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 coach | Tom Coughlin |
Home field | Jacksonville Municipal Stadium |
Results | |
Record | 9–7 |
Division place | 2nd AFC Central |
Playoff finish | Won Wild Card Playoffs (at Bills) 30–27 Won Divisional Playoffs (at Broncos) 30–27 Lost AFC Championship (at Patriots) 6–20 |
Pro Bowlers | T 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
editAdditions | 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
edit1996 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
editPlayer | Position | College |
---|---|---|
Omari Mangrum | Tackle | Indiana State |
Chris Parker | Running back | Marshall |
Steve Taneyhill | Quarterback | South Carolina |
Patrick Walsh | Tackle | UConn |
Staff
edit
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
Final roster
editPreseason
editWeek | 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
editSchedule
editWeek | 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
editWeek 1: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Steelers | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
Jaguars | 7 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 27 |
Game information | ||
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Week 2: vs. Houston Oilers
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Oilers | 10 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 34 |
Jaguars | 10 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 27 |
at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
Game information | ||
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Week 3: at Oakland Raiders
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jaguars | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
Raiders | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
Game information | ||
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Week 4: at New England Patriots
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jaguars | 0 | 7 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 25 |
Patriots | 9 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 28 |
Game information | ||
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Week 5: vs. Carolina Panthers
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Panthers | 0 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 14 |
Jaguars | 14 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
Game information | ||
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Week 6: at New Orleans Saints
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jaguars | 0 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 13 |
Saints | 10 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
Game information | ||
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Week 7: vs. New York Jets
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jets | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
Jaguars | 3 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
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Week 8: at St. Louis Rams
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jaguars | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
Rams | 10 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
Game information | ||
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Week 9: at Cincinnati Bengals
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jaguars | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
Bengals | 0 | 7 | 0 | 21 | 28 |
Game information | ||
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Week 11: vs. Baltimore Ravens
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ravens | 7 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 27 |
Jaguars | 0 | 3 | 10 | 17 | 30 |
at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
Game information | ||
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Week 12: at Pittsburgh Steelers
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jaguars | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Steelers | 0 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 28 |
Game information | ||
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|
Week 13: at Baltimore Ravens
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jaguars | 0 | 10 | 0 | 15 | 3 | 28 |
Ravens | 7 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 25 |
Game information | ||
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Week 14: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bengals | 7 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 27 |
Jaguars | 13 | 3 | 11 | 3 | 30 |
at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
Game information | ||
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Week 15: at Houston Oilers
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jaguars | 7 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 23 |
Ravens | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
Game information | ||
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Week 16: vs. Seattle Seahawks
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Seahawks | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
Jaguars | 7 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 20 |
at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
Game information | ||
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Week 17: vs. Atlanta Falcons
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Falcons | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
Jaguars | 7 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 19 |
at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
Game information | ||
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Standings
editAFC 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
editSchedule
editRound | 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
editAFC Wild Card Playoffs: vs (4) Buffalo Bills
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jaguars | 10 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 30 |
Bills | 14 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 27 |
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
AFC Divisional Playoffs: vs (1) Denver Broncos
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jaguars | 0 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 30 |
Broncos | 12 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 27 |
Game information | ||
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|
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
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jaguars | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
Patriots | 7 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
Game information | ||
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Awards and records
edit- 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
edit- Keenan McCardell, 1,000 yard receiving season (1,129 yards)[8]
- Jimmy Smith, 1,000 yard receiving season (1,244 yards)[8]
References
edit- ^ Prisco, Pete The 1996 Jaguars: An oral history CBS Sports. January 27, 2016
- ^ "NFL Football Highlights, Clips & Analysis". NFL.com. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
- ^ Outsiders, Football. "Rest Stopped: The 1996 Denver Broncos | Football Outsiders". Football Outsiders.
- ^ "Divisional Round – Jacksonville Jaguars at Denver Broncos – January 4th, 1997". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
- ^ a b c d NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 52
- ^ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 438
- ^ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 202
- ^ a b NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 440