Wikipedia

1996 Jacksonville Jaguars season

The 1996 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the franchise's 2nd season in the National Football League and the 2nd under head coach Tom Coughlin. The Jaguars improved on their 4–12 record from their inaugural season. The Jaguars marked success as they won six of their last seven games of the season and finished with a record of 9–7. The credit for this midseason turnaround probably lies in the demotion of wide receiver Andre Rison in favor of Jimmy Smith after a game against the St. Louis Rams in which Brunell threw 5 interceptions. The interceptions were blamed on Rison and he was benched. In the team's final game of the regular season against the Atlanta Falcons, needing a win to earn a playoff berth, the Jaguars caught a bit of luck when Morten Andersen missed a 30-yard field goal with less than a minute remaining that would have given the Falcons the lead. The Jaguars clinched the fifth seed in the AFC playoffs.

1996 Jacksonville Jaguars season
Head coachTom Coughlin
Home fieldJacksonville Municipal Stadium
Results
Record9–7
Division place2nd AFC Central
Playoff finishWon Wild Card Playoffs
(at Bills) 30–27
Won Divisional Playoffs
(at Broncos) 30–27
Lost AFC Championship
(at Patriots) 6–20
Pro BowlersT Tony Boselli
QB Mark Brunell
WR Keenan McCardell
Uniform

The Jaguars achieved their first ever franchise playoff game victory, in a stunning upset on the road against the Buffalo Bills. The victory against the Bills was notable due to the fact that the Bills roster was made up of many of the same players that had been to four Super Bowls in the decade, including eventual Hall of Fame players Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, and Bruce Smith (who had previously been the league Defensive Player of the Year).[1] Their next game was on the road against the Denver Broncos, who had dominated the AFC with a 13–3 record (and earned the top AFC seed). The upstart Jaguars were not intimidated by the Broncos or their fans and their good fortune continued. They largely dominated from the second quarter onward. A late touchdown pass from Mark Brunell to Jimmy Smith gave the Jags a 30–20 lead. They held on to win in a huge upset, 30–27, in a game that many people still consider the franchise's finest hour. Upon their return home, the Jags were greeted by an estimated 40,000 fans at the stadium. Many of these fans had watched the game on the stadium JumboTron displays and had stayed into the early hours of the morning when the team arrived. In the AFC Championship Game, the Jaguars acquitted themselves very well, playing a tight and close defensive game in a hostile environment for over three quarters before finally losing 20–6 to the New England Patriots on the road.

Offseason

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Additions Subtractions
DT John Jurkovic (Packers) WR Desmond Howard (Packers)
LB Eddie Robinson (Oilers) QB Steve Beuerlein (Panthers)
RB Natrone Means (Chargers) LB Keith Goganious (Ravens)
WR Keenan McCardell (Browns) T Bruce Wilkerson (Packers)
S Darren Carrington (Raiders)

NFL draft

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Main article: 1996 NFL draft
1996 Jacksonville Jaguars draft
Round Pick Player Position College Notes
1 2 Kevin Hardy *  Linebacker Illinois
2 33 Tony Brackens *  Defensive end Texas
2 60 Michael Cheever  Center Georgia Tech
3 63 Aaron Beasley  Cornerback West Virginia
4 110 Reggie Barlow  Wide receiver Alabama State
5 146 Jimmy Herndon  Guard Houston
6 170 John Fisher  Defensive back Missouri Western State
6 185 Chris Doering  Wide receiver Florida
7 227 Clarence Jones  Wide receiver Tennessee State
7 228 Gregory Spann  Wide receiver Jackson State
      Made roster    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Undrafted free agents

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1996 Undrafted free agents of note
Player Position College
Omari Mangrum Tackle Indiana State
Chris Parker Running back Marshall
Steve Taneyhill Quarterback South Carolina
Patrick Walsh Tackle UConn

Personnel

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Staff

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1996 Jacksonville Jaguars staff

Front office

  • Chairman/chief executive officer – Wayne Weaver
  • President/chief operating officer – David Seldin
  • Senior vice president of football operations – Michael Huyghue
  • Director of college scouting – Rick Reiprish
  • Director of pro personnel – Ron Hill
  • Assistant director of pro personnel – Fran Foley
  • College scout – Rick Mueller
  • College scout - Gene Smith
  • College scout – Doug Williams

