THIS WEEK: The Jacksonville Jaguars seek their fourth victory of the season when they host the Seattle Seahawks at 1:00 EST Sunday, November 12 at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. It is the first of two consecutive games for the Jaguars against the two teams that entered the NFL the last time the league expanded in 1976. The Jaguars are coming off their bye week and have a 3-6 record, and the Seahawks are also 3-6 after defeating the New York Giants 30-28 on Sunday.
RADIO BROADCAST: All of the Jaguars' games are broadcast on WOKV (690 AM) and WKQL (96.9 FM) and the Jaguars Radio Network, with Brian Sexton calling the action and analysis by 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, 27, 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.
TELEVISION BROADCAST: Sunday's game will be televised regionally by NBC and locally on WTLV, Channel 12. Calling the action will be veteran broadcasters Don Criqui and Beasley Reece.
THE SERIES: This is the first game between the Jaguars and Seahawks.
A VICTORY OVER THE SEAHAWKS WOULD: Be the Jaguars' fourth victory of the season, breaking the previous record for most wins by an expansion team in NFL history and tying them with the Carolina Panthers, who have already won four games.
THE OPPONENT: The Seahawks were awarded a 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 went 9-7, and 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 finished 6-10 in 1994, and head coach Tom Flores was relieved of his duties five days after the end of the season and replaced by Dennis Erickson.
THE COACHES: Jacksonville head coach Tom Coughlin has led the Jaguars to three victories. He became head coach of the NFL's newest franchise on February 21, 1994 following three successful seasons as head coach at Boston College. Coughlin 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 25 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). He was a member of the Giants' 1990 Super Bowl XXV champions coaching staff.Seattle coach Dennis Erickson is in his first year as the Seahawks' head coach. The fifth coach in team history and the only one without previous NFL coaching experience, Erickson was the head coach at the University of Miami from 1989 to '94, where he guided the Hurricanes to two national championships. A native of Everett, Washington, Erickson was also the head coach at Idaho (1982-85), Wyoming (1986) and Washington State (1987-88). He had a collegiate coaching record of 130-40-1 and is 3-6 with the Seahawks.
JACKSONVILLE-SEATTLE CONNECTIONS: Jaguars director of college scouting Rick Reiprish spent 10 years (1984-94) as a scout for the Seahawks. … The Seahawks have five players from the state of Florida: G Jeff Blackshear (Fort Pierce), WR Brian Blades (Fort Lauderdale and University of Miami), G Matt Joyce (St. Petersburg), WR James McKnight (Apopka) and P Rick Tuten (Ocala and Florida State). … Two Jaguars are from the state of Washington: DT Ray Hall (Seattle and Washington State) and PK Mike Hollis (Spokane). … Jaguars starting QB Mark Brunell attended the University of Washington, where he was the MVP of 1991 Rose Bowl and directed the Huskies to a 1992 Rose Bowl victory and co-national championship with Miami. … DE Jeff Lageman attended the University of Virginia with Seahawks S Tony Covington. … Seahawks LB Terry Wooden attended Syracuse with Jaguars DT Paul Frase. … Seahawks C Jim Sweeney was a Jets teammate of Lageman and Frase. … Seahawks TE Carlester Crumpler attended East Carolina with Jaguars DE Ernie Logan. … Seahawks WR Joey Galloway attended Ohio State with Jaguars OLB Mark Williams. … Seahawks DE Michael McCrary attended Wake Forest with Jaguars G/OT Ben Coleman. … Jaguars WR Willie Jackson attended Florida with Seahawks DT Henry McMillian. … Seahawks S Rafael Robinson attended Wisconsin with Jaguars DT Don Davey. … Seahawks T Howard Ballard was a Bills teammate with Jaguars CB Mickey Washington and MLB Keith Goganious. … Seahawks RB Steve Broussard was a Falcons teammate of Jaguars CB Vinnie Clark and a Bengals teammate of Jaguars OLB Santo Stephens. … Seahawks CB Tony Brown was a Oilers teammate of Jaguars FB Le'Shai Maston and FS Mike Dumas. … Seahawks S Tony Covington was a Buccaneers teammate of Jaguars CB Rogerick Green. … Seahawks CB Corey Harris was a Packers teammate of Jaguars QB Mark Brunell and CB Vinnie Clark. … Seahawks WR Ronnie Harris was a Patriots teammate of Jaguars G Eugene Chung. … Seahawks TE Trey Junkin and FB Steve Smith were L.A. Raiders teammates of Jaguars QB Steve Beuerlein, who was also a Cardinals teammate of Seahawks PK Todd Peterson and WR Ricky Proehl. … Seahawks WR Rob Thomas was a Chiefs teammate of Jaguars P Bryan Barker.
