Allen has jersey retired

Allen has jersey retired

The last 14 months have been a whirlwind for Jaguars linebacker Russell Allen. Allen finished his career at San Diego State, never missing a game in four seasons, and immediately began preparations for a career in the NFL. After not being drafted, Allen was targeted by the Jaguars as a free agent. He not only made the club's roster, but he played in all 16 games with five starts.

A native of Oceanside, Calif., Allen returned home following the season to prepare for his upcoming wedding and to receive a well-deserved honor. Allen had his jersey retired last week at Vista High School along with four other professional athletes. Allen was joined by NFL players Pisa Tinoisamoa and Leon Hall along with major league baseball players Trevor Cahill and Wes Littleton.

Allen was named San Diego County defensive player of the year by the San Diego Tribune and the North County Times as a senior after leading his team with 118 tackles and four sacks.

Pro Bowl sets record

The NFL decided to move the Pro Bowl to the week before the Super Bowl in the same stadium and it didn't hurt the television audience. Sunday's Pro Bowl game in Miami was watched by an average of 12.3 million viewers, the most for a Pro Bowl since 2000 (13.2 million viewers on ABC) and a 40 percent increase from last season (8.8 million viewers on NBC).

NFL establishes Coach Shula Award

The NFL announced on Sunday a new award, "The Coach Shula Award," which will honor a coach each season who displays the integrity, achievement and positive impact on others exemplified by the winningest coach in NFL history.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Don Shula will create a panel to help select the winner each season. Nominees can be NFL coaches or coaches at any level of football that have displayed the qualities represented by Don Shula.

Shula played seven seasons in the NFL before moving into the coaching ranks. He served as head coach of the Baltimore Colts from 1963-69 and directed the Miami Dolphins from 1970-95. His 347 wins are the most in NFL history, and he led the Dolphins to Super Bowl VII and VIII championships. His 1972 Dolphins team recorded the NFL's only perfect season, 17-0.

All-Decade Team

The NFL announced the 2000s All-Decade Team last week prior to the Pro Bowl. The team was chosen by the Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee and is comprised of 53 players. New England's Bill Belichick and former Colts coach Tony Dungy were the two head coaches named to the team. Jaguars wide receiver Torry Holt, who spent 10 seasons with the Rams, was one of the honorees.

OFFENSE
Quarterbacks (2):Tom Brady, Peyton Manning
Running backs (4): Shaun Alexander, Jamal Lewis, Edgerrin James, LaDainian Tomlinson
Offensive tackles (4): Walter Jones, Jonathan Ogden, Orlando Pace, William Roaf
Guards (4): Larry Allen, Alan Faneca, Steve Hutchinson, Will Shields
Centers (2): Olin Kreutz, Kevin Mawae
Fullback (1): Lorenzo Neal
Tight ends (2): Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzalez
Wide Receivers (4): Marvin Harrison, Torry Holt, Randy Moss, Terrell Owens

DEFENSE
Defensive ends (4): Dwight Freeney, Julius Peppers, Michael Strahan, Jason Taylor
Cornerbacks (4): Ronde Barber, Champ Bailey, Ty Law, Charles Woodson
Linebackers (6): Derrick Brooks, Ray Lewis, Joey Porter, Zach Thomas, Brian Urlacher, DeMarcus Ware
Defensive tackles (4): La'Roi Glover, Warren Sapp, Richard Seymour, Kevin Williams
Safeties (4): Brian Dawkins, Troy Polamalu, Ed Reed, Darren Sharper

SPECIALISTS
Punters (2): Shane Lechler, Brian Moorman
Kickers (2): David Akers, Adam Vinatieri
Punt returners (2): Dante Hall, Devin Hester
Kick returners (2): Joshua Cribbs, Dante Hall

Fan favorite

It is no surprise that Maurice Jones-Drew was a fan favorite at the Pro Bowl in Miami. Jones-Drew, voted to his first Pro Bowl, is popular among fantasy football owners because of his knack for scoring touchdowns.

The fourth-year pro doesn't take his popularity or fans for granted.

