Head coach Tom Coughlin Division place 2nd AFC Central | Record 9–7 | |
Home field Jacksonville Municipal Stadium Playoff finish Won Wild Card Playoffs (Bills) 30–27
Won Divisional Playoffs (Broncos) 30–27
Lost AFC Championship (Patriots) 20–6 | ||
The 1996 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the team's second year in the National Football League, and saw the Jaguars trying to improve 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.
Contents
- AFC Wild Card Game vs Buffalo Bills
- AFC Divisional Game vs Denver Broncos
- AFC Championship Game vs New England Patriots
- Awards and records
- Milestones
- References
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, and Bruce Smith (who had previously been the league Defensive Player of the Year). 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, as they 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. 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.
AFC Wild Card Game vs Buffalo Bills
The Jaguars win their first Playoff game in franchise history with this win over the Bills.
AFC Divisional Game vs Denver Broncos
Considered one of the greatest upsets in NFL Playoff history, the Jaguars (who were 14 point underdogs) would stun the Broncos 30-27. Earlier in the day, A Denver newspaper referred to the Jaguars as "Jagwads", stating throughout the article that the Jaguars weren't worthy to travel to Mile High Stadium and play the Broncos. But the Jaguars were not fazed. Mark Brunell threw 245 yards with 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. But it was Natrone Means that was the star. He ran for 140 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown. The Broncos would struggle all game to contain Means, whose longest run of the day was 21 yards. With this win, the Jaguars in just their second year of existence would go to the AFC Championship Game.
AFC Championship Game vs New England Patriots
The Jaguars come up a game short of the Super Bowl. They would have 4 turnovers.