EXPANSION DIVISION RECORDS: The Jaguars have a record of 3-3 in the AFC Central and would become the first expansion team to record a .500 divisional record in their inaugural season if they win 1 of their final 2 games against AFC Central opponents. No expansion team has finished .500 in its division until at least its third season. The Jaguars' remaining division games are both at home: November 26 vs. Cincinnati and Dec. 24 vs. Cleveland. Following is a list of expansion teams ranked by earliest .500 divisional year (the Carolina Panthers are currently 2-2 in the NFC West):
Expansion First Divisional .500 Division
Team Year .500 Season Record_____
Miami Dolphins 1966 3rd, 1968 4-3-1, AFC East
Cincinnati Bengals 1968 3rd, 1970 3-3, AFC Central (won division)
Seattle Seahawks 1976 3rd, 1978 4-4, AFC West
Minnesota Vikings 1961 4th, 1964 6-5-1, NFL Western Conference
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1976 4th, 1979 6-2, NFC Central (won division)
Atlanta Falcons 1966 5th, 1970 3-2-1, NFC West
Dallas Cowboys 1960 6th, 1965 6-6, NFL Eastern Conference
New Orleans Saints 1967 8th, 1974 3-3, NFC West
Jacksonville Jaguars 1995 ??? ???
LAST WEEK: The Jaguars had their bye week. In their last game on October 29, they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-7.The Seahawks defeated the Giants 30-28, when New York's Brad Daluiso missed a 48-yard field goal on the last play of the game. Seattle PK Todd Peterson kicked three field goals and QB Rick Mirer connected with WR Brian Blades on two touchdown passes. It was Seattle's first victory in five weeks. Mirer, who regained his starting job, completed 17 of 31 passes for 253 yards.
JAGUARS INJURY UPDATE: The Jaguars suffered no significant injuries against Pittsburgh. The status of WR Desmond Howard (ankle), S Darren Studstill (knee) and FB Ryan Christopherson (calf) will be updated later in the week. The only other player with an injury is G Shawn Bouwens (knee).
NEXT WEEK: The Jaguars will travel to Tampa to face the Buccaneers at 1:00 EST at Tampa Stadium. It will be Jacksonville's third of four games against teams from the NFC Central Division.
DAILY SCHEDULE: Tuesday and Wednesday - Lockerroom open to media 11:45 to 12:15; head coach Tom Coughlin is available at 12:15. Thursday and Friday - Lockerroom open 11:45 to 12:15, with Coughlin at 12:00 noon. There is no availability on Saturday. On Monday, the day after the Seahawks' game, the lockerroom will be open to the media from 11:45 to 12:15, and Tom Coughlin will be available at 12:15.Practices are being held at the two practice fields adjacent to the new Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. Check with the Jaguars' Communications Office in (633-6000) for the daily practice schedule and to schedule interviews.
ROSTER MOVES: The Jaguars have not have any roster moves in the last week.
