THIS WEEK: Looking to end a four-game losing streak, the Jacksonville Jaguars return home and will host the Washington Redskins Sunday. Kickoff for the interconference clash is 4:05 p.m. EST at ALLTEL Stadium. For the Jaguars, this is the second of three November games against NFC East teams.
The Jaguars head into the second half of the season trying to keep from having a five-game losing streak for the third straight season. They are in third place in the AFC South but are only one game out of first place.
The Jaguars are coming off a 24-17 loss to the New York Giants on the road last Sunday. They own a 15-14 record vs. NFC teams in eight seasons (1-1 this year) and are 2-2 at home in 2002. The Redskins are 4-4 after beating the Seattle Seahawks 14-3 on the road last Sunday.
The Jacksonville offense has struggled in the last four games. After scoring 23 or more points in their first four games, the Jaguars have totaled only 60 points in their last four games. That marks their lowest four-game total since October 2001. However, defensively, the Jaguars have allowed only 157 points, an average of 19.6 points per game that is first in the AFC.
The game against the Redskins is one of only two home games for the Jaguars in a seven-week stretch from October 13 through November 24. In the month of November, the Jaguars have a 17-11 record, their best month in their eight seasons (same as December).
In the last six seasons, the Jaguars are tied with the seventh-best record in the NFL, a 52-36 mark that is seven-and-a-half games behind the Green Bay Packers. The Jaguars are have the NFL's fifth-best home record, 37-15 dating back to 1996, and they are the NFL's fifth-best road team with a 24-22 record dating back to the 1996 season.
TELEVISION BROADCAST: The Jaguars-Redskins game will be televised regionally on FOX and locally on WAWS Channel 30 (Ch. 10 cable), with Pat Summerall calling the play-by-play and Brian Baldinger adding analysis. The Jaguars Pregame Show airs at 11:30 a.m. on WTEV Channel 47 (Ch. 6 cable), 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 guest
Wednesday — Jaguars This Week, 6:00 p.m., WOKV Radio, with Brian Sexton, Vic Ketchman, Jeff Lageman
Thursday — 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 Lageman
Saturday — Tom Coughlin Show, 7:30 p.m., WJXT-TV4, with Tom Coughlin, Brian Sexton
THE OPPONENT: The Redskins were formed as the Boston Braves in 1932 and re-named the Redskins a year later. They moved to Washington in 1937, the year they won their first NFL Championship behind the passing of the legendary Sammy Baugh. They won their second league title in 1942 and took three Eastern Division titles between 1943 and '46 before losing the world championship game each season. The Redskins didn't qualify for the playoffs again until 1971, and a year later they appeared in their first Super Bowl, losing 14-7 to the undefeated Miami Dolphins. Joe Gibbs was named head coach in 1981, and the Redskins won the Super Bowl in 1982 behind Joe Theismann and lost in Super Bowl XVIII the following year. Doug Williams led the Redskins to the Super Bowl XXII championship in 1987 and Mark Rypien quarterbacked the Super Bowl XXVI title in 1991. They qualified for the playoffs only once in nine seasons from 1993 to 2001. Steve Spurrier was named head coach in January and led the team to a 4-4 record and second place in the NFC East in the first half of this season.
THE SERIES: The Jaguars and the Redskins have played two times, with Washington winning both games. In 1997, the Redskins won at home 24-12 in 1997, and they won the 2000 matchup 35-16 in Jacksonville.
THE LAST GAME: The Jaguars lost their fifth straight game of the season to the Washington Redskins 35-16 at ALLTEL Stadium on October 22, 2000, dropping to 2-6 at the midpoint of the season. The Jaguars turned the ball over four times and failed to score in the second half in losing for the third time in four games at home. Fred Taylor rushed for 124 yards (his second consecutive 100-yard game) and Kyle Brady caught eight passes for 111 yards. But the Jacksonville defense allowed Redskins WR Albert Connell to score three times and gain 211 yards receiving, the most ever by a Jaguars opponent. With Stephen Davis' 114 yards rushing (and two touchdowns), it marked the first time since 1998 that the Jaguars allowed 100 yards both rushing and receiving by opposing players in a game. Mark Brunell passed for 271 yards but was sacked six times. Keenan McCardell caught only three passes and Jimmy Smith just two before he was forced to leave his second straight game with an injury. R. Jay Soward scored the Jaguars' only touchdown, but he also dropped passes and fumbled a punt that led to one of three Washington touchdowns that resulted from turnovers. Mike Hollis kicked three field goals for Jacksonville.
