THIS WEEK: The Jacksonville Jaguars go after their fourth victory of the season when they make their shortest road trip of the season to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 1:00 EST Sunday, November 19 at Tampa Stadium. It is the second of two consecutive games for the Jaguars against the two teams that entered the NFL the last time the league expanded in 1976, and it is the Jaguars' first regular-season game against another team from Florida. It is also the third of four games for Jacksonville against NFC Central Division opponents. The Jaguars have a 3-7 record, while the Buccaneers are 5-5 after losing to the Detroit Lions 27-24 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 Dan Hicks and Bob Golic.
THE SERIES: This is the first game ever between the Jaguars and Buccaneers.
TICKET INFORMATION: Tickets for the game are available through TicketMaster for $40, $30 and $20. For information, call (904) 353-3309.
A VICTORY OVER THE BUCCANEERS 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 this season.
THE OPPONENT: The Buccaneers were awarded a franchise on April 24, 1974 and began play in 1976. They lost their first 26 games but advanced to the NFC Championship game in only their fourth season in 1979. The Buccaneers also advanced to the playoffs in 1981 and '82, but they have lost 10 or more games each season for the last 12 years. In 1994, after winning four of their last five games, the Buccaneers finished 6-10, their best record since 1990. This season, Tampa Bay is 5-5, having lost its last three games following a four-game winning streak, its second-longest winning streak ever.
THE COACHES: Jacksonville head coach Tom Coughlin has led the Jaguars to three victories so far this season. 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. Tampa Bay's Sam Wyche is in his fourth season as the Buccaneers' head coach. He was previously the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals from 1984 to 1991 and at Indiana University in 1983. Wyche has a record of 21-37 with Tampa Bay and 61-66 with Cincinnati. He led the Bengals to Super Bowl XXIII after they went 12-4 during the 1988 regular season, and he was named NFL Coach of the Year that season. Wyche was the 49ers'quarterbacks coach in 1981 when they won their first Super Bowl. He was a quarterback for eight seasons with Cincinnati, Washington, Detroit, St. Louis and Buffalo and was a member of the Redskins'team that played in Super Bowl VII.
JACKSONVILLE-TAMPA BAY CONNECTIONS: The Buccaneers'staff has several connections with the Jaguars'staff. Jaguars defensive coordinator Dick Jauron was a Pro Bowl defensive back on the 1974 Detroit Lions along with Tampa Bay head coach Sam Wyche, who was a Lions quarterback that year. … Buccaneers defensive line coach Ken Clarke played at Syracuse from 1974 to '77, during which time Jaguars head coach Tom Coughlin was a quarterbacks/offensive backfield coach and offensive coordinator for the Orangemen. … Buccaneers linebackers coach Maxie Baughan was the head coach of the Cornell football team when Jaguars vice president of football operations Michael Huyghue was a senior and captain of the Big Red (1983). … Buccaneers defensive backs coach Johnnie Lynn played for the Jets (1979-86) at the same time Jaguars special teams coach Larry Pasquale coached the Jets special teams (1980-89). … There are 11 Buccaneers from the state of Florida: LB Derrick Brooks (Pensacola), WR Horace Copeland (Orlando), DT Brad Culpepper (Tallahassee), S Kenneth Gant (Lakeland), WR Alvin Harper (Frostproof), CB Martin Mayhew (Tallahassee), RB Errict Rhett (Pembroke Pines), LB Wardell Rouse (Clewiston), DT Warren Sapp (Apopka), WR Lamar Thomas (Gainesville) and QB Casey Weldon (Tallahassee). …Florida State, Florida and the University of Miami are well represented on the Buccaneers squad. The six Seminoles are CB Clifton Abraham, WR Lawrence Dawsey, DE Toddrick McIntosh, Brooks, Mayhew, and Weldon. The four Hurricanes are OL Mike Sullivan, Copeland, Sapp, and Thomas. The two Gators are Culpepper and Rhett. … Five Jaguars are from the state of Florida: WR Ernest Givens (St. Peterburg), WR Willie Jackson (Gainesville, University of Florida), MLB Tom McManus (Edgewater), FS Darren Studstill (Palm Beach Gardens), CB Dave Thomas (Miami). … CB Rogerick Green and DT Corey Mayfield are former Buccneers. …Jaguars DE Jeff Lageman and DT Paul Frase are former Jets teammates of Buccaneers S John Booty and CB Tony Stargell. Booty also spent the 1993 season in Arizona as a teammate of Jaguars QB Steve Beuerlein. … Buccaneers S Thomas Everett, S Kenneth Gant and WR Alvin Harper are all former Cowboys teammates of Jaguars CB Dave Thomas, WR Willie Jackson, S Darren Studstill and Beuerlein. … Buccaneers P Reggie Roby is a former Redskins teammate of Jaguars WR Desmond Howard and G Greg Huntington. … Buccaneers LB Lonnie Marts is a former Chiefs teammte of Jaguars P Bryan Barker and OLB Santo Stephens. … Buccaneers TE Jackie Harris is a former Packers teammate of Jaguars CB Vinnie Clark.