"You take five minutes of your day and just listen to someone and see how their life's going, ask them how they're doing," Jones-Drew said. "You're not worried about all that materialistic stuff. You're just worried about them as people and that goes a long way."

The last word

"He is one of the greatest. He brought two organizations back that were down in the dumps. He is a great person in general."

Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew on the retirement of Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner

Jaguars will be represented at Senior Bowl, again

Jaguars will be represented at Senior Bowl, again

The Jaguars coaching staff led the South team to a win in last year's Under Armour Senior Bowl and the organization will be participating again in 2010; the Roar will be making an appearance at the game this year.

The Jaguars cheerleaders left Jacksonville this morning and will be spending the weekend in Mobile. Fans will have an opportunity to meet the group on Friday at the Senior Bowl Experience at the Mobile Convention Center. The ROAR will be doing a blog daily from the Senior Bowl on jaguars.com. http://forum.jaguars.com/index.php?autocom=blog&blogid=9&

The cheerleaders will perform a pregame and halftime show at the game on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. ET on NFL Network.

Jaguars in the Pro Bowl

The Jaguars will be represented at the Pro Bowl with running back Maurice Jones-Drew and quarterback David Garrard, the ninth time in 15 seasons the club has two or more players playing in the game. The last time the club had two Pro Bowl players was 2006 when cornerback Rashean Mathis and defensive tackle John Henderson were voted into the game. There have only been two seasons the club was not represented in the Pro Bowl, 1995 and 2008.

Here's a list of Jaguars Pro Bowlers

*starter

Trivia question

Who is the only Jaguars player to be named Most Valuable Player of the Pro Bowl?

Sellout crowd expected in Miami

Sunday's Pro Bowl game is expected to have more than 70,000 in attendance at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, the highest for a Pro Bowl in more than 50 years. The highest attendance in the game's history was 72,250 in 1959 at the Los Angeles Coliseum, the week after Super Bowl I.

This is the first Pro Bowl to be played before the Super Bowl and marks only the second time the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl will be played in the same city (1967, Los Angeles Coliseum).

The last time the Pro Bowl was played at Miami was 1975 when James "Shack" Harris threw two touchdown passes and was named the game's Most Valuable Player.

AFC looking for win

The NFC heads into Sunday's Pro Bowl with a two-game winning streak including a 42-30 win in 2009. Since 1970, there have only been four winning streaks of three games or more by either the AFC or NFC.

Ironmen

Ironmen

David Garrard, named to the Pro Bowl for the first time this week, completed his third season as the Jaguars starting quarterback and has started 32 consecutive games. Garrard is one of only nine NFL quarterbacks to start all 32 games the last two seasons.

The 32 straight starts are the most in franchise history by a quarterback. The other quarterbacks who have started all 32 games the last two seasons include Brett Favre (N.Y. Jets/Minnesota), Peyton Manning (Indianapolis), Eli Manning (N.Y. Giants), Philip Rivers (San Diego), Joe Flacco (Baltimore), Jay Cutler (Denver/Chicago), Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay) and Jason Campbell (Washington).

Making the smart decision

Since being named the Jaguars starting quarterback in 2007, David Garrard has a plus-22 touchdown to interception ratio with 48 touchdowns and only 26 interceptions. He is tied for fourth in the NFL the last three seasons among quarterbacks with a minimum of 900 attempts, with only 26 interceptions.

Garrard was one of 22 quarterbacks to attempt 400 or more passes in 2009. Garrard was 314 of 516 passing with only 10 interceptions, tied for the fifth-fewest in the NFL with a minimum of 400 attempts.

Given those numbers, it's no surprise Garrard holds the franchise record with 209 consecutive passes without an interception from Sept. 9, 2007 through Nov. 25, 2007. He had a streak of 155 consecutive passes without an interception in 2009, the fourth-longest streak in franchise history.

Dual threat

The ability to leave the pocket and extend a play is one of the traits that has served David Garrard well the last three seasons. Garrard led all NFL quarterbacks in 2009 with a career-high 323 yards on 77 rushes, the most by a quarterback in team history.

