptions but fewer yards in a five-year period were: Cris Carter (three times: 1993-1997, 515, 6,379; 1994-1998, 507, 5,870; and 1995-1999, 475, 5,858), Herman Moore (1994-1998, 487, 6,431), and Tim Brown (1995-1999, 454, 6,210). The only player who had more yards receiving but fewer receptions in a five-year period was Michael Irvin (1991-1995, 449, 7,093).
Smith's career totals of 472 receptions for 6,887 yards are more than six of 17 receivers already inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and he has been a starter for only the last four-and-a-half seasons.
SMITH HAS FIVE STRAIGHT 1,000-YARD SEASONS: Jaguars WR Jimmy Smith has surpassed the 1,000-yard mark receiving five straight seasons, a feat accomplished by only six other players in NFL history and which ties him for fifth all time behind Jerry Rice (11 straight 1,000-yard seasons), Tim Brown and Cris Carter (8 straight), and Lance Alworth (7 straight).
SMITH AND McCARDELL SET NFL RECORD: Jaguars WRs Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell set an NFL record on November 12, 2000 vs. Seattle when they both had 100 yards receiving in the same game for the eighth time (the record has since been tied by Minnesota's Cris Carter and Randy Moss). 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.
THE ORIGINAL THUNDER AND LIGHTNING: Jaguars WRs Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell are only the sixth tandem in NFL history to each have 1,000 yards receiving in the same season three different years.
TAYLOR TIED WITH THIRD-MOST TOUCHDOWNS LAST FOUR YEARS: Despite missing 11 full games and parts of nine others, Jaguars RB Fred Taylor is tied with the third-most touchdowns over the last four seasons.
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). In 2001, Hollis is 2 for 5, giving him a career accuracy mark of 81.96.
HOLLIS IS 12TH-LEADING ACTIVE SCORER: Jaguars PK Mike Hollis has scored 693 career points in six seasons in the NFL, which ranks 12th among active players.
HOLLIS IS MOST ACCURATE 50-YARD KICKER: Jaguars PK Mike Hollis has connected on 10 of his 13 field goals over 50 yards in his six-year career, and his .769 percentage is the best among the NFL's active placekickers.
BRUNELL HAS SIXTH-BEST WINNING PERCENTAGE: Jaguars QB Mark Brunell has the sixth-best career winning percentage of active quarterbacks (minimum 20 wins). Also, in the last six seasons, Brunell has the most victories (49) of any quarterback other than Green Bay's Brett Favre.
BRUNELL ON CENTRAL TIME: Jaguars QB Mark Brunell has the NFL's best division record as a starter among active quarterbacks. Since joining the Jaguars in 1995, Brunell has compiled a 32-15 (.681) record as a starter against the AFC Central. Following are the top four active quarterbacks in career division win percentage (minimum 25 starts):
Quarterback Record Pct.
Mark Brunell 32-15-0 .681
Steve McNair 23-11-0 .676
Brett Favre 48-24-0 .667
Randall Cunningham 42-25-1 .625
BRUNELL'S TOUCHDOWN TARGETS: Mark Brunell has thrown 109 TD passes in seven seasons in Jacksonville. Here are the 17 players who have caught them: Jimmy Smith (32), Keenan McCardell (21), Damon Jones (11), Willie Jackson (10), Pete Mitchell (7), James Stewart (5), Fred Taylor (4), Ernest Givins (3), Cedric Tillman (3), Alvis Whitted (3), Kyle Brady (3), Andre Rison (2), Derek Brown (1), Ty Hallock (1), Desmond Howard (1), Natrone Means (1) and R. Jay Soward (1).
JAGUARS AMONG THE LEAGUE LEADERS: After three weeks, the Jaguars are 18th in the NFL in total offense (16th rushing, 21st passing), and they are 10th in defense (16th rushing and 11th passing). … The Jaguars have scored 48 points, an average of 16.0 per game. That is their fewest points after three games since their inaugural season of 1995. … The Jaguars' offense is tied for 11th in the AFC with 46 first downs. The Jaguars are 14th in the AFC in third-down percentage (10 of 36, 27.8 percent), and the defense is eighth in the AFC in opponent's third-down conversions (16 of 46, 34.8 percent). … The Jaguars are plus-3 on the turnover table, tied for fifth in the AFC. … Jacksonville's 10 sacks leads the AFC and is tied for third in the NFL. … The Jaguars are 10th in the AFC with a 42.9 percent rate on scoring touchdowns inside the red zone (3 of 7). … PK Mike Hollis is 13th among AFC kickers in scoring with 12 points. … QB Mark Brunell is third in the AFC in passing with a 94.2 rating. … WR Jimmy Smith is second in the NFL with 24 receptions, and his 301 receiving yards ranks third. … Despite starting just one game, Stacey Mack is ninth in the AFC in rushing with 171 yards, and his 4.8-yard average ranks fourth. … Chris Hanson is fifth in the AFC with a 47.1 gross punting average but he is 13th with a 32.9 net average. … Kevin Hardy is tied for the AFC lead with four sacks.