STATS AND SUCH: Through 9 games, the Jaguars are 1-3 at home, 2-3 on the road, 3-3 vs. the AFC Central, 3-0 when scoring first, 3-1 when scoring on their first possession, 3-0 when leading at halftime, 0-1 when tied at halftime, 0-5 when trailing at halftime, 2-0 when leading after three quarters, 1-6 when trailing after three quarters, 2-1 when scoring 20-plus points, and 3-1 when allowing 20 or fewer points. The Jaguars are also 2-1 when they have a time of possession of 30:00-plus, 1-2 when they make no turnovers, 0-1 when they have no takeaways, 2-1 when they have a plus-turnover ratio, 1-2 with an even turnover ratio, and 0-3 when they have a minus-turnover ratio. … The Jaguars have outscored their opponents in the first (44-27) and fourth (58-33) quarters, while being outscored in the second (23-69) and third (13-57) quarters. … With 53 yards rushing at Pittsburgh, Mark Brunell has regained the team's rushing lead. He now has the edge over running back James Stewart (323 to 297 yards). Brunell also leads all NFL quarterbacks in rushing. Vaughn Dunbar is third on the Jaguars with 127 yards. … Brunell ranks 12th in the AFC with a 75.8 passer rating. His 2.1 interception percentage is tied for 8th, and his 323 yards rushing ranks 16th among AFC rushers. … Willie Jackson leads the Jaguars and is tied for 17th in the AFC with 35 catches for 332 yards and 2 TD's. … P Bryan Barker's 44.3-yard gross average is tied for 4th in the AFC, and his net average of 39.1 is 3rd in the NFL. Barker's 54 punts through 9 games were the most in the AFC; he currently has the 4th most punts in the NFL. … Desmond Howard is 2nd in the AFC and 4th in the NFL in punt returns with a 11.9-yard average (15 for 179, 40 long), although he has missed the last three games.. … Only 2 NFL teams have allowed fewer rushing touchdowns than the Jaguars, who have allowed just 3 in 9 games (the league average is 6.5). … The Jaguars rank 7th in the AFC on the turnover/takeaway table with a 0 net difference (14 turnovers and 14 takeaways).
INSIDE THE RED ZONE: The Jaguars continue to be one of the NFL's best teams inside the red zone. They have penetrated their opponents' red zone 21 times in 9 games and scored 19 times, coming away with 13 touchdowns and 6 field goals (they also had one missed field goal and one interception). Last week against Pittsburgh, the Jaguars scored a TD the only time they were inside the 20. Jaguars opponents have scored 28 times in 34 possessions inside the 20-yard line (14 touchdowns and 14 field goals).On goal-to-goal situations, the Jaguars are 11 of 12, with 9 touchdowns and 2 field goals. Their opponents are 10 of 10, with just 4 TDs and 6 FG's.
YOUNG UP FRONT: The Jaguars' starting offensive line is one of the youngest in the NFL, with two rookies and two other players who had never started an NFL game until this season. Here's a look at the experience of the line (LG Shawn Bouwens has missed the last 4 games with a knee injury and is expected back this month):
Pos. Player Ht. Wt. Age NFL Starts Starts before '95 Year in NFL
LT Tony Boselli 6-7 323 23 5 0 1st
LG Jeff Novak 6-5 296 28 9 0 2nd
C Dave Widell 6-7 308 30 59 50 8th
RG Tom Myslinski 6-3 287 26 9 0 3rd
RT Brian DeMarco 6-7 321 23 9 0 1st
FIRST-ROUND COUNT: The Jaguars have eight players on their roster who were first-round selections in the college draft and another on injured reserve:
Player Pos. Year Team
Jeff Lageman DE 1989 New York Jets
Vinnie Clark CB 1991 Green Bay Packers
Kelvin Pritchett DT 1991 Dallas Cowboys*
Derek Brown (on I.R.) TE 1992 New York Giants
Eugene Chung G/OT 1992 New England Patriots
Vaughn Dunbar RB 1992 New Orleans Saints
Desmond Howard WR 1992 Washington Redskins
Tony Boselli OT 1995 Jacksonville Jaguars
James Stewart RB 1995 Jacksonville Jaguars
- Pritchett was traded from Dallas to Detroit on Draft Day.
DRAFT REPORT: Eight of the Jaguars' 10 draft picks this year made the roster for the opening game and all 10 are still with the team (two are on injured reserve).
