1997: Jaguars Avoid Defeat with Blocked FG Return Against Steelers

The Jacksonville Jaguars were 2-0 and coming off of their bye week as they hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 22, 1997. Moreover, Head Coach Tom Coughlin’s team had won those games with two different backup quarterbacks at the helm due to a knee injury suffered by QB Mark Brunell (pictured above), who led the NFL with 4367 passing yards in 1996, and he was now returning to action. Overachievers who went all the way to the AFC title game the previous year, the third-year expansion team had won six straight regular season games dating back to the previous November.

Pittsburgh, coached by Bill Cowher, was accustomed to contending. Third-year QB Kordell Stewart was new to the starting lineup but the ground game was led by dependable RB Jerome Bettis and the defense was typically tough. The Steelers split their first two games.

There were 73,016 fans in attendance at Alltel Stadium for the Monday night game. The Jaguars had the game’s first possession and drove 68 yards in ten plays. Mark Brunell converted a third-and-10 situation with a pass to WR Keenan McCardell for 15 yards and RB Natrone Means ran for five yards on a third-and-three play. Consecutive throws by Brunell were complete to McCardell for 15 yards and to WR Jimmy Smith for 23 to reach the Pittsburgh three yard line and two plays later Means gained the final yard for a touchdown. Mike Hollis added the extra point.

Pittsburgh WR Will Blackwell returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards, but the play was nullified by a holding penalty. However, the Steelers proceeded with an 80-yard scoring series that took six plays. The biggest was a third down throw by Kordell Stewart to WR Charles Johnson that picked up 49 yards to the Jacksonville 12 and, following a six-yard run by RB Jerome Bettis, Stewart scrambled for a six-yard TD. Norm Johnson’s kick tied the score at 7-7.

A short Jacksonville series ended with a punt but the Jaguars got the ball back three plays later when Stewart fumbled when sacked by DE Tony Brackens and LB Eddie Robinson recovered at the Pittsburgh 38. In a possession that stretched into the second quarter, Means ran for nine yards on first down and Brunell completed three passes, the last to Smith for an 11-yard TD. Hollis converted to give the home team a 14-7 lead.

The Steelers started off with the ball at their 42 following a 40-yard kickoff return by Blackwell, but after reaching the Jacksonville 39 they were forced to punt. A long series by the Jaguars started off with Brunell being sacked by LB Levon Kirkland for a loss of 11 yards but Brunell threw to Smith for 29 yards and, a few plays later and facing third-and-20, connected with RB James Stewart for 29 yards to the Pittsburgh 43. It appeared that the drive was finally thwarted when Brunell was sacked for a seven-yard loss by DT Oliver Gibson and then threw an incomplete pass when facing third-and-15 at the Pittsbugh 38. But punter Bryan Barker passed instead of kicking and it was complete to DB Dana Hall for a 22-yard gain. However, after getting to the 11, the home team came up empty when Hollis missed a 29-yard field goal attempt.

Jacksonville got the ball back two plays later when Stewart’s pass was intercepted by CB Aaron Beasley, who returned it five yards to the Pittsburgh 35 with 1:21 remaining in the first half. Brunell completed four passes and Hollis was successful on a 20-yard field goal to give the Jaguars a 17-7 halftime lead. Jacksonville had thus far dominated time of possession, holding onto the ball for 21 of the game’s first 30 minutes.

Down by ten, the Steelers started off the third quarter with a 13-play, 80-yard drive. Bettis (pictured at right) ran for 44 yards on 7 carries, with a long of 16, RB George Jones contributed an 18-yard run, and Stewart completed three passes, the last to WR Yancey Thigpen for a four-yard touchdown. Norm Johnson’s point after narrowed the score to 17-14.

The Jaguars, helped along by a pass interference penalty on the Steelers, came back with a series that resulted in Hollis kicking a 45-yard field goal. Another long Blackwell kickoff return that covered 52 yards put the Steelers at the Jacksonville 48 and, on a seven- play drive that featured a 19-yard run by Bettis and a Stewart toss to Charles Johnson for 26 yards, they scored on the first play of the fourth quarter as Stewart connected with TE Mark Bruener for a one-yard TD. Norm Johnson’s extra point put the visitors in front by 21-20.

