The Jacksonville Jaguars is based in Jacksonville, Florida. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The Jaguars, along with the Carolina Panthers, joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1995.
The club has played all of its home games at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium located near the St. Johns River. The team's headquarters also located in the stadium.
In 1995, along with the Carolina Panthers, the Jacksonville Jaguars entered the NFL as the first expansion teams in almost 20 years. Both teams participated in the 1995 NFL Expansion Draft, with the Jaguars taking Steve Beuerlein, who quickly lost his starting job to Mark Brunell, with the first pick. The Jaguars finished their inaugural season with a record of 4–12. Both the Jaguars and the Panthers (7–9) broke the previous record for most wins by an expansion team (3) set by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1968. The inaugural season featured many of the players who led Jacksonville into the playoffs in the team's following four seasons, including quarterback Mark Brunell, offensive lineman Tony Boselli running back James Stewart, and wide receiver Jimmy Smith.
Their first playoff game was against the Buffalo Bills at Buffalo, a game the Jaguars won 30-27. Their next game was on the road against the Denver Broncos, who had dominated the AFC with a 13-3 record. Jaguars largely dominated from the second quarter on. 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.
In 1998, the Jaguars again finished 11-5 and won their first AFC Central Division title. The team became the first NFL expansion team to make the playoffs three times in its first four seasons of play. In the wild card round, the Jaguars hosted their first home playoff game, a 25–10 win over the New England Patriots.
In 1999, the Jaguars compiled a league best 14-2 regular season record, the best record in franchise history. The team's two losses were to the Tennessee Titans. The Jaguars won the AFC Central Division for the second straight year and clinched the #1 seed in the AFC. The Jaguars hosted the Miami Dolphins in the AFC Divisional playoffs, a 62–7 victory in what would be Dan Marino and Jimmy Johnson's last NFL game. Jacksonville's 62 points and 55-point margin are the second most ever in NFL playoff history, and Fred Taylor's 90-yard run in the first quarter is the longest ever in an NFL playoff game.
ClarkBF is a sports enthusiast. He is a football follower particularly the NFL. If you find this article interesting you may visit his webpage to know more about the New England Patriots or you may read other NFL articles written by him.
Leave a Reply