Rd. Player Status
1a OT Tony Boselli Starting left offensive tackle
1b RB James Stewart Has started 6 games and has scored 2 TDs the last 4 weeks
2a OT Brian DeMarco Starting right offensive tackle
2b MLB Bryan Schwartz Starting middle linebacker
3 S Chris Hudson On injured reserve (groin)
4a QB Rob Johnson Third-string quarterback
4b DT Mike Thompson Backup defensive tackle
5 FB Ryan Christopherson Backup FB and short-yardage runner; has 1 TD run
6 OT Marcus Price On injured reserve (ankle)
7 WR Curtis Marsh Backup wide receiver; caught 3 passes vs. Pittsburgh
THE ORIGINAL 10: Here's an update on the "Original 10"Jaguars who signed contracts with the team on December 15, 1994:
WR Shannon Baker - Waived on August 13
SS Hillary Butler - Waived on August 19
DE Ferric Colons - Waived on May 1
C/G Greg Huntington - Backup center/tackle and special teams player
RB Randy Jordan - Backup halfback who scored the first TD in franchise history vs. Cincinnati
DE Ernie Logan - Backup left defensive end; started Week 5 vs. Houston
OT Rickie Shaw - Waived on August 19
DE Jason Simmons - Waived on August 27 but placed on the practice squad on August 28
DE Ricky Sutton - Waived on May 4
DT Chris Williams - Waived on August 19
ABOUT THE STADIUM: The new Jacksonville Municipal Stadium has drawn rave reviews: NBC broadcaster Don Criqui: "There isn't a better football facility in America than Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. I've never seen a better facility. The natural field is a perfect playing surface." Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin: "When you stand at the base of this stadium, it's a magnificent stadium. It's the most beautiful place I've ever played in. This has to be one of the greatest stadiums in the country, bar none. Playing on grass, the weather, a brand new stadium. A great city. People who have waited years for a football team. I don't think there's a hotter place in the country than Jacksonville, Florida. This is tremendous." Steelers owner Dan Rooney: "(Jacksonville is) the most enthusiastic place I've ever seen. (The stadium has) been an impetus to the community like you've never seen. You could say that's money well spent." Rams coach Rich Brooks: "This is a great stadium to play football in. The seats are close to the field, and the noise is very, very loud. We tried an audible and screwed it up because of the noise." Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver "I think we've raised the bar on how stadiums are gong to be built in the future. The two magnificent Stadium Clubs are unique in any stadium. This stadium is already a candidate to host a Super Bowl game; all we need is the hotel rooms."Packers RB Edgar Bennett, a native of Jacksonville: "It's a beautiful stadium. You've got to tip your hats off to them. It's real nice. Definitely an upgrade." In four regular-season games, the average attendance is 70,792.
FAX ON DEMAND: All Jaguars press releases can be obtained through the InfoConnection fax-on-demand system. To receive the Jaguars' press releases each week via fax, dial (404) 399-3066 on your fax machine and enter the NFL password: 7575. Key in the following numbers for the Jaguars release: 2801 - weekly release; 2802 - alphabetical/numerical rosters; 2803 - depth chart; 2804 - offense/defense stats; 2805 - Tom Coughlin bio; 2806 - transactions. Dial 1000 for an NFL directory of releases. Press releases will be available on Monday afternoons.
1995 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS SCHEDULE
Sunday, Sept. 3 HOUSTON OILERS L, 3-10 72,363
Sunday, Sept. 10 at Cincinnati Bengals L, 17-24 48,318
Sunday, Sept. 17 at New York Jets L, 10-27 49,970
Sunday, Sept. 24 GREEN BAY PACKERS L, 14-24 66,744
Sunday, Oct. 1 at Houston Oilers W, 17-16 36,346
Sunday, Oct. 8 PITTSBURGH STEELERS W,20-16 72,042
Sunday, Oct. 15 CHICAGO BEARS L, 27-30 72,020
Sunday, Oct. 22 at Cleveland Browns W, 23-15 64,405
Sunday, Oct. 29 at Pittsburgh Steelers L, 7-24 54,516
Sunday, Nov. 12 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 1:00 p.m. NBC
Sunday, Nov. 19 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1:00 p.m. NBC
Sunday, Nov. 26 CINCINNATI BENGALS 1:00 p.m. NBC
Sunday, Dec. 3 at Denver Broncos 4:00 p.m. NBC
Sunday, Dec. 10 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 1:00 p.m. NBC
Sunday, Dec. 17 at Detroit Lions 1:00 p.m. NBC
Sunday, Dec. 24 CLEVELAND BROWNS 1:00 p.m. NBC
Home games in CAPS. All times are Jacksonville time.