The Jaguars again reached Pittsburgh territory as Brunell passed to Smith for a 41-yard pickup but, after the drive was stopped at the 19, Hollis failed on a 38-yard try for a go-ahead field goal. The Steelers had to punt on their next series and Jacksonville again had a long possession that ran over six minutes off the clock and was helped along by a critical unnecessary roughness penalty on DE Nolan Harrison to nullify a third down sack. Brunell completed six passes, three of them to Smith and the longest to WR Reggie Barlow for 18 yards, and this time Hollis came through with a 27-yard field goal that put the Jaguars back on top by 23-21 with 4:14 remaining to play.

Starting from their 40 following Blackwell’s 30-yard kickoff return, the Steelers kept the ball on the ground and also received help with a five-yard penalty on the Jaguars on a fourth-and-one play. Stewart threw to Thigpen for a 21-yard gain to the Jacksonville 25 and Pittsburgh was at the 22 when Norm Johnson came on to attempt a final-play field goal from 40 yards to win the game. However, the snap was low and the holder, QB Mike Tomczak, had difficulty in getting the ball set, placing it at a bad angle. Johnson’s kick was blocked by DE Clyde Simmons and safety Chris Hudson recovered and ran 58 yards for a touchdown. Hollis added the superfluous extra point and the Jaguars not only avoided a last-second defeat but won in stunning fashion by a final score of 30-21.

Jacksonville led in total yards (343 to 306), first downs (23 to 19), and time of possession (33:55 to 26:05), although Pittsburgh was much better at controlling the ball in the second half. The Jaguars were stifled on the ground as Pittsburgh outgained them, 153 to 40, but had a big lead in net passing yards (303 to 153). The Steelers turned the ball over twice, to none by Jacksonville. Pittsburgh led in sacks (three to two) but also in penalties (6 for 82 yards, against four for 35 yards against Jacksonville). The teams combined for just three punts (two by Pittsburgh, one for the Jaguars) although both clubs had trouble on field goals, with Mike Hollis missing two from under 40 yards and Norm Johnson’s lone attempt being botched at the end.

Mark Brunell completed 24 of 42 passes for 306 yards and a touchdown with none intercepted. Jimmy Smith had a big performance with 10 catches for 164 yards and a TD and Keenan McCardell contributed 6 receptions for 51 yards. Natrone Means rushed for 40 yards on 24 carries that included a score.

For the Steelers, Kordell Stewart was successful on 11 of 16 throws for 155 yards and two TDs while giving up an interception, and also ran the ball 7 times for 19 yards and a touchdown. Jerome Bettis, who came on strong in the second half, gained 114 yards on 21 rushing attempts. Yancey Thigpen caught 5 passes for 53 yards and a TD and Charles Johnson gained 88 yards on his four receptions. Will Blackwell averaged 37.8 yards on four kickoff returns. 

“This was a big win for us because it was on Monday night, it was against the Steelers, and because of the way we won,” said Mark Brunell.

“We just found a way to win,” said Coach Coughlin. “I told the team on Sunday night to never take anything for granted because a lot of teams had trouble this season with field goals.”

Jacksonville lost the following week but was at 5-1 before losing two more, including the rematch with the Steelers. The pattern of a flashy passing game and mediocre ground attack held throughout the season. The Jaguars ended up with an 11-5 record, as did Pittsburgh, and the Steelers won the AFC Central title due to the net division points tiebreaker. Jacksonville was demolished by Denver in the Wild Card playoff round while Pittsburgh reached the AFC Championship before also losing to the Broncos in a closer contest.

Mark Brunell went on to lead the AFC in passing with a 91.2 rating as he completed 60.7 percent of his passes for 3281 yards and 18 touchdowns while giving up just seven interceptions. He was selected to a second straight Pro Bowl where he was joined by Jimmy Smith, who accumulated 82 catches for 1324 yards (16.1 avg.) and four TDs.

1998: Jaguars Edge Bears Thanks to Long Fourth Quarter Drive

The Jacksonville Jaguars opened the 1998 NFL season in Chicago against the Bears on September 6. Much was expected of the Jaguars, who were coming off of an injury-plagued year in 1997 but had nevertheless compiled an 11-5 record to place second in the AFC Central and reach the playoffs for the second straight season. Rigorous Tom Coughlin had been the head coach since Jacksonville entered the NFL as a 1995 expansion franchise, quickly turning the team into a contender. QB Mark Brunell (pictured above) was less mobile in ’97 due to a knee injury but remained a formidable left-handed passer, and he had an excellent pass receiving tandem in wide receivers Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell. RB Fred Taylor had been chosen in the first round of the ’98 NFL draft although RB James Stewart, an original member of the team, was starting in the opening week.