A JAGUARS VICTORY OVER THE REDSKINS WOULD: End a four-game losing streak and give the Jaguars a 4-5 record. It would be their third home win this season, their second win in three games vs. the NFC East, and their first win in three regular-season games against the Redskins.
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 (65-55 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).
Steve Spurrier, in his first season as the Redskins' head coach, is making the most highly anticipated professional coaching debut since Jimmy Johnson in 1989 with his famed "Fun 'N' Gun" offense. At the University of Florida, Spurrier posted a record of 122-27-1 during his 12 seasons in Gainesville, including a victory over Florida State in the Sugar Bowl that gave the Gators the 1996 national championship. He guided Florida to seven Southeastern Conference championships, and his teams won 10 or more games in nine of his 12 seasons. Spurrier received his first head coaching experience with the USFL's Tampa Bay Bandits (1983-85), where he recorded a mark of 35-19. He also coached Duke (1987-89), posting a 20-13-1 record, leading the Blue Devils to the 1989 Atlantic Coast Conference championship. Spurrier is the first Heisman Trophy winner to coach an NFL team, having won the award in 1966. He was named to the National Collegiate Football Hall of Fame in 1986. Spurrier was a first-round draft pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 1967 and he played 10 NFL seasons with the 49ers (1967-75) and Tampa Bay (1976). Spurrier was an assistant at Florida (1977), Georgia Tech (1978-79), and Duke (1980-82).
SPURRIER IN JACKSONVILLE: Redskins head coach Steve Spurrier is no stranger to playing in Jacksonville. As head coach of the Florida Gators, Spurrier had a record of 9-1 in Florida-Georgia games played in Jacksonville, and he was 1-0 in the Gator Bowl. As head coach of the Tampa Bay Bandits, he was 2-0 against the Jacksonville Bulls. And as a quarterback at Florida, he was 1-2 in Florida-Georgia games.
JACKSONVILLE-WASHINGTON CONNECTIONS: Jaguars DE Marco Coleman played for the Redskins from 1999 to 2001, QB Kent Graham was with the Redskins in 2001, and WR Kevin Lockett was waived by the Redskins last week before being claimed by the Jaguars on Friday. … Jaguars TE coach Tony Sparano was the TE coach for the Redskins in 2001 … Redskins who are former Jaguars include: P Bryan Barker (1995-2001), WR Willie Jackson (1995-97), DE Renaldo Wynn (1997-2001), WR Chris Doering (sixth-round draft choice in 1996), LB Eddie Mason (1998), G Brenden Stai (2000) … Redskins assistant QB coach Noah Brindise was a graduate assistant at the University of Florida from 1999 to 2001 … Redskins DL assistant/quality control coach DeChon Burns served as defensive assistant at the University of Florida in 2001 … Redskins assistant defensive coordinator/linebackers coach George Edwards was a graduate assistant at the University of Florida in 1991 … Redskins offensive assistant /quality control coach Paul Guenther was the defensive coordinator at Jacksonville University in 1997 … Redskins special teams assistant/assistant LB coach Jim Collins was on the University of Florida staff from 1990 to 2001 … Redskins TE coach Lawson Holland was the TE coach/special teams coordinator at the University of Florida from 1995 to 2001 … Redskins assistant OL coach John Hunt was the OL coach at the University of Florida from 1999 to 2001 … Redskins WR coach Steve Spurrier Jr. was a part of the University of Florida staff from 1994 to '98 … Four Jaguars have ties to the Washington D.C./Virginia area: S James Boyd (Chesapeake), TE Chris Luzar (Williamsburg, University of Virginia), FB Patrick Washington (Washington D.C.) and C John Wade (Harrison, Va.) … Eight Redskins have ties to the state of Florida: P Bryan Barker (born in Jacksonville Beach), WR Chris Doering (Gainesville, University of Florida), WR Rod Gardner (Jacksonville), QB Danny Wuerffel (Pensacola), LB Jessie Armstead (University of Miami), WR Jacquez Green (University of Florida), QB Shane Matthews (University of Florida) and OL Kipp Vickers (University of Miami) … Redskins head coach Steve Spurrier coached the Florida Gators from 1989 to 2001 and led them to a national championship in '96 … Players that were college teammates include: Jaguars RB Fred Taylor with Redskins QB Danny Wuerffel, WR Jacquez Green and WR Chris Doering at Florida; Jaguars CB Robert Bean and Redskins CB Fred Smoot at Mississippi State; Jaguars S James Boyd with Redskins LB LaVar Arrington and RB Kenny Watson at Penn State; Jaguars CB Fernando Bryant and Redskins OT Chris Samuels at Alabama; Jaguars S Donovin Darius and Redskins LB Kevin Mitchell at Syracuse; Jaguars DT John Henderson and LB Eric Westmoreland with Redskins DB Andre Lott at Tennessee; Jaguars QB Kent Graham and Redskins DT Dan Wilkinson at Ohio State; Jaguars DT Marcus Stroud and Redskins CB Champ Bailey at Georgia; and Jaguars G/OT Zach Wiegert and Redskins OG Brenden Stai at Nebraska.