Tidbits on Garrard from 2009:

• Produced three 300-yard passing games, tied for the second-most in team history.
• Threw multiple touchdown passes in five games including two games with three touchdown passes and registered a 100-plus rating in four games.
• Engineered three game-winning drives including back-to-back wins at the Jets and home against Buffalo.
• Ranked fifth in the AFC in attempts (516), eighth in completions (314), eighth in completion percentage (60.9), eighth in yards (3,597) and tied for fifth with 44 completions of 20-plus yards.

Podlesh wins job and produces

When the Jaguars selected punter Adam Podlesh in the fourth round of the 2007 draft, scouts and coaches buzzed about his strong leg, quick release and directional kicking abilities. All of these skills were on full display in 2009.

Podlesh, who missed the final five games in 2008 with a knee injury, faced stiff competition in the preseason from Steve Weatherford. Podlesh had a strong final two weeks of the preseason to win the job. Weatherford was released during final cuts and is now punting for the New York Jets.

Podlesh finished the season with a 41.9-yard average on 72 punts with a career-high 23 punts downed inside the 20. His net average of 38.3 was the fourth-highest in franchise history.

Percentage misleading

Josh Scobee will be the first to admit he didn't have his best season in the NFL, but his .643 percentage can be a little misleading. Scobee was 18 of 28 on field goals, well below his career average of 76.7 percent.

Of his 10 misses, five were from 53-plus yards including an NFL-record tying attempt of 63 yards at the end of the first half at Indianapolis in the season-opener. He was 11 of 12 from less than 40 yards and tied for fourth in the NFL with four field goals made of 50-plus yards. His nine attempts from 50 yards and beyond were the most in the NFL.

Scobee hit two game-winners in 2009, from 36 yards against St. Louis and 21 yards at the Jets. He has hit six game-winning field goals since entering the league in 2004 including two from 50-plus yards.

Cain produces in first season as long snapper

The Jaguars had a new long snapper in the regular season for the first time since 2001 as third-year pro Jeremy Cain outlasted veteran Joe Zelenka for the job in the preseason.

Cain played in all 16 games for the first time in his career and finished with nine special teams tackles. The nine tackles are the second-most in franchise history by a long snapper, trailing only Rich Griffith who had 13 in 1999. Cain has appeared in 33 games with Chicago, Philadelphia, Tennessee, Washington and the Jaguars.

Schedule appears tough

It's hard to judge the difficultly of a NFL schedule without seeing the entire slate with dates, consecutive home games, road games, etc. But the Jaguars 2010 schedule appears to be difficult based on the 2009 record of their opponents.

The Jaguars will play five games against playoff teams from 2009 and the schedule is the fifth-toughest in the NFL based on opponents' 2009 record. The AFC South is facing the NFC East in 2010 where three of the four teams finished with a record of .500 or above including two playoff teams in Dallas and Philadelphia.

2010 NFL Strength of Schedule

Defensive shuffle

The Jaguars had lineup changes on defense throughout the season and started the same lineup in consecutive games only once, in the second and third games of the season. Twenty one different players made starts on defense including four rookies.

Injuries took a toll on the defensive side of the ball and it started before the season began. Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News examined all 32 teams and how injuries affected each unit. According to Gosselin, the Jaguars lost an NFL-high 50 games by starters on defense.

Rob Meier, who has the ability to play both tackle and end, suffered a shoulder injury during training camp and was placed on injured reserve prior to the season. Meier has played in 138 games with 49 starts. Ninth-year defensive end Reggie Hayward recorded a sack of Peyton Manning in the season-opener, but suffered a season-ending leg injury on a fourth-and-one play with 2:06 remaining in the game.

Linebacker Clint Ingram started 12 of the first 13 games before suffering a shoulder injury on Dec. 13 vs. Miami and was placed on injured reserve.

Cornerback Rashean Mathis ranked second on the team with three interceptions and four takeaways despite missing six games with injuries. Mathis injured his finger on Oct. 18 against St. Louis and missed the Jaguars game at Tennessee. After returning to the lineup against Kansas City, he injured his groin in the fourth quarter in the win at the Jets and missed the next four games.