Chicago, coached by Dave Wannstedt for the sixth year, was coming off of a 4-12 record the previous year. Erik Kramer was again the starting quarterback and RB Curtis Enis was taken with the fifth overall pick in the first round in an effort to bolster the running game, although he missed nearly all of training camp due to a contract holdout. Veteran RB Edgar Bennett, who had spent the previous five years with Green Bay, was also added to the roster. It was hoped that deep-threat WR Curtis Conway was healthy and would have an impact after missing nine games due to a broken collarbone. Moreover, there was much fan discontent with a club that had not reached the playoffs in four years.

There were 55,614 of those fans in attendance at Soldier Field on an 80-degree day. The teams traded punts before RB Tavian Banks of the Jaguars fumbled after catching a pass and the Bears recovered at the Jacksonville 37. The turnover led to the game’s first points as Jeff Jaeger kicked a 45-yard field goal.

In response, the Jaguars put together a long drive that included five completions by Mark Brunell. The first was to Jimmy Smith for 13 yards and Keenan McCardell had a 21-yard reception to the Chicago 46. Brunell converted a third-and-six situation with an eight-yard run and when he connected with McCardell again for nine yards, the visitors had a first-and-goal at the nine. But on the first play of the second quarter, Brunell threw a pass intended for Smith that was intercepted by CB Tom Carter to extinguish the threat.

On their next possession following a punt by the Bears, the Jaguars again moved effectively and this time didn’t fail to score. Brunell completed two passes to Smith and James Stewart (pictured at right) had a 30-yard carry around left end. The eight-play, 66-yard drive concluded with Stewart catching a toss from Brunell for a three-yard touchdown. Mike Hollis added the extra point and Jacksonville was in front by 7-3. The lead didn’t last long, however, when RB Glyn Milburn returned the ensuing kickoff 88 yards for a TD. Jaeger’s point after had the Bears back on top by three points.

Short possessions by both offenses had the clubs trading punts until, with less than three minutes remaining in the first half, the Bears got the ball back at the Jacksonville 41 following another interception, this time by LB Barry Minter. Largely keeping the ball on the ground, Chicago advanced to the 16 in eight plays before Jaeger booted a 35-yard field goal with seven seconds left on the clock. The Bears took a 13-7 lead into halftime.

The home team had the first possession in the third quarter and, in a series that was highlighted by a pass from Erik Kramer to TE Ryan Wetnight for 30 yards, reached the Jacksonville 23, but Jaeger missed a 42-yard field goal attempt.

The teams traded punts until RB Ty Hallock of the Bears fumbled and LB Bryan Schwartz recovered at the Chicago 27. Following a three-yard run by Stewart, Brunell gained 17 yards on two carries and Stewart went seven yards for a TD. Hollis converted and Jacksonville was again in front by 14-13.

Once again the Bears turned the ball over on a fumble, this time by WR Bobby Engram after a pass reception, and the Jaguars had possession at the Chicago 32. Brunell passed to Smith for 20 yards and Stewart had a 16-yard run to set up a Hollis field goal from 23 yards early in the fourth quarter.

The Bears fought back with their next possession, advancing 72 yards. Kramer completed two passes and Curtis Enis had a 29-yard run among his three carries. Edgar Bennett gained the final yard for a TD and Jaeger’s PAT once again had Chicago on top by three points at 20-17.

A three-and-out series by the Jaguars led to a punt and the home team again moved effectively, featuring Enis runs of 14 and 13 yards and a Kramer pass to Engram for 21 yards on a third-and-three play to give the Bears first-and-goal at the Jacksonville four. However, two runs were followed by an incomplete pass and Chicago was forced to settle for a 19-yard Jaeger field goal.

Down by six points with 4:08 to play, the Jaguars started off their next possession after the kickoff at their own 13. Brunell threw to RB Daimon Shelton for eight yards and Jimmy Smith for seven. After a running play gained nothing, Brunell completed a total of six more passes, three of them to McCardell for 28 yards and the last to Smith for a four-yard touchdown. Having gone 87 yards in 13 plays to tie the score, Hollis added the all-important extra point and the Jaguars were up by one with 29 seconds left to play. Time ran out on the Bears at the Jacksonville 43 and the Jaguars came away with a 24-23 win.

