Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville looked like a team on the rise coming off of their 12-4 season, and was considered a playoff contender entering the season. But injuries plagued the team. Reggie Hayward, Greg Jones, Donovin Darius, Byron Leftwich, and Mike Peterson all suffered season-ending injuries. Marcus Stroud, Matt Jones, Paul Spicer, and Fred Taylor also faced injuries during the season. The team started off 2-0, defeating the Dallas Cowboys earning the NFL’s highest winning percentage on opening days at .750 with a record of 9-3), and shutting out the defending champs Pittsburgh Steelers. But the team lost its next two games, and suffered embarrassing losses to the Houston Texans over the course of the season. (Surprisingly, Jacksonville has struggled against the Texans since Houston entered the league in 2002.) They missed the playoffs with an 8-8 record, but there were some positives. Maurice Jones-Drew, the Jaguars’ second round draft pick, was one of the most surprising rookie sensations. He averaged 5.7 yards a carry, the highest in the league, and tied for 3rd in the NFL with 16 touchdowns.
On April 28, 2007, the Jaguars used their first-round pick (21st overall) on Florida safety Reggie Nelson, after passing on Notre Dame Quarterback Brady Quinn twice. The pick of Reggie Nelson filled a void as veteran free safety Deon Grant went to Seattle to play for the Seattle Seahawks, since Jacksonville was unwilling to pay him the money he desired. On June 15, 2007, the Jaguars released longtime strong safety Donovin Darius, who had seen diminished playing time in recent years due to mounting injuries. This was seen by many as a cost-cutting measure. On August 31, 2007, the Jaguars announced that long time back-up quarterback David Garrard would start for the team, ahead of former 1st round draft pick, Byron Leftwich who was released in the team’s final roster cuts. Garrard led the Jacksonville Jaguars to an 11-5 record and the playoffs. On January 5, 2008, the Jaguars defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-29 to win their first playoff game in almost 8 years and their first road playoff win since 1997. It was also the first time in the 50+ year history of the Steelers that they had been beaten twice at home by the same team in the same season. However, in the Divisional round, the Jaguars fell to the as of then undefeated New England Patriots; the teams were tied at halftime, but the Patriots pulled ahead and won 31-20.