MIDSEASON REVIEW
QUARTERBACK: Mark Brunell has led the Jaguars to all 3 of their victories so far this season. Brunell has completed 130 of 237 passes for 1291 yards, 10 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions. He currently ranks 12th in passing in the AFC (75.8), higher than all 8 of the starting quarterbacks on the previous 8 expansion teams in NFL history. Brunell has started 6 of the Jaguars' 9 games so far, including the last 4. Steve Beuerlein opened the season as the starter and was injured in the second quarter of the second game at Cincinnati. Beuerlein, who also started the 5th game at Houston, has completed 19 of 47 passes for 269 yards, 1 TD and 1 interception. The Jaguars have completed 52.5 percent of their passes (149 of 284), with 94 to wide receivers, 28 passes to tight ends and 27 passes to running backs.
RUSHING: The Jaguars have run the ball 246 times compared to 284 passes. Three players have started at halfback for Jacksonville so far, with James Stewart making 6 starts, and Vaughn Dunbar and Randy Jordan making one each (Jordan also started one game split wide and the Jaguars did not start a halfback in another game. Le'Shai Maston has opened 5 games at fullback. However, quarterback Mark Brunell continues to be the Jaguars' leading ballcarrier. He has rushed for 323 yards on 48 carries, ranking 16th in the AFC in rushing and 1st in the NFL in average per carry (6.7). Stewart has 297 yards to lead all running backs on a team-high 95 carries. He has also scored a touchdown both rushing and receiving and has caught 12 passes for 112 yards. He is followed by Vaughn Dunbar, who has been the top running back the last 2 games. Dunbar, who was claimed off waivers from New Orleans on September 6 (three days after the season opener), has 127 yards and 1 TD on 40 carries. Another rookie, Ryan Christopherson, who has missed the last 2 games with a calf injury, has scored one TD and is the team's short-yardage and goal-line runner when he is healthy.
WIDE RECEIVERS: Willie Jackson, who has started the last 6 games, leads the team with 35 receptions for 332 yards and 2 touchdowns. Cedric Tillman, who has just 2 starts, is second with 23 catches for 268 yards and 3 TD's (most on the team). The receiving corps has seen its share of injuries so far. Desmond Howard (14 catches, 163 yards, 1 TD) has missed the last 3 games with an ankle injury, and Ernest Givins (15 receptions, 136 yards, 2 TD's) missed 4 games earlier with hamstring and knee injuries. Backups Jimmy Smith and Curtis Marsh made their first receptions of the season Sunday at Pittsburgh. Smith caught 4 balls for 54 yards, and Marsh has 3 receptions for 31 yards.
TIGHT ENDS: The Jaguars opened in two-tight end sets in 3 games and started no tight end in 1 game. All 3 tight ends on the roster see considerable playing time. Rich Griffith has 8 starts, and Pete Mitchell has 2 (Mitchell started the season opener just 7 days after being acquired in a trade with Miami). Mitchell leads the tight ends with 15 catches (tied for 3rd on the team) for 168 yards and 1 TD. Griffith, who led the team in receiving during the preseason, has 9 catches for 120 yards. Craig Keith has 1 start and 3 catches. Derek Brown, who started all 5 preseason games and was supposed to be the starting tight end, suffered a ruptured spleen and bruised kidney in the final preseason game and was finally placed on injured reserve on October 10. He cannot return this season.
OFFENSIVE LINE: The Jaguars have one of the youngest offensive lines in the NFL, with 4 starters who never started an NFL games before this season. Two rookies start at tackle, with Brian DeMarco having started all 9 games (and all 5 in the preseason) and No. 1 draft pick Tony Boselli having started the last 5 games at left tackle since returning from a knee injury suffered during training camp. Tom Myslinski, a third-year pro, has started every game at right guard, and Jeff Novak, a second-year player, started 4 games at left tackle and the last 5 at left guard. Dave Widell, the veteran of the group who had 50 starts coming into this season, has opened every game at center. Shawn Bouwens started the first 4 games at left guard before suffering a knee injury against Green Bay. He has been inactive for the last 5 games.
