(Aug. 13)--Practice was cut short by an afternoon thunderstorm today, marking the second time in this training camp the Jaguars have lost field time. It was the Jaguars' only scheduled practice today.
"The thing I worry about the most is the lightning," coach Tom Coughlin said.
Coughlin didn't order his players off the field as the storm approached. Then, all of a sudden, he pointed toward the exit and the Jaguars quickly left the field.
"It's all scientific," Coughlin explained of the procedure for determining when to suspend practice. "We have a machine in here and someone is monitoring it," he added of the weather device that determines the proximity of lightning strikes to Alltel Stadium. "It's a strike within five miles. There's a ratio of how quickly you can get off the field," Coughlin added.
So, as the Jaguars were about to turn into the serious phase of their afternoon work, the skies said no. And that was unfortunate for the Jaguars' beleaguered passing game, because this afternoon's effort was on its way toward being the offense's best in a week-and-a-half.
"It was a little bit better," Coughlin said of the pass-offense. "It would've been good to see the rest of the day."
The Jaguars host the Tampa Bay Bucs this Friday night in each team's second preseason game. This afternoon, the Jaguars announced they have been granted a 48-hour extension on a final determination of the television status of Friday's game. Between now and Thursday evening's blackout deadline, the Jaguars hope to announce that the remaining tickets have been purchased and the game will be televised in Jacksonville.
It will be former Jaguars wide receiver Keenan McCardell's return to Alltel Stadium, where he starred for six seasons. Friday night, he'll wear Tampa Bay pewter.
"I don't know about before the game, but after the game I'd like to say hello to Keenan," Coughlin said.
The Jaguars coach is seeking "improvement over game one. That's the significance" of game two, he said. Of course, the Jaguars lost their preseason opener in Atlanta last Friday, 23-13.