Jacksonville led in total yards (367 to 321) and first downs (21 to 16). The Jaguars also converted half of their third downs (7 of 14) while Chicago was successful on five of 13. However, the visitors also turned the ball over three times to two suffered by the Bears.

Mark Brunell completed 22 of 35 passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns, giving up two interceptions, and was 8 of 9 for 73 yards during the climactic scoring drive. He also ran for 43 yards on six carries. James Stewart rushed for 115 yards on 26 attempts that included a TD. Jimmy Smith had 9 pass receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown and Keenan McCardell contributed 7 catches for 72 yards.

For the Bears, Erik Kramer was successful on 16 of 27 throws for 189 yards and no TDs, although also had none intercepted. Curtis Enis (pictured at left) performed well in his regular season NFL debut with 77 yards on 12 rushing attempts. Edgar Bennett added 30 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. Curtis Conway topped the receivers with 6 receptions for 91 yards.

“We made a lot of errors,” said Jacksonville’s Coach Coughlin in evaluating his team’s performance. “I am pleased to win the game, but we have a lot of things to be corrected before we can expect to win consistently.”

The Jaguars won consistently enough, winning their first five games and going on to another 11-5 record that placed them first in the AFC Central. They won in the Wild Card playoff round before falling to the Jets at the Divisional level. After nearly pulling off an opening-week upset, Chicago lost its next three contests and ended up once again at 4-12 and last in the NFC Central.

As a footnote, neither running back that topped the Jaguars and Bears in rushing in Week 1 went on to have a big season. James Stewart was quickly supplanted by Fred Taylor and ended up with 217 yards on 53 carries (4.1 avg.). Curtis Enis suffered a knee injury and gained 497 yards on 133 attempts (3.7 avg.).

2001: Cunningham Rallies Ravens to Win Over Jaguars

The NFL’s defending champions, the Baltimore Ravens, were struggling at 3-3 as they hosted the Jacksonville Jaguars on October 28, 2001. Coached by Brian Billick, the Ravens had ridden a stifling defense through the 2000 postseason to a Super Bowl triumph, and that defense was still largely in place. However, the offense was another story. QB Elvis Grbac had been signed away from the Chiefs, was not proving to be the upgrade at the position that he was expected to be, and now was out with an injury. RB Jamal Lewis, outstanding as a rookie during the championship season, went down for the year in training camp with a knee injury and his replacement, veteran Terry Allen, was on the downside of his career and was now also injured.  38-year-old Randall Cunningham (pictured above) was starting at quarterback and inexperienced Jason Brookins was subbing at running back for Allen against the Jaguars.

Cunningham, whose greatest seasons had come with the Eagles and Vikings, had been an All-Pro as recently as 1998 but was nearing the end of his career. No longer the potent running threat with the big arm that he had been in Philadelphia, he spent the 2000 season with Dallas and was signed to provide a veteran backup to Grbac.

Jacksonville, under Head Coach Tom Coughlin, was 2-3 and also experiencing problems, having won its first two games before dropping three straight. The Jaguars also were missing a key player in RB Fred Taylor, who was nagged by injuries, but still had an established nucleus in QB Mark Brunell and wide receivers Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell.

There were 69,439 fans in attendance at PSINet Stadium. WR Damon Gibson returned the opening kickoff 35 yards to give the Jaguars good starting field position at their own 47 and they advanced deep into Baltimore territory. Mark Brunell completed four passes, three of them to Keenan McCardell, and Jacksonville was also helped by a pass interference penalty. But facing fourth-and-one at the eight yard line, Brunell’s pass intended for Jimmy Smith was incomplete and the visitors came up empty.

The teams traded punts before the Ravens, starting at their own 10, began to move on offense. Randall Cunningham threw to TE Shannon Sharpe for a gain of 30 yards to start the drive and hit on three more passes, two to WR Qadray Ismail. However, a holding penalty and a sack blunted progress and on the first play of the second quarter Matt Stover kicked a 49-yard field goal.

A long return on the ensuing kickoff was nullified by a holding penalty and the Jaguars started at their 18, but, with the help of the mobile Brunell’s passes and a 38-yard run, they managed to advance into Baltimore territory. The series stalled and Mike Hollis booted a 40-yard field goal to knot the score at 3-3.

The teams again traded punts. Regaining possession with just over three minutes remaining in the first half, the Ravens moved from their own 16 to the Jacksonville 35 as Cunningham completed seven passes, the longest to Sharpe for 16 yards, but a sack by LB Kevin Hardy put them in a hole they couldn’t dig out of and they punted. The score remained unchanged at halftime.

