BCB​ATLANTA
SEASONS 2003-2006
The Jaguars hired head coach Jack Del Rio before the 2003 season. There was excitement in the air as former owner Wayne Weaver promised "no more 3 yards and a cloud of dust." Del Rio was a defensive-minded coach, and he attempted to implement that mindset for the Jaguars. Click each year to learn more!
The Jaguars started off the new era by drafting QB Byron Leftwich as the subsequent replacement to team legend Mark Brunell. In Week 3 vs. Indianapolis, Brunell started the game but was ineffective, giving way to Leftwich. It would be Brunell's last season with the team. The 2003 Jaguars will be remembered by signing the worst free agent in history, DE Hugh Douglas. He was released the following year. Coach Del Rio had the not-so-brilliant idea of putting in a block of wood and an axe in the locker room, promoting the slogan "Keep Choppin' Wood." The downside to this teaching tool was that former Pro Bowl punter Chris Hanson sliced his leg with the axe and was lost for the season. The Jaguars played better defense as promised by Del Rio. However, they started the season (1-7). In the Week 10 game vs. Indy, the Jaguars were trailing the Colts. Del Rio famously went on a tirade and smashed a glass in the locker room to make a point. As a result, the Jaguars played tougher in the 2nd half and eventually watched RB Fred Taylor flatten S Mike Doss en route to the winning score. But the craziest play of the year took place in Week 16 vs. New Orleans. The Jaguars were up 20-13 with time about to expire. The Saints ran one final play with :07 left in the game, and what took place next is known in lore as "The River City Relay", enabling the Saints to run in for a TD score. But with the score 20-19, sure-footed K John Carney for the Saints inexplicably missed the extra point and the Jaguars escaped with a stunning victory.

YEAR 10
(9-7)
(CLICK THE LINK ABOVE AND SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THE VIDEOS PAGE TO SEE THE VARIOUS JAGUARS GAME HIGHLIGHTS)
​
The 2004 Jacksonville Jaguars fielded the 2nd worst offense in team history (ranking 29th in points scored in the NFL). The defense was the real story, keeping the team in many games throughout the season. RB Fred Taylor had his 3rd-straight 1,000 yard rushing season, but he only found the end zone 3 times (2 on the ground / 1 receiving TD). The Jaguars had their share of close games in 2004. In Week 1, WR Ernest Wilford caught a TD pass as time expired to beat the Bills 13-10. In Week 2, Denver was driving down to score and had made it to the Jaguars 23 -yard line with :37 left. But RB Quentin Griffin fumbled and the Jaguars recovered, preserving a 7-6 victory. In Week 7, rookie K Josh Scobee nailed a 53-yard FG with :43 left to beat QB Peyton Manning and company 27-24. One of the most thrilling victories came in Week 15 @ Green Bay. The temperature was 12 degrees, and the general consensus was that the Jaguars would have no chance in the freezing temperatures. At that point in time, history showed that QB Brett Favre had never lost at Lambeau Field when the temperature was below 30 degrees. But that changed in this game. RB Fred Taylor turned in a spectacular performance en route to 165 yards rushing and 1 rushing TD, lifting the Jaguars to a 28-25 victory. The (8-6) Jaguars seemed primed and ready to make a run at the playoffs. But Week 16 would change everything. The Jaguars played division rival Houston in Jacksonville, and got shut out 21-0 in what turned out to be at the time the worst offensive performance in team history. Even though the Jaguars won against Oakland in Week 17, the Jaguars needed help from some other AFC teams and didn't get it. The playoffs would have to wait another year.

(CLICK THE LINK ABOVE AND SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THE VIDEOS PAGE TO SEE THE VARIOUS JAGUARS GAME HIGHLIGHTS)
​
The 2005 Jaguars had the 2nd best record in team history, going (12-4) but still not able to get over the hump of winning the AFC South title from the Colts. Indianapolis swept the season series. The Jaguars had a good balance of offense and defense not seen since the 1999 season. However, most pundits felt the Jaguars had an easy schedule and the (12-4) record was skewed. The 2005 season was the precipice of a QB controversy that started between Byron Leftwich and David Garrard. Fans were polarized as to who should be under center: the QB with the slow windup but cannon arm (Leftwich) or the mobile QB more in the mold of Michael Vick (Garrard). In Week 12, Leftwich suffered an elbow injury vs. Arizona, and Garrard came in to relieve Leftwich. Garrard lead the Jaguars to a (5-1) record down the stretch, clinching a Wild Card berth. Coach Del Rio was faced with a dilemma: keep Garrard in at QB for the playoff game @ New England or go back to Leftwich? Del Rio decided to start Leftwich (who was clearly not 100% recovered from the injury). The Jaguars were no match for New England, losing 28-3. The 2005 season was also the last for superstar WR Jimmy Smith who had at least 1,000 yards receiving in 9 of the 11 seasons he was with the Jaguars. One other significant nugget from the 2005 season is the Jaguars scored 30 points in one game when they beat the Ravens 30-3. It was the first time scoring 30 points in one game since December 23, 2001 when the Jaguars defeated Minnesota 33-3 (a span of 59 games).

YEAR 12
(8-8)
(CLICK THE LINK ABOVE AND SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THE VIDEOS PAGE TO SEE THE VARIOUS JAGUARS GAME HIGHLIGHTS)
​
The 2006 Jaguars were hoping to build on the previous season's (12-4) record and playoff berth. But with the NFL's move toward parity in the league, the Jaguars were guaranteed to play a tougher schedule in 2006. The team managed a (3-2) record before the bye week. Two of those wins were shutouts (Week 2: 9-0 win vs. Pittsburgh / Week 5: 41-0 win vs. NY Jets). One of those losses was a heartbreaking OT thriller that came from former QB Mark Brunell's performance, leading the Redskins to a 36-30 win over the Jaguars. One of the draft homeruns of 2006 was selecting RB Maurice Jones-Drew in the 2nd round. He started off exciting fans with kickoff returns, but soon worked his way into the running back rotation as RB Fred Taylor's backup. Jones-Drew accounted for 16 TDs in 2006 (13 rushing / 2 receiving / 1 kickoff return). In Week 14 vs. Indianapolis, one of the most blistering performances by a running back duo took place. The Jaguars rushed for a team-record 375 yards (Taylor - 9 rushes, 131 yds, 1 TD / Jones-Drew - 15 rushes, 166 yds, 2 TDs). QB Byron Leftwich was lost for the season after the terrible Week 7 loss to Houston (27-7). QB David Garrard took over the helm, and lead the Jaguars to an (8-5) record. Then the "Curse of the Titans" took over again. In Week 15, an odd game @ Tennessee saw the Titans just getting 5 first downs and only having the ball for 15:38. Yet the Titans managed to win 24-17 thanks to 4 turnovers by Garrard. In Week 16, Garrard would have another late-in-the-game fumble vs. New England that cost the team a win. In Week 17, Garrard had another costly turnover vs. Kansas City and ultimately got pulled for 3rd-string QB Quinn Gray. The 3-game freefall to (8-8) kept Jacksonville out of the playoffs.