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

  • Special teams coordinator – Larry Pasquale
  • Assistant special teams – Joe Baker

Strength and conditioning

  • Strength and conditioning – Jerry Palmieri
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – Jeff Hurd


Roster

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1996 Jacksonville Jaguars roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams

Practice squad

Reserve

Rookies in italics
53 active, 6 reserve, 5 practice squad

Preseason

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Schedule

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Week Date Opponent Result Record Stadium
1 August 2 New York Giants L 17–24 0–1 Jacksonville Municipal Stadium
2 August 9 at St. Louis Rams L 10–17 0–2 Trans World Dome
3 August 18 San Francisco 49ers W 38–10 1–2 Jacksonville Municipal Stadium
4 August 23 at Denver Broncos W 31–24 2–2 Mile High Stadium

Regular season

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Schedule

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Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance
1 September 1 Pittsburgh Steelers W 24–9 1–0 Jacksonville Municipal Stadium 70,210
2 September 8 Houston Oilers L 27–34 1–1 Jacksonville Municipal Stadium 66,468
3 September 15 at Oakland Raiders L 3–17 1–2 Oakland Coliseum 46,291
4 September 22 at New England Patriots L 25–28 (OT) 1–3 Foxboro Stadium 59,446
5 September 29 Carolina Panthers W 24–14 2–3 Jacksonville Municipal Stadium 71,537
6 October 6 at New Orleans Saints L 13–17 2–4 Louisiana Superdome 34,231
7 October 13 New York Jets W 21–17 3–4 Jacksonville Municipal Stadium 65,699
8 October 20 at St. Louis Rams L 14–17 3–5 Trans World Dome 60,066
9 October 27 at Cincinnati Bengals L 21–28 3–6 Cinergy Field 45,890
10 Bye
11 November 10 Baltimore Ravens W 30–27 4–6 Jacksonville Municipal Stadium 64,628
12 November 17 at Pittsburgh Steelers L 3–28 4–7 Three Rivers Stadium 57,879
13 November 24 at Baltimore Ravens W 28–25 (OT) 5–7 Memorial Stadium 57,384
14 December 1 Cincinnati Bengals W 30–27 6–7 Jacksonville Municipal Stadium 57,408
15 December 8 at Houston Oilers W 23–17 7–7 Houston Astrodome 20,196
16 December 15 Seattle Seahawks W 20–13 8–7 Jacksonville Municipal Stadium 66,134
17 December 22 Atlanta Falcons W 19–17 9–7 Jacksonville Municipal Stadium 71,449

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

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Week 1: vs Pittsburgh Steelers

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Week One: Pittsburgh Steelers at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Steelers 3 3 309
Jaguars 7 7 31027

at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida

  • Date: September 1, 1996
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 82 °F (28 °C)
  • Game attendance: 70,210
  • Referee: Bob McElwee
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 2: vs Houston Oilers

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Week Two: Houston Oilers at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Oilers 10 14 7334
Jaguars 10 3 7727

at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida

  • Date: September 8, 1996
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: 87 °F (31 °C)
  • Game attendance: 66,468
  • Referee: Walt Coleman
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 3: at Oakland Raiders

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Week Three: Jacksonville Jaguars at Oakland Raiders – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Jaguars 0 0 303
Raiders 0 10 0717

at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California

  • Date: September 15, 1996
  • Game time: 4:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C)
  • Game attendance: 46,291
  • Referee: Red Cashion
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 4: at New England Patriots

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Week Four: Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34OTTotal
Jaguars 0 7 153025
Patriots 9 13 30328

at Foxboro Stadium, Foxboro, Massachusetts

  • Date: September 22, 1996
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 71 °F (22 °C)
  • Game attendance: 59,446
  • Referee: Larry Nemers
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 5: vs Carolina Panthers

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Week Five: Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Panthers 0 0 6814
Jaguars 14 3 0724

at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida

  • Date: September 29, 1996
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: Hazy, 84 °F (29 °C)
  • Game attendance: 71,537
  • Referee: Gary Lane
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 6: at New Orleans Saints