Early entries into NFL Draft

The NFL announced last week that 53 players were granted special eligibility for the 2010 NFL Draft. Each of the players met the league's three-year eligibility rule and sent in a written application to forgo their remaining college eligibility. There were 46 players granted special eligibility last year and 53 in 2008.

Florida leads all colleges with five players on the list in defensive end Carlos Dunlap, defensive back Joe Haden, tight end Aaron Hernandez, center Maurkice Pouncey and defensive back Major Wright. South Florida has two players in wide receiver Carlton Mitchell and defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul.

The Jaguars have selected 11 underclassmen in franchise history including one in the first two rounds in five of the last six years. Offensive tackle Eben Britton was the club's second round pick in 2009 and started 15 of 16 games.

Moving the chains

Maurice Jones-Drew is known for moving the pile and this past season was no different. Jones-Drew ranked third in the NFL with 84 first downs including 68 rushing first downs. The 68 rushing first downs were the second-most in team history.

Is four years enough?

It's been four years since Maurice Jones-Drew was selected with the 60^th overall pick in the second round, the last of six running backs selected in the first two rounds.

Reggie Bush, Laurence Maroney, DeAngelo Williams, Joseph Addai and LenDale White were also selected ahead of Jones-Drew. It's no secret that Jones-Drew used the slight for motivation and the Jaguars were the beneficiaries. Jones-Drew leads the group with 3,924 rushing yards, 56 touchdowns and 7,889 total yards through four seasons.

Harvey leads team in pressures, again

Second-year defensive end Derrick Harvey led the team in quarterback pressures for the second consecutive season. Harvey had 20 quarterback pressures along with a career-high 69 tackles, the most among defensive linemen, two sacks and three tackles for loss. As a rookie in 2008, he had a team-high 29 quarterback pressures along with 3.5 sacks.

Small school success

The Jaguars ended the season with 14 players on their roster who arrived in the NFL from a Division I-AA school: Long snapper Jeremy Cain (Massachusetts), cornerback Derek Cox (William & Mary), linebacker Justin Durant (Hampton), running back Rashad Jennings (Liberty), cornerback Rashean Mathis (Bethune-Cookman), center Brad Meester (Northern Iowa), cornerback William Middleton (Furman), tight end Zach Miller (Nebraska-Omaha), fullback Montell Owens (Maine), defensive tackle Greg Peterson (North Carolina Central), wide receiver Nate Hughes (Alcorn State), cornerback Michael Coe (Alabama State), linebacker Tank Daniels (Harding) and center Cecil Newton (Tennessee State).

Busy road ahead

Jaguars general manager Gene Smith has referred to this time of year as the "out-of-season" for his scouting staff as they scour the country to evaluate talent for the NFL draft on April 22-24.

The 2009 season is proof of how a strong draft can help build the future of a franchise. The Jaguars concluded the season with an NFL-high 16 rookies on their roster and the rookie class combined to make 71 starts for the club, the most in team history. All nine draft picks from a year ago were on the active roster at one time and at least 10 rookies were active on game day for the final 13 games.

The Jaguars' scouting contingent is in Orlando this week for the East-West Shrine game that will be played on Saturday at the Florida Citrus Bowl for the first time in 85 years.

Former Browns head coach Romeo Crennel is coaching the East team while longtime NFL head coach Marty Schottenheimer is directing the West squad.

Several players with ties to Florida are playing in the game: Clemson cornerback Chris Chancellor (Miami), Mississippi State linebacker Jamar Chaney (Ft. Pierce), North Carolina State defensive end Willie Young (Riviera Beach), Central Florida defensive tackle Torrell Troup, Miami running back Javarris James (Immokalee), Miami center A.J. Trump (Palm Harbor), South Florida linebacker Kion Wilson (Miami), and West Virginia wide receiver Alric Arnett.

The Jaguars have five players on their roster who competed in last year's game in cornerback Don Carey, wide receiver Jarett Dillard, safety Courtney Greene, center Cecil Newton and wide receiver Mike Thomas.

Following the trip to Orlando, the scouts along with several of members of the coaching staff will attend the Senior Bowl practices in Mobile, Alabama. Players participate in practices all week leading up to the game on January 30. Kickoff is set for 4:00 p.m. (ET) at Ladd-Peebles Stadium and the game and all practices will be televised by the NFL Network.

