TONIGHT'S GAME: The Jacksonville Jaguars, still in search of their first-ever victory, return home after two weeks on the road to face the Green Bay Packers. The 0-3 Jaguars are coming off a 27-10 loss to the New York Jets, while the Packers are 2-1 after beating the New York Giants 14-6 last Sunday. This will be Green Bay's second road game of the season, while the Jaguars will be playing their first game against a team from the NFC -and their first and only nationally televised prime-time game of the season. Beginning with tonight's game, the Jaguars will be at home for three of their next four games.
RADIO BROADCAST: This game will be broadcast on WOKV (690 AM) and WKQL (96.9 FM) and the Jaguars Radio Network, with play-by-play man Brian Sexton and color analysts Matt Robinson and Deron Cherry. Jennifer Kumik and Bill Riley, sports director of WOKV handle the pre-game and half-time shows. More than 30 affiliates in five states on the Jaguars Radio Network will also broadcast the game. Sexton, 26, is the NFL's youngest play-by-play announcer, while Robinson and Cherry bring a total of 17 years of NFL playing experience to the broadcast booth. The game is also being broadcast nationally on CBS Radio. Calling the action will be Howard David and John Dockery.
TELEVISION BROADCAST: Tonight's game will be televised nationally by TNT and locally on WTLV, Channel 12. Calling the action will be veteran broadcasters Verne Lundquist and Pat Haden.
THE SERIES: This is the first game between the Jaguars and Packers.
A JAGUARS VICTORY OVER THE PACKERS WOULD: Be the Jaguars' first victory ever and be only the third time an expansion team has won one of its first four games. In 1961 the Minnesota Vikings won their first game, and in 1968 the Cincinnati Bengals won their second and third games.
A PACKERS VICTORY OVER THE JAGUARS WOULD: Keep the Packers at least in a tie for first place in the NFC Central (depending on the outcome of the Chicago-St. Louis game). The 3-1 record would also be the best start for a Green Bay team since 1982.
INJURY UPDATE: Jacksonville Jaguars -Out: TE Derek Brown (rib), WR Ernest Givins (hamstring), LB Bryan Schwartz (ankle) and FS Mike Dumas (ankle); Questionable: QB Steve Beuerlein (knee); Probable: OT Tony Boselli (knee), LB Reggie Clark (ankle). Green Bay Packers -Out: LB James Willis (leg), LB Bernardo Harris (arm); Questionable: PK Chris Jacke (hamstring), WR/KR Charles Jordan (shoulder), and NT Gilbert Brown (elbow).
INACTIVE PLAYERS: The following players were designated as inactive on Friday (four more players from each team will be designated as inactive 1 1/2 hours before kickoff):
Jacksonville -FS Mike Dumas, LB Bryan Schwartz, WR Ernest Givins and TE Derek Brown.
Green Bay -DT Gilbert Brown, LB Bernardo Harris, PK Chris Jacke, LB James Willis.
THE COACHES: Jacksonville head coach Tom Coughlin faces the Packers tonight, a team that he spent two seasons with as an assistant coach (1986 and '87). Coughlin led the Jaguars to two victories in five preseason games this year and is 0-3 during the regular season. Coughlin served as the head coach at Boston College from 1991 to '93, compiling a record of 21-13-1, with two appearances in bowl games and a ranking of 13th in the final AP poll of 1993. 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).Mike Holmgren is in his fourth year as head coach of the Packers and is the 11th full-time head coach in team history. He led the team to the playoffs in both 1993 and '94, advancing to the second round each year, and he is only the third Packers coach with a winning career record, joining Vince Lombardi and Curly Lambeau. Holmgren was previously the offensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers from 1989 to '91 and quarterbacks coach from 1986 to '88. The 49ers won two Super Bowls during Holmgren's tenure. He has an overall career record of 31-24.
ROSTER MOVES: On September 18, the Jaguars were required to cut their roster to 53 players. Released were: QB Brad Goebel, C Frank Cornish and LB Ashley Sheppard. The Packers have not had any roster transactions in the last week.
JACKSONVILLE-GREEN BAY CONNECTIONS: Jaguars head coach Tom Coughlin was the Packers' wide receivers coach during the 1986-87 seasons, and defensive coordinator Dick Jauron was the Packers' defensive backs coach for nine seasons (1986 to '94) … Two Packer standouts are originally from Jacksonville: RB Edgar Bennett and SS LeRoy Butler. Both of those Jacksonville natives attended Robert E. Lee High School and went to Florida State. Butler represented the NFC in the Pro Bowl in 1993. Both Bennett and Butler still reside in Jacksonville. … One other Packer, WR Terry Mickens, is from Florida (Tallahassee) and attended Florida A&M. … DT Don Davey (Manitowoc) and rookie DT Mike Thompson (Portage) and the only Wisconsin natives on the Jaguars; both attended the University of Wisconsin. … Four Jaguars are former Packers: QB Mark Brunell (1993-94), CB Vinnie Clark (1991-92), DT Don Davey (1991-94), and OLB Mark Williams (1994). … Packers DE Sean Jones and Jaguars WR Ernest Givins were former teammates on the Oilers. … Packers C Frank Winters was a teammate of Jaguars P Bryan Barker in Kansas City. … Jaguars OT Bruce Wilkerson was a Raider with Packers WR Charles Jordan in 1993. … Jaguars OT Jeff Novak was a Dolphin with Packers WR Mark Ingram in 1994. … Packers rookie FB William Henderson and LB Bernardo Harris played at North Carolina with Jaguars RB Randy Jordan and OLB Reggie Clark. … Packers C Mike Arthur played at Texas A&M with Jaguars CB Mickey Washington. … Packers LB George Koonce is a former teammate of Jaguars DE Ernie Logan at East Carolina. … Jaguars OT Bruce Wilkerson played at Tennessee with Packers G Harry Galbreath and DE Reggie White. … Jaguars rookie SS Chris Hudson was a teammate of Packers rookie DT Darius Holland at Colorado. … Packers TE Mark Chmura played his 1991 season at Boston College under Jaguars Head Coach Tom Coughlin. … Jaguars WR Desmond Howard (1991, Michigan) and Packers QB Ty Detmer (1990, Brigham Young) won the Heisman Trophy while in college.
STREAKS AND SUCH: Jaguars WR Ernest Givins had the second-longest streak of consecutive games started among wide receivers after Jerry Rice until missing tonight's game with a hamstring injury. Givins last missed a game on November 26, 1989 at Kansas City because of an ankle injury, and had started 87 consecutive games. Rice's streak is at 125 games and counting. … Jaguars QB Mark Brunell played in only two games in two seasons with the Packers. He has played in all three games so far this season for Jacksonville and would be making his second career start tonight. … Green Bay DE Reggie White has 148.5 career sacks -the NFL record -and needs 1.5 to reach 150 for his career.
TONIGHT'S ENTERTAINMENT: The National Anthem will be sung by Michelle Miller, a native of Jacksonville who is a former Florida Miss Teen. She has performed nationwide, including at the Jerry Lewis Labor Day telethon. The halftime entertainment is a laser show presented by First Union and designed by Audio Visual Imagineering.
NEXT WEEK: The Jaguars will travel to Houston to face the Oilers for the second time this season. Kickoff is at 4:00 p.m. EDT Sunday, October 1 in the Astrodome. In the season opener for both teams on September 3, the Oilers defeated the Jaguars 10-3. The Oilers are 1-2 so far this season.The Packers have an open date. They will travel to Dallas on October 8 to face the Cowboys.