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 December 24 vs. Cleveland. Following is a list of expansion teams ranked by earliest .500 divisional year (the Carolina Panthers are currently 2-3 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 lost to the Seattle Seahawks 47-30 at home. Jacksonville scored its most points of the season but also allowed its most ever. The Jaguars led 27-21 at halftime but were outscored 26-3 in the second half. Mark Brunell and Vaughn Dunbar scored on short runs, Brunell hit Ernest Givins with a 15-yard TD pass, and Mike Hollis added a team-record three field goals. The Buccaneers lost to the Detroit Lions 27-24. Errict Rhett rushed for 144 yards and Jerry Ellison ran for two touchdowns, as the Buccaneers lost their third consecutive game. Trent Dilfer and Casey Weldon split time at quarterback for the Bucs.
NOTES FROM THE SEAHAWKS GAME: The Jaguars scored their most points in franchise history but also allowed their most ever. … Jacksonville scored a season-best 27 points in the first half on five scores - three touchdowns and two field goals. … The Jaguars yielded 4 rushing TD's after giving up just 3 in their first 9 games. … The Jaguars also set team records for most rushing yards in one game (161), average yards per carry (5.8), kickoff returns (8) and kickoff return yards (174). Curtis Marsh, who made his first appearances on the kickoff return team, set single-season records with 7 kickoff returns for 169 yards, and Mike Hollis set a record with 3 field goals in one game. … Mark Brunell went the distance for the 5th consecutive game and completed 13 of 20 passes for 121 yards, with 1 TD and 1 interception. He also ran 6 times for a team-high 60 yards and 1 touchdown. … Vaughn Dunbar rushed 15 times for 53 yards and 1 TD. … The Jaguars had their share of big plays, as all 4 runners had long runs of at least 10 yards (Le'Shai Maston's 21-yarder was the longest of his career, Dunbar and Brunell each had 18-yard runs and James Stewart had a 10-yarder). … Ernest Givins led the receivers with 5 catches for 46 yards and 1 TD. … Desmond Howard caught 1 pass for 3 yards, his first reception since October 1 at Houston. … The Jaguars had 2 sacks, their first multiple-sack game since October 1 at Houston. Joel Smeenge and Don Davey had the sacks. … Harry Colon had his 2nd interception of the season, taking over the team lead, and returned it 41 yards. It was Colon's 5th career interception.… Mike Hollis tied a team single-game record with 12 points (Willie Jackson had 2 TD's vs. Green Bay) and continues to be the only Jaguars player to score in every game. … Bryan Barker punted only 3 times and had a 46.3-yard average with a 44.0-yard net. His kicks were returned for just 7 yards. … MLB Bryan Schwartz led the team with 14 tackles (8 solos). Following Schwartz were Keith Goganious (11) and Kelvin Prtchett (10) … The Jaguars scored all 5 times they penetrated their opponent's red zone, coming away with 3 touchdowns and 2 field goals. Seattle was 3 for 3 (2 touchdowns and 1 field goal). … The only players who suited up but didn't play were QB Steve Beuerlein and G Tom Myslinski. Not active were: QB Rob Johnson, S Deral Boykin, RB Randy Jordan, G Shawn Bouwens, G Greg Huntington, WR Cedric Tillman, DT Paul Frase and DT Mike Thompson. … Jaguars captains were: QB Mark Brunell, FS Mike Dumas and DT Ray Hall.
