October 9, 2026
October 9, 2026
1999 Jacksonville Jaguars: Writing Their History
For teams like the Dallas Cowboys, the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers, history was created over decades through generations of fans. For a team that was part of the NFL’s expansion in the 1990s, like the Jacksonville Jaguars, history had not yet been written. The Jaguars didn’t waste much time creating theirs. In only their second year in the league, and in their first playoff appearance, the Jaguars defeated the Buffalo Bills before upsetting John Elway and the Denver Broncos in the Divisional round. The Jaguars lost to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, but it wouldn’t be the last time they made a deep playoff run.
After their surprising appearance in the AFC Championship Game in 1996, the Jaguars made the playoffs again in 1997 and 1998. They lost to the Broncos in the Wild Card round in 1997 and to the New York Jets in the Divisional round in 1998. When the 1999 season began, the team hoped to take another step forward.
The Jaguars began by hiring former Carolina Panthers head coach Dom Capers to be their defensive coordinator. Under Capers, the Jaguars improved from allowing 21.1 points per game in 1998 to 13.6 points per game in 1999. They were the stingiest defense in the NFL, and they led the league in sacks with 57. Tony Brackens led the Jaguars with 12 sacks, while Kevin Hardy and Gary Walker also contributed to the team total. Walker had 10 sacks, and Hardy had 10.5 on his way to a Pro Bowl selection.
The defense made a tremendous leap in 1999, and the offense continued its solid play from the previous season. Mark Brunell delivered a Pro Bowl-caliber performance with 3,060 passing yards and 14 touchdowns. His favorite target, Jimmy Smith, was tremendous, hauling in 116 receptions for 1,636 yards and 6 touchdowns. Brunell and Smith were good, but the Jaguars’ bread and butter was their defense and their running game. The Jaguars controlled the clock and kept their defense fresh with a two-headed rushing attack of Fred Taylor and James Stewart. Stewart led the team with 931 yards and 13 touchdowns, while Taylor chipped in 732 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns.
The 1999 Jacksonville Jaguars used their top-ranked defense and excellent running game to post an NFL-best 14-2 record. They earned a first-round bye and a matchup against the Miami Dolphins in the Divisional round. In what would be Dan Marino‘s final game in the NFL, the Jaguars throttled the Dolphins. They held a 41-0 lead in the second quarter until Marino threw a touchdown pass to Oronde Gadsden to put the Dolphins on the scoreboard before halftime. Those would be the only points the Dolphins scored, as the Jaguars forced 6 turnovers on their way to a 62-7 victory.
The Tennessee Titans awaited the Jaguars in the AFC Championship Game. It would be the third meeting of the year between the two teams, with the Titans having won both regular season matchups. The Jaguars started well by scoring first. The Titans tied the game, but James Stewart put the Jaguars ahead 14-7 in the second quarter. The Jaguars entered the second half looking to escape the Titans’ torment, but it wasn’t meant to be. Steve McNair gave the Titans the lead with a 1-yard rushing touchdown before Mark Brunell was sacked in the end zone for a safety. That was followed by Derrick Mason returning a kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown. The Titans scored 16 points in a span of five minutes, and the Jaguars couldn’t recover. After forcing 6 turnovers against the Dolphins the previous week, the Jaguars committed 6 turnovers against the Titans.
The 1999 Jacksonville Jaguars’ dream season ended with a 33-14 loss to the Titans. They failed to reach the playoffs the following year, and within two years, they would part ways with Tom Coughlin, the first head coach in franchise history.
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