DEFENSIVE LINE: RDE Jeff Lageman, RDT Don Davey and LDT Kelvin Pritchett have started all 9 games, while LDE Joel Smeenge has 8 starts. Ernie Logan started 1 game at left end for Smeenge. Lageman has 3 of the team's 8 sacks, and he also has a team-high 27 QB pressures and 51 tackles. Pritchett is the leading tackler on the defensive line with 61 stops. Davey has 37 tackles, and Smeenge has 33. Every starter has at least shared a sack, and Lageman and Smeenge have each forced 2 fumbles. The key backup is DT Corey Mayfield, who combined with Lageman for the first sack in franchise history in the 2nd game of the season at Cincinnati.
LINEBACKERS: Mark Williams is the only linebacker who has started every game. Keith Goganious has started 4 games at middle linebacker and 3 at weak linebacker. Bryan Schwartz has 3 starts at middle linebacker, and Tom McManus has 2 starts there. James Williams has opened 5 games at weak linebacker. Goganious is the leading tackler on the team with 64 stops (26 solos), followed by Schwartz (58 tackles, 3rd on the team), James Williams (57 tackles, 4th) and Mark Williams (47 tackles, 5th).
DEFENSIVE BACKS: CB's Mickey Washington and Vinnie Clark and SS Harry Colon have started all 9 games so far, while Mike Dumas has 5 starts at free safety. Darren Carrington had 2 starts at free safety and Monty Grow had 1 start at free safety, but both players are on injured reserve for the remainder of the season. The team has only five interceptions (one each by Washington, Colon, Dumas, Carrington and Grow). Washington's went for a 48-yard touchdown at Cleveland. Colon is the leading tackler in the secondary, with 54 stops (41 solos), followed by Vinnie Clark with 48 tackles. Washington has the most passes defenses (9).
SPECIAL TEAMS: PK Mike Hollis is the only Jaguars player who has scored in every game. Hollis has converted 15 of 16 extra points and is 9 of 12 on field goals. Bryan Barker continues to be one of the top punters in the NFL. He has punted 54 times for an average of 44.3 yards (tied for 4th in the AFC) and a net of 39.1 (3rd in the NFL). Jaguars opponents have returned 27 punts for a total of only 180 yards (6.7-yard average), with 7 fair catches. The leading tacklers on special teams are Santo Stephens (12) and Jimmy Smith (8).
EXPANSION NOTES
THE DEFENSE IS DOMINATING (FOR AN EXPANSION TEAM, THAT IS): With 9 games played and 7 to go, Jacksonville's defense is more than halfway to becoming the best defense ever for an NFL expansion team in terms of fewest points allowed. Through 9 games, the Jaguars' defense has allowed only 186 points - an average of just 20.3 points per game. Of the 8 previous expansion teams in NFL history, the fewest points allowed is an average of 21.4 by the 1968 Cincinnati Bengals. Also, through 9 games, the Jacksonville defense has yet to allow more than 30 points in a game, something that no expansion team has ever done. Here is a statistical breakdown:
Points Allowed
Team Year Allowed Games Avg. 31
Jacksonville 1995 186 9 20.7 0
Cincinnati 1968 299 14 21.4 4
Miami 1968 362 14 25.9 3
Seattle 1976 429 14 26.8 6
New Orleans 1967 379 14 27.1 3
Atlanta 1966 397 14 28.4 6
Minnesota 1961 407 14 29.1 7
Tampa Bay 1976 412 14 29.4 6
Dallas 1960 370 12 30.8 6
AND ABOUT THAT OFFENSE: While the Jacksonville defense is on pace to become the best ever in the history of NFL expansion teams, the Jaguars offense had one of the highest-scoring expansion offenses, too, before scoring just seven points in the last game against the Steelers. Through 9 games, the Jaguars have scored 138 points, an average of 16.4 per game (one touchdown was by the defense). That puts them tied for 3rd among the previous 8 expansion teams. They ranked third a week earlier and could bounce back up there quickly with a flurry of points against Seattle. The Jaguars scored an average of 21.8 points per game in its first four games in October.