INJURY UPDATE: Three players suffered injuries in the Giants game: RB Fred Taylor (back contusion), DT Marcus Stroud (knee sprain) and CB Fernando Bryant (shoulder burner). In addition, OT Zach Wiegert (knee) and RB Elvis Joseph (knee) did not play. The status of all players will be updated during the week.
LAST WEEK: The Jaguars were defeated by the New York Giants 24-17 in a Sunday night game at Giants Stadium. The loss was the team's fourth in a row and dropped them to 3-5 on the season. The Giants jumped out to a 24-0 lead, rolling up 372 yards and 24 first downs to the Jaguars' 105 yards and five first downs at the midpoint of the third quarter. Jacksonville scored the game's final 17 points, getting two touchdowns in the final 5:20 of the game. Jimmy Smith caught a season-high 10 passes for 123 yards, his 37th 100-game of the year. But, while the Jaguars gained 329 yards in the game, a costly turnover on their first possession, seven first-half penalties and a failure to stop the Giants put the game almost out of reach not long after halftime. After pulling within a touchdown at 24-17, the Jaguars tried an onside kick with 1:47 to go but failed to recapture the ball. Fred Taylor suffered a back injury and missed most of the second half, and he finished with six carries for nine yards, a career-low in games he started. The Giants led 14-0 at halftime, converting a 4th-and-17 play just 26 seconds before the end of the second quarter and then scoring a touchdown on the next play. The Giants also missed two field goals in the first half.
NOTES FROM THE GIANTS GAME: The Jaguars wore blacks pants for the first time ever. … They lost for the third straight time on the road this year, dropping to 1-3 for the season. … The Jaguars had fewer yards (329 to 394), fewer first downs (16 to 26) and less time of possession (26:56 to 33:04). They converted only 5 of 14 third downs (36 percent) but were 3 for 5 on fourth downs. The Giants converted 5 of 12 third downs (42 percent). … The Jaguars had one turnover and one takeaway and are still plus-four for the season. … Mark Brunell completed 23 of 38 passes for 230 yards, 2 TD and 0 INTs and a passer rating of 95.3. He also led the team in rushing with a career-high 63 yards on five carries (12.6 average), followed by Stacey Mack with 54 yards on nine rushes. … Jimmy Smith led the team with a season-high 10 catches for 123 yards and one touchdown (his third of the season and 49th of his career, extending his team record). His career totals increased to 627 receptions (one behind Rob Moore for 23rd place on the NFL's all-time list) and 8,863 yards (moving into 32nd place on the all-time receiving yards list, six yards behind Mark Duper in 31st place)… Bobby Shaw had five receptions for 65 yards and a touchdown. … Chris Hanson punted three times for a 36.0-yard average, with no touchbacks and two inside the 20. He had no kicks returned and a net average of 36.0. … PK Tim Seder scored five points on one field goal and two extra points, hitting his only field goal attempt from 24 yards. … The team got three sacks: two by Marcus Stroud (a single-game best, giving him three for the year) and one by Akin Ayodele (first of his career). The Jaguars allowed two sacks. … MLB Wali Rainer led the team with 19 tackles (11 solo), followed by LB Akin Ayodele with 15 tackles (8 solo). … Every player saw action except G/G Drew Inzer, TE Chris Luzar and QB Kent Graham. The inactive players were: RB Elvis Joseph, S James Boyd, LB Bobby Brooks, G/OT Leander Jordan, OT Zach Wiegert, WR Kevin Lockett, DT Clenton Ballard and QB David Garrard (third QB).