FROM COACH COUGHLIN ON THE SEAHAWKS GAME: "We knew we would have to keep the ball and keep them off the field in the second half, but we didn't convert two 3rd-and-shorts, and we had two turnovers. At the half we had reasonable offensive production, but we never stopped their offensive team and we didn't stop the run. And we knew if we didn't do that we would be in trouble. They matched up well with us, and we knew we would have trouble with that, and they were able to take advantage of it. It's still hard for me to believe we gave up 47 points. "Obviously, it's a very disappointing day. At the half, despite their productivity, we were up 27-21, and we moved the ball but we threw the interception. We never made any plays, never did anything to turn the momentum around in the second half. Even late in the game, with an eight-point differential, the ball was out rolling on the ground, and we were unable to come up with that. Time of possession was very much in their favor, particularly due to the fact the second half was unproductive from our standpoint. "We talk about being physical, but we weren't very physical. When you play the game at this level, you have to do it and not talk about it. We didn't tackle well. In order to get the turnovers, you have to knock the ball out. We didn't run the ball consistently. Anytime you're not able to make a yard on 3rd-and-short twice, you can point the finger, but it has to come back to physical football, knocking people back and blocking at the line of scrimmage, and we had some trouble with that. "We were excited coming out for the second half. We knew we had the ball. We moved the ball, and we called a very basic pattern and we ended up with an interception. Not only did we give up the ball, but they took the ball and scored, and they were ahead.(on what the Jaguars do now) "We go right back to work and get ready for Tampa Bay. Nobody feels sorry for themselves. We got beat. We didn't play as well as we're capable of playing. We got manhandled in some situations. We're a better team than that. We go back to trying to figure out what can we do to take advantage of our strengths and neutralize our weaknesses and play 60 minutes. You can't play 30 minutes. We had 27 points at the half. We should have been the ones with 47 points."
FROM QB MARK BRUNELL: "We couldn't get anything going in the second half. The first series we had a couple of nice plays, then I threw the interception. That hurt us, and then they went down and got seven points out of it. Then we had a 3rd-and 2, 3rd-and-short situation and we couldn't convert. They just stuffed us. We moved the ball a little bit in the fourth quarter, got a field goal out of it, but that wasn't enough. "The turnover in the fourth quarter, the fumble, hurt us. You can't do that and expect to win a football game. You have to use the same intensity you used in the first half and use the momentum you had and carry it on to the second half. But we just didn't do it."(on the loss) "Every loss is equally hard to take. This is a game we felt like we had a good shot at winning, like we do every game. We just didn't score enough points. We felt confident, but all the confidence in the world is not going to get you a win. And that's something we wanted to do today. We really wanted to win this football game. We didn't do it, and that's tough."
FROM S HARRY COLON: "It's disappointing , very disappointing. You come out and give up over 40 points. That's inexcusable in the NFL. Very seldom do you see a team give up 47 points and win. Thirty points is more than enough points to win. The defense has to stand up and stop the offense when they get an opportunity."
FROM DE JEFF LAGEMAN: "We talked about stopping the run, and the second thing was stopping the run so we could pass rush. Early in the game when we stopped the run we had good pass rushing. When you don't stop the run and give up big plays you have a mental edge and that kills you. It makes it easy. And you can't let that happen."(on coming out in the second half) "I think we did come out with the same emotion as in the first half. But I don't know. I wish I could put my finger on this one. The first half was easy to figure out. We had a mental error here and a big play there, and that's what hurt us. But the second half was bad, a complete giveaway, basically. It's real frustrating when you lose and you don't play the way you should. That's the worst part."
FROM RB VAUGHN DUNBAR: "(on the failed 3rd-down conversions in the third quarter) "Third and short, and it was a bad decision on my part. You got to understand that, if you don't get that one yard, it's over and they get another opportunity right after that. We just have to learn from that and do better the next time we're in those situations. We moved the ball and did a good job defensively, but you just can't keep putting the defense out there like we did today. We gave it up too many times with fumbles and interception. We just didn't come out on the right end of the stick."
MILLER LITE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: The Jaguars'nominee for the Miller Lite Player of the Week Award is PK Mike Hollis, who kicked a team-record 3 field goals against the Seahawks. Hollis had his second field goal of 50 yards or more this season, a 50-yarder on the last play of the first half, as well as kicks of 26 and 29 yards.
JAGUARS INJURY UPDATE: Two players suffered injuries against Seattle: CB Rogerick Green (sprained ankle) and LB Santo Stephens (dislocated kneecap). Their status, and that of G Shawn Bouwens, who has been out with a knee injury since September 24, and RB Randy Jordan, who sprained an ankle in practice last Thursday, will be updated later in the week.
NEXT WEEK: The Jaguars will be back at home when they host the Cincinnati Bengals at 1:00 EST Sunday, November 26 at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. The Jaguars lost to the Bengals 24-17 on September 10 in Cincinnati in their second game in franchise history.
DAILY SCHEDULE: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday - Lockerroom open to media 11:45 to 12:15; head coach Tom Coughlin is available at 12:15. Friday - Lockerroom open 11:45 to 12:15, with Coughlin at 12:00 noon. There is no availability on Saturday. Tuesday is the players'day off.Practices are being held at the two practice fields adjacent to the new Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. Check with the Jaguars'Communications Office (633-6000) for the daily practice schedule and to schedule interviews.