The Ravens took the second half kickoff and drove from their 32 to the Jacksonville seven. Cunningham connected with Ismail for 20 yards and Jason Brookins had a 23-yard run along the way. But facing third-and-four, RB Moe Williams was dropped for a three-yard loss and the Ravens settled for a Stover field goal from 28 yards.

On Jacksonville’s next possession, Brunell completed consecutive passes to Smith for 19 and 11 yards, but two plays later McCardell fumbled after making a reception and DE Rob Burnett recovered for the Ravens at the Baltimore 44. With Brookins running four times for 21 yards, the home team advanced into Jacksonville territory, but facing third down at the 31, Cunningham was sacked for an eight-yard loss by DT Gary Walker and the Ravens had to punt.

Starting back at their ten, the Jaguars drove 90 yards in eight plays. Brunell (pictured above) had completions to McCardell for 12 and 13 yards and a roughing-the-passer penalty erased a second-and-15 situation. Brunell ran the ball himself for 17 yards and threw to Smith for a 35-yard touchdown. Hollis added the extra point and Jacksonville was ahead by 10-6.

In the last minute of the third quarter, a Cunningham pass was intercepted by LB Hardy Nickerson. Brunell threw to McCardell for 34 yards and, on the first play of the final period, hit RB Stacey Mack for an 11-yard TD. Hollis converted and now the visitors were up by eleven points at 17-6.

Cunningham completed four passes on the next Baltimore series, the longest to Ismail for 19 yards, and the nine-play, 71-yard possession ended with Brookins running two yards for a touchdown.  The Ravens tried for a two-point conversion, but Cunningham’s pass intended for WR Brandon Stokley was incomplete and the margin remained five points at 17-12.

A short series by the Jaguars resulted in a punt and Baltimore put together another scoring series of 56 yards in seven plays. A face mask penalty helped the drive along and Cunningham completed a pass to Sharpe for 13 yards in a third-and-three situation to reach the Jacksonville nine. Following two carries by Brookins that picked up seven yards, Cunningham threw to Ismail for a two-yard touchdown that was upheld upon review by the officials. Once again, the try for two points failed but the Ravens held a one-point lead with four minutes to play.

In response, the Jaguars moved methodically down the field as Brunell completed five straight passes, two to McCardell and one for 15 yards to WR Sean Dawkins that converted a third down. But facing third-and-five at the Baltimore 44, Brunell tossed two incomplete passes to turn the ball over on downs. The Ravens were able to run the clock down before punting and, taking over with 19 seconds left, Jacksonville was unable to move from its 42 yard line. The Ravens held on for an 18-17 win.

The Jaguars had more total yards (365 to 305) while Baltimore led in first downs (23 to 19) and time of possession (33:44 to 26:16). Each team turned the ball over once. Jacksonville recorded five sacks, to three by the Ravens, but also was assessed 10 penalties, at a cost of 70 yards, to four flags thrown on Baltimore.

Randall Cunningham completed 23 of 31 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown with one interception, and crucially was seven-for-seven and 76 yards in the fourth quarter. Jason Brookins rushed for 82 yards on 19 carries that included a TD. Shannon Sharpe (pictured below) and Qadray Ismail each had 7 catches, for 89 and 85 yards, respectively, and Ismail scored a touchdown.

For the Jaguars, Mark Brunell was successful on 25 of 37 throws for 306 yards and two TDs and had no interceptions, also rushing for 55 yards on four carries, which made him the team’s leading ground gainer. Keenan McCardell caught 10 passes for 118 yards and Jimmy Smith gained 119 yards on his 7 receptions that included a score.

Baltimore ended up finishing second in the AFC Central with a 10-6 record and once again qualified for the playoffs as a Wild Card entry. The postseason run didn’t go as far as in 2000, as after beating Miami in the Wild Card round, the Ravens lost to the Steelers at the Divisional level. The Jaguars won only one of their next five games but rallied to win three straight and closed out with a 6-10 record that placed fifth in the division.

“I don’t know if I’ll play next week or anymore,” said Randall Cunningham. “I’m retiring after this season.”

Cunningham did indeed play again the next week, which was another win for the Ravens. Overall, he appeared in six games in 2001 and completed 60.7 percent of his 89 passes for 573 yards and three touchdowns against two interceptions.