FROM COACH TOM COUGHLIN ON THE GIANTS GAME: "The first half, we really never stopped them. That was the most disappointing part of it all. The tempo and the speed with which they played we had trouble with. The offense didn't do anything the first half, either. I thought the key element in the first half was our inability to stop them. I'm very disappointed in the first half. I don't have an explanation for it. There isn't a simple answer. You need to be able to stop the other guy. The second half we did get some stops. We did get a few things going. We picked up momentum late. There's no quit in these people, however, it wasn't enough. It was too little too late. The execution as a whole, whether it be first half defensively or first half offensively or dropped balls or the kicking game problems, those don't really give you any opportunity to inspire your own team. As much as our people were prepared and excited about playing and talking about the great opportunity that it was, the execution wasn't good enough."
(on having opportunities for some big plays) "Dropped balls from people we depend on. Dropped balls down the sideline. Dropped balls on the in-cut. The flags were all over the place in the first half. Jimmy Smith runs a go in the second half (and) if it's not pass interference, it's at least illegal contact. But no call. Our problems are our problems. They're not anybody else's problems and this game was not about officiating. In the first half the Giants did pretty much what they wanted to do. The speed of their game was faster. We did not make any plays to stop them any time in the first half."
(on his message to the team?) "It was lengthy, had a lot to do with pride. It had a lot to do with execution. You have to line up and execute. I just thought again there were too many opportunities."
FROM QB MARK BRUNELL: "Too many mistakes early. Too little, too late. All across the board, offense, defense, special teams and against a team like the Giants, you can not make those mistakes and expect to come away with a win."
(on what happened) "It's tough to put your finger on it because I thought we were ready to roll. Guys were excited to play, looking forward to it. We were focused and yet we still did not make the plays. It's puzzling."
(on the rest of the season) "It's still out there for us. It's going to take a lot of work. We backed ourselves up against the wall. But we need to stay positive. We need to still look ahead. Keep working hard. Not give up. I'm confident we can turn this thing around. We have to. We have a big one coming up. The Redskins are coming. One game at a time, and I know I use that week in and week out and it sounds like a cliché, but it's the truth. We have to focus on getting one win."
(on the four-game losing streak) "I can't put my finger on it other than not making the plays to win the game. Costly mistakes. Turnovers. You name it. We've done it the last few games, and that's how you lose. I think guys are playing with effort, yet we're not doing the things that you have to do to win at this level."
(on what needs to be fixed) "It's a combination of things. As we look at the film, obviously (there's no) continuity on offense. It's just a number of things. It really comes down to making the throw, making the catch, making the run, the block — the fundamentals of football. If we can do those things, we'll win some football games. We have some good players on this team. I don't see us giving up. I do not see any division coming on this team. I think we have a lot of character and I think guys will stick together. I'm going to make sure of it."
FROM DE MARCO COLEMAN: "We didn't get too much of anything accomplished. It was not a good day for us on defense."
(how do you explain the struggle on defense the last couple of games?) "I don't have an explanation. I think if we had an explanation it would have been solved. We didn't get it done."
FROM DT JOHN HENDERSON: (on the upcoming game against the Redskins) "We have to get ready to go. That's the thing about this business. You have a tough loss like tonight in a game that we felt like we had a good chance to win if we played the ball we were supposed to play, and we didn't play that kind of ball. The sad thing is you have to put that behind you and go to next week because the Redskins don't care. They're just ready to come and beat you. So it's a quick turnaround. You have to figure out what you did wrong and fix it, and come back and fight."
NEXT WEEK: The Jaguars will travel to Houston to face the Texans at 1:00 p.m. EST Sunday, November 17 at Reliant Stadium. The Jaguars lost to the Texans 21-19 two weeks ago at ALLTEL Stadium when Houston's Kris Brown kicked a 45-yard field goal with 2:11 remaining. But the Jaguars have never lost in Houston, having defeated the old Houston Oilers in 1995 and '96 (the former for the first win in Jaguars history). This season, the Texans are 2-6 after falling to the Cincinnati Bengals 38-3 last Sunday.
THE TEAL IS REAL . . . In the last six seasons, the Jaguars' record is tied for the seventh best in the NFL, seven games behind the Green Bay Packers. The Jaguars have won 52 of their last 88 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 37-15 record that is tied for 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 eight 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 32 consecutive games, the fourth-longest active streak in the NFL. Also, since 1999, the Jaguars have made 158 sacks, the sixth-highest total in the NFL.
JAGUARS HAVE BALANCED OFFENSE: In the last five seasons, the Jaguars have rushed for 8,921 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 99 touchdowns, the second 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.
SMITH RANKS 24TH AMONG ALL-TIME RECEIVERS: Jaguars WR Jimmy Smith is in 24th place on the NFL's all-time receiving list, and he is 32nd in career receiving yards. Smith has 627 career receptions for 8,863 yards.