ROSTER MOVES: The Jaguars have not had any roster moves in the last week.
STATS AND SUCH: Through 10 games, the Jaguars are 1-4 at home, 2-3 on the road, 3-3 vs. the AFC Central, 3-0 when scoring first, 3-2 when scoring on their first possession, 3-1 when leading at halftime, 0-1 when tied at halftime, 0-5 when trailing at halftime, 2-0 when leading after three quarters, 1-7 when trailing after three quarters, 2-2 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 0-4 when they have a minus-turnover ratio. … The Jaguars have outscored their opponents in the first (51-41) and fourth (61-52) quarters, while being outscored in the second (43-76) and third (13-64) quarters. … In the last 7 games, Jacksonville has lost the ball only 9 times, with 11 takeaways. … Mark Brunell continues to lead the Jaguars and all NFL quarterbacks in rushing. He has 383 yards on 54 carries, with a 7.1-yard average that leads the NFL. He ranks 16th among AFC rushers, and has 2 touchdowns. He also ranks 12th in the AFC with a 75.9 passer rating. … DE Jeff Lageman has started all 10 games this season, extending his team-leading streak to 32 consecutive games started. The longest current streaks behind Lageman are held by CB Mickey Washington (30 games), C Dave Widell (27) and DT Kelvin Pritchett (25). … Willie Jackson leads the Jaguars and is tied for 19th in the AFC with 38 catches for 348 yards and 2 TD's. … With 12 points vs. Seattle, PK Mike Hollis moved into a tie for 13th place in the AFC in scoring. He has 54 points. … P Bryan Barker's 44.4-yard gross average is tied for 4th in the NFL, and his net average of 39.3 is 2nd in the NFL. Barker's 57 punts are the 4th most in the league. … The Jaguars'6.2-yard average on opponents'punt returns is 2nd best in the league (Oakland's average is 5.9). … Desmond Howard is 4th in the AFC and tied for 7th in the NFL in punt returns with a 11.0-yard average (18 for 198, 40 long). … The Jaguars are tied for 7th in the AFC on the turnover/takeaway table with a minus-1 net difference (16 turnovers and 15 takeaways).
INSIDE THE RED ZONE: The Jaguars continue to be one of the NFL's best teams inside the red zone. Against Seattle, they scored all 5 times then penetrated the Seahawks'20-yard line. In 10 games, Jacksonville has reached the red zone 26 times and scored 24 times, coming away with 16 touchdowns and 8 field goals (they also had one missed field goal and one interception). Jaguars opponents have scored 31 times in 37 possessions inside the 20-yard line (16 touchdowns and 15 field goals).On goal-to-goal situations, the Jaguars are 13 of 14, with 11 touchdowns and 2 field goals. Their opponents are 12 of 12, with 6 TDs and 6 FG's.BOOTIN'BARKER: Bryan Barker continues to be one of the top punters in the NFL. Last week against the Seahawks, he punted 3 times for a 46.3-yard average, and his kicks were returned for a total of only 7 yards. For the season, he has punted 57 times for an average of 44.4 yards, tied for 4th in the NFL and far above his career best of 43.3 in 1993 while with Kansas City. Barker's net average of 39.6 yards is 2nd in the NFL and far above his previous best of 36.3 yards in 1994, which led the NFC when he was with Philadelphia.In addition, the Jaguars have allowed their opponents to return 30 punts for a total of only 187 yards - a 6.2-yard average that is 2nd best in the NFL.