Team Year Points Games Average
Minnesota 1961 285 14 20.4
New Orleans 1967 233 14 16.6
Seattle 1976 229 14 16.4
Miami 1966 213 14 15.2
Dallas 1961 177 12 14.8
Atlanta 1966 204 14 14.6
Jacksonville 1995 130 9 14.4
Cincinnati 1968 175 14 12.5
Tampa Bay 1976 125 14 8.9
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING: When compared to the 8 expansion teams in NFL history, a number of Jaguars players rank highly. Here is a listing of the Jaguars' leading in 8 different statistical categories as compared to the team leader for the previous 8 expansion teams in NFL history (the statistics for the Jaguars' players are for 9 games, while other players are for the entire season):
EXPANSION PASSERS
Team Player Year Att. Comp. Yards TD INT Rating
Jacksonville Mark Brunell 1995 237 130 1291 10 5 75.8
Minnesota Fran Tarkenton 1961 280 157 1997 18 17 74.5
Cincinnati John Stofa 1968 177 85 896 5 5 60.8
New Orleans Gary Cuozzo 1967 260 134 1562 7 12 59.9
Tampa Bay Steve Spurrier 1976 311 156 1628 7 12 57.1
Dallas Eddie LeBaron 1960 225 111 1736 12 25 53.4
Seattle Jim Zorn 1976 439 208 2571 12 27 49.2
Atlanta Randy Johnson 1966 295 129 1795 12 21 47.9
Miami Dick Wood 1966 230 83 993 4 14 30.4
EXPANSION RUSHERS
Team Player Att. Yards Avg. TD
Cincinnati Paul Robinson 238 1023 4.3 8
Atlanta Junior Coffey 199 722 3.6 4
Minnesota Hugh McElhenny 120 570 4.8 3
Seattle Sherman Smith 119 537 4.5 4
Tampa Bay Louis Carter 171 521 3.0 1
Miami Joe Auer 121 416 3.4 4
New Orleans Jim Taylor 130 390 3.0 2
Dallas L.G. Dupre 104 362 3.5 3
Jacksonville James Stewart 95 297 3.1 1
(Note: Quarterback Mark Brunell is actually the Jaguars' leading rusher, with 323 yards on 48 carries).
EXPANSION RECEIVERS
Team Player No. Yards Avg. TD
Seattle Steve Largent 54 705 13.1 4
Minnesota Jerry Reichow 50 859 17.2 11
New Orleans Danny Abramowicz 50 721 14.4 6
Atlanta Alex Hawkins 44 661 15.0 2
Cincinnati Bob Trumpy 37 639 17.3 3
Jacksonville Willie Jackson 35 332 9.5 2
Dallas Jim Doran 31 554 17.9 3
Tampa Bay Morris Owens 30 390 13.0 6
Miami Dave Kocourek 27 320 11.9 2
EXPANSION KICKERS
Team Player XP XPA FG FGA Pts.
New Orleans Charlie Durkee 27 27 14 32 69
Minnesota Mike Mercer 36 37 9 21 63
Cincinnati Dale Livingston 20 20 13 26 59
Miami Gene Mingo 23 23 10 22 53
Atlanta Lou Kirouac 19 24 9 18 46
Seattle John Leypoldt 19 22 8 12 43
Jacksonville Mike Hollis 15 16 9 12 42
Dallas Fred Cone 21 23 6 13 39
Tampa Bay Dave Green 11 14 8 14 35
EXPANSION KICKOFF RETURNERS
Team Player No. Yards Avg. TD
New Orleans Walter Roberts 28 737 26.3 1
Miami Joe Auer 28 698 24.9 1
Minnesota Tommy Mason 25 603 24.1 0
Atlanta Ron Smith 43 1013 23.6 0
Tampa Bay Rod McNeil 17 384 22.6 0
Cincinnati Warren McVea 14 310 22.1 0
Seattle Oliver Ross 30 655 21.8 0
Jacksonville Willie Jackson 17 368 21.6 0
Dallas Tom Franckhauser 26 526 20.2 0
EXPANSION PUNT RETURNERS
Team Player No. Yards Avg. TD
Jacksonville Desmond Howard 15 179 11.9 0
Minnesota Tommy Mason 14 146 10.4 0
Dallas Bill Butler 13 131 10.1 0
Atlanta Ron Smith 11 80 7.3 0
Tampa Bay Danny Reece 20 143 7.2 0
Seattle Lyle Blackwood 19 132 6.9 0
Miami Bob Neff 10 60 6.0 0
Cincinnati Essex Johnson 22 111 5.0 0
New Orleans Walter Roberts 11 50 4.5 0
EXPANSION INTERCEPTORS
Team Player No.