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. Smith has a total of 627 career receptions.
... 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.
SMITH HAS MORE RECEPTIONS THAN 14 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 14 of the 19 receivers who have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Here's the list:
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). Here's the list:
TAYLOR HAS SEVENTH-MOST TOUCHDOWNS LAST FIVE YEARS: Despite missing 24 full games and parts of nine others, Jaguars RB Fred Taylor has the seventh-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.
JAGUARS AMONG THE LEAGUE LEADERS: Through nine weeks, the Jaguars rank 16th in the NFL in total offense (8th rushing, 22nd passing), and they are 19th in defense (26th rushing and 14th passing). They have allowed 157 points, an average of 19.6 per game that is the best in the AFC. … The offense is 12th in the AFC with 17.9 first downs per game and 10th in the conference in third-down percentage (42 of 108, 38.9 percent). The defense is 10th in allowing 20.1 first downs a game and is 13th in the AFC in opponent's third-down conversions (51 of 113, 45.1 percent). … The Jaguars are plus-four on the turnover table, tied for second in the AFC. … The Jaguars are fifth in the AFC with a 59.1 percent rate on scoring touchdowns inside the red zone (13 of 22). Defensively, the Jaguars are sixth in the AFC with opponents scoring touchdowns on 50.0 percent of red zone opportunities (14 of 28). … QB Mark Brunell is 11th in the AFC in passing with a 83.5 passer rating. … RB Stacey Mack is tied for 14th in the AFC with five touchdowns. … RB Fred Taylor ranks sixth in the AFC with 690 rushing yards and is fourth in the AFC with 953 yards from scrimmage. … WR Jimmy Smith is 13th in the AFC in receiving with 43 receptions, and his 603 receiving yards is seventh. … Chris Hanson is tied for first in the AFC in gross punting (45.0) and eighth in net punting (34.6). … Bobby Shaw is third in the AFC with a 14.8 average on punt returns. … S Marlon McCree's two interceptions is tied for 12th in the AFC. … DT John Henderson's five sacks is tied for seventh in the AFC and leads AFC rookies and AFC defensive tackles. … The Jaguars are tied with the NFL's second-fewest fumbles lost (3).
STATS AND SUCH: There are 24 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), seven veteran free agents (LB Bobby Brooks, 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 five games, and OT Mike Pearson started the last three games. Mark Brunell is 60-47 in 107 regular-season starts, 64-51 overall. He has won more games under head coach Tom Coughlin than any current NFL quarterback under his head coach. … In eight games, the offense has used five different starting lineup combinations and the defense has used five different starting combinations. … The Jaguars have had 10 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 six 30-plus plays this season… Of the Jaguars' 140 completed passes, 75 have been to wide receivers, 29 to tight ends and 33 to running backs. … The Jaguars are 10 for 15 on fourth-down conversions this season; their opponents are 6 for 10. … On 22 drives inside the opponent's 20, the Jaguars have scored 13 touchdowns and 7 field goals (and two drives with no points). Their opponents have had 27 trips inside the red zone and have come away with 15 touchdowns and 6 field goals (and 6 drives with no points). … Jaguars opponents have begun 14 possessions inside their own 20 and they scored on 3 of those drives (2 TDs and 1 FG). The Jaguars have begun 19 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, 17-11 in November, 17-11 in December and 1-1 in January. … In 2002, the Jaguars have outscored their opponents in the second quarter (57-50), third quarter (37-33) and fourth quarter (60-50), and have been outscored in the first quarter (10-24),
The average age of the 53-man roster as of November 4 is 26.09 years old. … There are 27 players 25 or younger, 19 players between 26 and 29 years old, and seven players 30 or older. The youngest player is G Drew Inzer (22 years, 11 months); the oldest player is QB Kent Graham (34 years). … More than two-thirds of the players (37) have four years or less of NFL experience, and seven 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 119 of the 120 games in Jaguars history. Of this year's players, next are QB Mark Brunell (110) and DE Tony Brackens (92, on injured reserve). … The longest streak of consecutive starts is held by G Brad Meester (40), followed by TE Kyle Brady (38) and WR Jimmy Smith (31). … Five players have played in 100 or more games during their careers: DE Marco Coleman (163), WR Jimmy Smith (126), TE Kyle Brady (116), QB Mark Brunell (112) and TE Pete Mitchell (106). … Coleman leads with 161 career starts, followed by TE Kyle Brady (110) and QB Mark Brunell (107).