GIVINS BACK ON TRACK: WR Ernest Givins led the Jaguars against Seattle with 5 receptions for 46 yards and 1 touchdown. 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 20 catches for 182 yards and 3 TD's with the Jaguars. Here is where he ranks among active players:
Player Team Receptions Player Team Receiving Yards
Jerry Rice San Francisco 890 Jerry Rice San Francisco 14,312
Henry Ellard Washington 707 Henry Ellard Washington 11879
Andre Reed Buffalo 697 Gary Clark Miami 10606
Gary Clark Miami 683 Andre Reed Buffalo 9810
Ernest Givins Jacksonville 562 Irving Fryar Miami 8580
Ernest Givins Jacksonville 8117
JAGUARS HAVE NFL'S BIGGEST OFFENSIVE LINE: With the addition of Ben Coleman to Jacksonville's offensive line as the starting right guard, the Jaguars now have the tallest starting offensive line in the NFL and the second heaviest.The Jaguars'starting offensive line averages 6-6.4 inches in height and weighs 312 pounds. Only the Dallas Cowboys, whose starters average 319 pounds, weigh more than the Jaguars. However, the Dallas starting offensive line averages only 6-4.0 in height, ranking 19th in the NFL.In fact, Jacksonville's smallest starting offensive lineman (LG Jeff Novak, who is 6-5, 296) is taller than the average lineman on all but four teams in the NFL.Jacksonville has three starters who are 6-7, and in the entire NFL there are only 13 players who are 6-7 or taller. Here is a breakdown:
- Jacksonville 6-6.4 312 16. Miami 6-4.2 297
- Cincinnati 6-6.0 296 17. Indianapolis 6-4.2 293
- Seattle 6-5.4 305 18. San Francisco 6-4.2 279
- Oakland 6-5.2 306 19. Dallas 6-4.0 319
- N.Y. Giants 6-5.0 295 20. N.Y. Jets 6-4.0 309
- Cleveland 6-4.8 307 21. St. Louis 6-4.0 301
- Chicago 6-4.8 305 22. Houston 6-4.0 294
- Kansas City 6-4.8 300 23. Minnesota 6-3.8 293
- New England 6-4.8 294 24. Green Bay 6-3.6 299
- New Orleans 6-4.6 294 25. Arizona 6-3.4 300
- Denver 6-4.6 289 26. San Diego 6-3.4 299
- Washington 6-4.4 309 27. Pittsburgh 6-3.4 295
- Detroit 6-4.4 293 28. Tampa Bay 6-3.4 294
- Atlanta 6-4.2 301 29. Philadelphia 6-3.0 302
- Buffalo 6-4.2 298 30. Carolina 6-2.4 300
YOUNG UP FRONT: The Jaguars'starting offensive line is also one of the youngest in the NFL, with two rookies and one other player who had never started an NFL game until this season. Here's a look at the experience of the line:
Pos. Player Ht. Wt. Age NFL Starts Starts before '95 Year in NFL
LT Tony Boselli 6-7 323 23 6 0 1st
LG Jeff Novak 6-5 296 28 10 0 2nd
C Dave Widell 6-7 308 30 60 50 8th
RG Ben Coleman 6-6 313 24 14 13 3rd
RT Brian DeMarco 6-7 321 23 10 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 of 10 games at halfback
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; returned 7 kickoffs for 169 yards vs. Seattle
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 5 regular-season games, the average attendance is 70,892.
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 late Monday afternoons.
ON THE INTERNET: The Jaguars'weekly press releases can also be accessed on the Internet at:
http://nflhome.com
Also on the Internet is an NFL library with historical information and current NFL stats, as well as rosters and team rankings, the NFL newswire with daily team updates, chat rooms and bulletin boards, TV listings and a children's section.
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 L, 30-47 71,290
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.
EXPANSION NOTES
JAGUARS HAVE SECOND-BEST EXPANSION DEFENSE EVER: Even after allowing 47 points to Seattle last Sunday, the Jaguars have given up only 233 points in 10 games. That ranks second when compared to the eight previous expansions teams in NFL history. The fewest points allowed is an average of 21.4 by the 1968 Cincinnati Bengals. In addition, the Jacksonville defense has allowed more than 30 points in a game only once all season. Here is a statistical breakdown:
Points Allowed
Team Year Allowed Games Avg. 31
Cincinnati 1968 299 14 21.4 4
Jacksonville 1995 233 10 23.3 1
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
THE OFFENSE IS NO. 2, TOO: After scoring a franchise-record 30 points against Seattle, the Jaguars are on schedule to become the second-highest-scoring expansion team ever. Through 10 games, the Jaguars have scored 168 points, an average of 16.8 per game.
Team Year Points Games Average
Minnesota 1961 285 14 20.4
Jacksonville 1995 168 10 16.8
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
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 10 games, while other players are for the entire season):
EXPANSION PASSERS
Team Player Year Att. Comp. Yards TD INT Rating
Jacksonville Mark Brunell 1995 257 143 1412 11 6 75.9
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 98 316 3.2 1
(Note: Quarterback Mark Brunell is actually the Jaguars'leading rusher, with 383 yards on 54 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 38 348 9.2 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
Jacksonville Mike Hollis 18 19 12 15 54
Miami Gene Mingo 23 23 10 22 53
Atlanta Lou Kirouac 19 24 9 18 46
Seattle John Leypoldt 19 22 8 12 43
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 18 198 11.0 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 Harry Colon 2
EXPANSION PUNTERS
Team Player No. Avg.
Jacksonville Bryan Barker 57 44.4
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
TICKET INFORMATION: ___________A limited number of sideline and end zone tickets still remain for $35 and $46. For information, call (904) 633-2000.
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.(add OL heights here)
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."