STATS AND SUCH: Mark Brunell is 53-34 as a starter in regular-season games, 57-38 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 80 consecutive regular-season games in which he has played (and all eight in the playoffs). He has 693 points in his seven years with the Jaguars. … Of the Jaguars' 51 completed passes in 2001, 34 have been to wide receivers, 9 to tight ends and 8 to running backs. … The Jaguars are 0 for 2 on fourth-down conversions this season; their opponents are 2 for 7. … A total of 18 players (eight on offense and 10 on defense) have started all three games this year. … The offense has used three different starting lineup combinations in three games, and the defense has had a different starting lineup in two of the three games. … The Jaguars have had 2 plays of 30 or more yards this season. They had 26 plays of 30-plus yards in 2000, 23 in 1999, 29 in 1998, 22 in 1997, 26 in 1996 and 12 in 1995. … On 7 drives inside the opponent's 20, the Jaguars have scored 3 touchdowns and 1 field goal (and 3 drives with no points). Their opponents have had 8 trips inside the red zone and have come away with 1 touchdown and 4 field goals. … Jaguars opponents have begun 4 possessions inside their own 20 and they scored on none of those drives. The Jaguars have begun 8 possessions inside their own 20 and have not scored. … The Jaguars have used turnovers to score 14 points, while their opponents have scored 13 points off Jaguars' turnovers. … In seven seasons, the Jaguars are 13 for 19 on two-point conversions (0 for 0 in 2001), while their opponents are 5 for 19 (0 for 0 in 2001). … In seven seasons, the Jaguars have a winning record in every month except October. They are 1-0 in August, 14-12 in September, 12-13 in October, 16-7 in November, 14-9 in December and 1-0 in January. … In 2001, the Jaguars have outscored their opponents in the second (28-16) and third quarters (17-0) and have been outscored in the first quarter (3-6) and fourth quarter (0-10).
The average age of the 53-man roster as of October 1 is 25.46 years old. There were 26 players 25 or younger, 22 players between 26 and 29 years old, and five players 30 or older. The youngest player is S Delvin Brown (22 years, 1 month); the oldest player is MLB Hardy Nickerson (36 years, 1 month). … There are nine rookies on the 53-man roster, including five of the 10 draft choices (DT Marcus Stroud, OT Maurice Williams, LB Eric Westmoreland, S James Boyd and S Marlon McCree), as well as undrafted rookies S Delvin Brown, FB Patrick Washington, WR Randal Williams and RB Elvis Joseph (two other draft picks are on the practice squad). … More than half of the players (36) have four years or less of NFL experience, and five players are in their eighth season or more. … There are 18 players who are new to the team, and 35 who were with the team before the 2001 season. In addition to the nine rookies, the other nine new players are: WR Sean Dawkins, WR Damon Gibson, P Chris Hanson and Joe Zelenka (veteran free agents); MLB Joseph Tuipala, (first-year free agent) and S Ainsley Battles, RB Frank Moreau, QB Phil Stambaugh and G/OT Steve Zahursky (waivers). … The Jaguars have 10 players who were first-round selections in the college draft, including seven of their own picks: WR Sean Dawkins (1993, Indianapolis), 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 DT Marcus Stroud (2001, Jaguars), as well as WR R. Jay Soward (2000, Jaguars, on reserve/suspended list).
WR Jimmy Smith has played in 98 of the 99 games in Jaguars history, and PK Mike Hollis is second with 95 games. … The longest streak of consecutive starts is held by WLB Kevin Hardy (team-record 52), followed by WR Keenan McCardell (30) and QB Mark Brunell and G Brad Meester (19 each) … Four players have played in 100 or more games during their careers: MLB Hardy Nickerson (197), WR Sean Dawkins (127), WR Keenan McCardell (119) and WR Jimmy Smith (105). … Nickerson leads with 174 career starts, followed by Dawkins (106). … OT Tony Boselli has started 89 games for the Jaguars, followed by QB Mark Brunell (87), WR Keenan McCardell (80) and WR Jimmy Smith and LB Kevin Hardy (77 each).