New Orleans Dave Whitsell 10
Miami Willie West 8
Minnesota Rip Hawkins 5
Atlanta Jerry Richardson 5
Seattle Dave Brown 4
Roland Woolsey 4
Dallas Don Bishop 3
Tom Franckhauser 3
Cincinnati Jess Phillips 3
Tampa Bay Mark Cotney 3
Jacksonville 5 players 1
EXPANSION PUNTERS
Team Player No. Avg.
Jacksonville Bryan Barker 54 44.3
Cincinnati Dale Livingston 70 43.4
New Orleans Tom McNeil 74 42.9
Dallas Dave Sherer 57 42.5
Miami George Wilson 42 42.1
Atlanta Billy Lothridge 73 40.7
Tampa Bay Dave Green 92 39.3
Minnesota Mike Mercer 63 39.0
Seattle Rick Engles 80 38.3
FOR FUTURE PRESS RELEASES
BOOTIN' BARKER: With the season half over, Bryan Barker continues to be one of the top punters in the NFL. Last week against the Browns, he punted 3 times for a 37.0-yard average, with 2 inside the 20. However, none of his kicks were returned. For the season, he has punted 45 times for an average of 44.9 yards (4th in the NFL) and a net of 39.6 (2nd in the NFL). Jaguars opponents have returned 22 punts for a total of only 159 yards (7.2-yard average), with 7 fair catches. Last year, while with the Eagles, Barker led the NFC with a 36.3-yard net average.
ACTION JACKSON: With 7 catches for 53 yards against Cleveland, Willie Jackson moved into 7th place in receiving in the AFC. In the last 5 games, Jackson has caught 32 passes for 318 yards and 2 touchdowns. In fact, in those 5 games, his catch totals have been 7, 6, 6, 6 and 7. If he were to continue averaging 6.4 catches a game for the rest of the season, he would finish with 85 receptions.
GIVINS BACK ON TRACK: After missing the previous three games with a hamstring injury, Jaguars WR Ernest Givins started again against Chicago and caught 7 passes for 73 yards and 1 touchdown. He had the second-longest streak of consecutive games started among wide receivers after Jerry Rice until being sidelined. Givins had started 87 consecutive games and last missed a game on November 26, 1989.With every catch he makes, Givins moves up on the list of active receivers. In nine seasons with the Oilers, he caught 542 passes for 7,935 yards, and so far he has 14 catches for 133 yards and 2 TD's with the Jaguars. Here is where he ranks among active players:
Player Team Receptions Player Team Receiving Yards
Jerry Rice San Francisco 873 Jerry Rice San Francisco 13954
Andre Reed Buffalo 697 Henry Ellard Washington 11720
Henry Ellard Washington 697 Gary Clark Miami 10542
Gary Clark Miami 677 Andre Reed Buffalo 9803
Ernest Givins Jacksonville 556 Irving Fryar Miami 8538
Ernest Givins Jacksonville 8068
TICKET INFORMATION: A limited number of sideline and end zone tickets still remain for $35 and $46. For information, call (904) 633-2000.
SMALL BUT DEADLY: The Jaguars have smallest starting receivers in the NFL in Ernest Givins (5-10, 180) and Desmond Howard (5-10, 181). In the season opener, they were the team's two leading receivers. Howard caught 3 passes for 33 yards and Givins had 2 receptions for 19 yards. "Small but deadly," is how Givins describes the duo. In an era in which most teams are moving to taller and more physical receivers, the Jaguars start Howard at flanker and Givins at split end. "Both those guys have a knack for big plays,"said QB Steve Beuerlein. "And we need to make sure they have the opportunity to make them."