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Week Six: Jacksonville Jaguars at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Jaguars 0 7 3313
Saints 10 0 0717

at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

  • Date: October 6, 1996
  • Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 34,231
  • Referee: Dick Hantak
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 7: vs New York Jets

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Week Seven: New York Jets at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Jets 7 7 0317
Jaguars 3 11 7021

at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida

  • Date: October 13, 1996
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Partly cloudy, 72 °F (22 °C)
  • Game attendance: 65,699
  • Referee: Gerry Austin
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 8: at St. Louis Rams

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Week Eight: Jacksonville Jaguars at St. Louis Rams – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Jaguars 0 7 7014
Rams 10 0 7017

at TWA Dome, St. Louis, Missouri

  • Date: October 20, 1996
  • Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 60,066
  • Referee: Dale Hamer
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 9: at Cincinnati Bengals

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Week Nine: Jacksonville Jaguars at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Jaguars 0 7 7721
Bengals 0 7 02128

at Cinergy Field, Cincinnati, Ohio

  • Date: October 27, 1996
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Partly cloudy, 72 °F (22 °C)
  • Game attendance: 45,890
  • Referee: Bob McElwee
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 11: vs Baltimore Ravens

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Week Eleven: Baltimore Ravens at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Ravens 7 10 3727
Jaguars 0 3 101730

at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida

  • Date: November 10, 1996
  • Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Clear, 64 °F (18 °C)
  • Game attendance: 64,628
  • Referee: Jerry Markbeit
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 12: at Pittsburgh Steelers

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Week Twelve: Jacksonville Jaguars at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Jaguars 0 3 003
Steelers 0 14 14028

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Date: November 17, 1996
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Partly cloudy, 47 °F (8 °C)
  • Game attendance: 58,879
  • Referee: Bernie Kukar
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 13: at Baltimore Ravens

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Week Thirteen: Jacksonville Jaguars at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34OTTotal
Jaguars 0 10 015328
Ravens 7 9 90025

at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

  • Date: November 24, 1996
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Partly cloudy, 50 °F (10 °C)
  • Game attendance: 57,384
  • Referee: Howard Roe
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 14: vs Cincinnati Bengals

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Week Fourteen: Cincinnati Bengals at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bengals 7 10 3727
Jaguars 13 3 11330

at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida

  • Date: December 1, 1996
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Steady rain, 71 °F (22 °C)
  • Game attendance: 57,408
  • Referee: Tom White
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 15: at Houston Oilers

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Week Fifteen: Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Oilers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Jaguars 7 3 7623
Ravens 0 7 01017

at Houston Astrodome, Houston, Texas

  • Date: December 8, 1996
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 20,196
  • Referee: Dick Hantak
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 16: vs Seattle Seahawks

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Week Sixteen: Seattle Seahawks at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Seahawks 0 10 3013
Jaguars 7 0 01320

at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida

  • Date: December 15, 1996
  • Game time: 8:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Clear, 47 °F (8 °C)
  • Game attendance: 66,134
  • Referee: Red Cashion
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 17: vs Atlanta Falcons

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Week Sixteen: Atlanta Falcons at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Falcons 0 3 7717
Jaguars 7 6 3319

at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida

  • Date: December 22, 1996
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Clear, 59 °F (15 °C)
  • Game attendance: 71,449
  • Referee: Dale Hamer
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Standings

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AFC Central
W L T PCT PF PA STK
(3) Pittsburgh Steelers 10 6 0 .625 344 257 L2
(5) Jacksonville Jaguars 9 7 0 .563 325 335 W5
Cincinnati Bengals 8 8 0 .500 372 369 W3
Houston Oilers 8 8 0 .500 345 319 W1
Baltimore Ravens 4 12 0 .250 371 441 L3

Postseason

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Main article: 1996–97 NFL playoffs

Schedule

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Round Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance
Wild Card December 28, 1996 at Buffalo Bills (4) W 30–27 1–0 Rich Stadium 70,213
Divisional January 4, 1997 at Denver Broncos (1) W 30–27 2–0 Mile High Stadium 75,678
AFC Championship January 12, 1997 at New England Patriots (2) L 6–20 2–1 Foxboro Stadium 60,190

