Recent playoff battles add fuel to this fire

Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colo.,
Sunday, Oct. 25

AT A GLANCE: Two of the NFL’s elite teams battle in what will be a rematch of last season’s wild-card pairing, a game that was dominated by the Broncos. However, the Jaguars bounced the Broncos from the playoffs the season before.

While it’s not the battle of the unbeatens some people expected, a pair of legitimate Super Bowl contenders will be on the field at Mile High Stadium this week. And in the past two seasons, these two teams got in the way of each other’s Super Bowl dreams.

Following the 1996 season, the Jaguars shocked the Broncos 30-27 in a divisional playoff to advance to the AFC title game. Last season the Broncos exacted revenge, embarrassing the Jaguars 42-17 in a wild-card game en route to a Super Bowl championship.

There is little doubt that those postseason battles will linger in the minds of both teams’ players.

Denver (6-0) and Jacksonville (5-1) are sitting atop the AFC West and AFC Central, respectively. But one team has been winning a lot more convincingly this season than the other. The Broncos, more often than not, havecompletely dismantled their opponents, winning by an average of 15.7 points per game. Only twice this season have the Broncos won by six or fewer points.

On the other hand, the Jaguars have been winning but seem to make every game a struggle. They have won by double digits just once this season (by 14 over the Ravens). Every other Jaguar game has been decided by seven or fewer points.

WHEN THE JAGUARS HAVE THE BALL:

The goal entering the season was a more balanced attack, which meant focusing on the ground game more, something that has gone very well. The Jaguars are averaging 154.4 rushing yards a game, despite losing James Stewart for the season and inserting rookie Fred Taylor. The Jaguars didn’t lose a step with Taylor on the field, but he injured a shoulder in Week Five that sidelined him for Week Six. His status, as well as that of rookie RB Tavian Banks (foot), was unknown as of presstime. Whoever carries the ball this week will face a real test, as the Broncos have held opponents under 100 yards rushing four times this season, including their last two games.

If Taylor is unavailable, though, the Jaguars will likely go back to the aerial assault. QB Mark Brunell hasn’t been putting up monster numbers but has been effective. His top receivers, Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell, form one of the best tandems in the NFL, though neither has had a 100-yard game in the last three weeks. They will be covered by CB’s Ray Crockett and Darrien Gordon, who are not Pro Bowl caliber but are generally effective.