Game summaries

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AFC Wild Card Playoffs: vs (4) Buffalo Bills

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AFC Wild Card Playoffs: (5) Jacksonville Jaguars at (4) Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Jaguars 10 7 31030
Bills 14 3 3727

at Rich Stadium, Buffalo, NY

  • Date: December 28, 1996
  • Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 49 °F (9 °C)
  • Game attendance: 70,213
  • Referee: Gary Lane
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

AFC Divisional Playoffs: vs (1) Denver Broncos

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AFC Divisional Playoffs: (5) Jacksonville Jaguars at (1) Denver Broncos – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Jaguars 0 13 71030
Broncos 12 0 01527

at Mile High Stadium, Denver, CO

  • Date: January 4, 1997
  • Game time: 2:00 p.m. MST
  • Game weather: Mostly clear, 46 °F (8 °C)
  • Game attendance: 75,678
  • Referee: Red Cashion
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Considered one of the greatest upsets in NFL playoff history,[2] the Jaguars (who were 14 point underdogs, and initially fell behind 12–0 in the first quarter, but led 13–12 at halftime) would stun the Broncos 30–27. Earlier in the day, Denver Post sports columnist Woody Paige referred to the Jaguars as the “Jagwads”, stating throughout the article that the Jaguars weren't worthy to travel to Mile High Stadium and play the Broncos. The Broncos had indeed been dominant during the regular season, going 13–3. The Broncos opted to rest most of their starters for the better part of the final month of the season, as they had secured the number one seed in the AFC Playoffs relatively early on in the regular season.[3] Conversely, the Jaguars had battled their way into a Wild Card spot; and coming off of their upset road victory in Buffalo, were only further motivated by the general lack of faith in their chances. Mark Brunell threw for 245 yards with no interceptions, and two touchdowns, including a diving effort on third down by wide receiver Jimmy Smith with 3:49 left in the fourth quarter to put Jacksonville up 30–20. It was Natrone Means, however that was the star of the game. He ran for 140 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown, and subsequently relieved the pressure on Brunell and the Jaguars passing game. The Broncos would struggle all game to contain Means, whose longest run of the day was 21 yards.[4] With this win, the Jaguars would go to the AFC Championship Game in just the second year of their existence.

AFC Championship: vs (2) New England Patriots

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AFC Championship: (5) Jacksonville Jaguars at (2) New England Patriots – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Jaguars 0 3 306
Patriots 7 6 0720

at Foxboro Stadium, Foxboro, MA

  • Date: January 12, 1997
  • Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 27 °F (−3 °C)
  • Game attendance: 60,190
  • Referee: Jerry Markbreit
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Awards and records

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  • Mark Brunell, franchise record, most passing yards in one game, 432 yards (Sept 22, 1996)[5]
  • Mark Brunell, franchise record, most passing yards in one season, 4,367 yards[5]
  • Mark Brunell, led NFL passing yards, 4,367 yards[6]
  • Mark Brunell, Pro Bowl MVP Award[7]
  • Mike Hollis, franchise record, most field goals in one game, 5 field goals (December 1, 1996)[5]
  • Keenan McCardell, franchise record, most receptions in one game, 16 receptions (Oct 20, 1996)[5]

Milestones

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  • Keenan McCardell, 1,000 yard receiving season (1,129 yards)[8]
  • Jimmy Smith, 1,000 yard receiving season (1,244 yards)[8]

References

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  1. ^ Prisco, Pete The 1996 Jaguars: An oral history CBS Sports. January 27, 2016
  2. ^ "NFL Football Highlights, Clips & Analysis". NFL.com. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  3. ^ Outsiders, Football. "Rest Stopped: The 1996 Denver Broncos | Football Outsiders". Football Outsiders.
  4. ^ "Divisional Round – Jacksonville Jaguars at Denver Broncos – January 4th, 1997". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  5. ^ a b c d NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 52
  6. ^ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 438
  7. ^ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 202
  8. ^ a b NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 440
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