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow headlines a group of 25 players from the SEC who will play in the game. Gators wide receiver Riley Cooper will also be participating.

The 2010 NFL Scouting Combine is set for February 24 through March 2 in Indianapolis. For the second consecutive year, jaguars.com will have daily on-site coverage from the event.

Jaguars know AFC Championship teams well

The Jaguars played five games against this year's playoff teams including both clubs that will be squaring off on Sunday in the AFC Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

The Jaguars lost to the Colts by a combined six points in their two games this season, a 14-12 loss in the season-opener and 35-31 loss on Thursday, December 17. The Jaguars rallied to pull out a 24-22 win at the Jets in November 15.

Trivia question

Which Jaguars 2009 rookie played high school football with Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice?

2009 Honor Roll

It's awards season in the NFL and the AFC South came away the winners with several Jaguars receiving mention. The NFL's MVP (Peyton Manning) and the only unanimous selection to the Associated Press NFL All-Pro team (Chris Johnson) came from within the AFC South.

Running back Maurice Jones-Drew was named to his first Pro Bowl and is also a finalist for the FedEx Ground Player of the Year Award. Jones-Drew finished fifth on the Associated Press's NFL All-Pro Team as a running back with six votes.

Rookie defensive tackle Terrance Knighton was named to the Pro Football Weekly All-Rookie Team and the Dallas Morning News NFL All-Rookie Team. Cornerback Derek Cox was also named to the Dallas Morning News NFL All-Rookie Team.

Both Cox and Knighton started all 16 games, the first rookie duo in team history to accomplish the feat.

Success in last five seasons

The Jaguars own a 43-37 record the last five seasons under head coach Jack Del Rio, tied for the 13^th-best in the NFL. In addition, the club has made two postseason appearances (2005, 2007), tied for the fourth-most in the NFL during that span.

There have been 11 NFL teams with one or fewer postseason appearances in the last five seasons.

Moving the chains

The Jaguars converted 45.1 percent (102 of 226) on third down this season, the fourth-highest percentage in the NFL. It marked the second-highest percentage in franchise history (45.7, 2007) with both coming under offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter. The Jaguars had seven games this season with a 50-plus percent conversion rate on third down.

Trivia answer

Jaguars safety Courtney Greene and Ray Rice led New Rochelle High School to the New Jersey Class AA state championship in 2003.

The last word

"I'll tell you, I've been blessed in my business career. I've had a lot of great successes and have had a lot of good companies, and I wouldn't trade my job I have now for anything."

Jaguars Owner Wayne Weaver on whether he believed he would be working this hard at age 75

Cox finishes with team-high four interceptions

Cox finishes with team-high four interceptions

Rookie cornerback Derek Cox picked off Browns quarterback Derek Anderson in the season-finale for his team-high fourth interception. Cox and Reggie Nelson (2007, 5) are the only rookies in franchise history to lead the team in interceptions.

Cox was one of four NFL rookies to lead or tie for the team lead in interceptions, joining Buffalo's Jairus Byrd (9), Houston's Brian Cushing (4) and Miami's Vontae Davis (4).

Punt return coverage ranks among NFL's best

The Jaguars led the NFL in opponents punt return average (4.2) for the first time in franchise history. The 4.2 average was the third-lowest in the NFL since 2000 and the fifth-lowest since 1990. The Jaguars did not allow a return of more than 13 yards all season.

Another historic note for Jones-Drew

Pro Bowl running back Maurice Jones-Drew finished the season ranked third in the AFC and fourth in the NFL with 1,391 rushing yards. Jones-Drew is the first player in franchise history to finish a season ranked among the top three rushers in the AFC. The 1,391 rushing yards were the third-most in a season in team history.

2010 schedule

The Jaguars' 2010 schedule features four teams that qualified for the 2009 postseason (Indianapolis, Philadelphia, San Diego, Dallas). In addition, the Jaguars will play 11 games against teams that finished .500 or better in 2009.

In 2009, the Jaguars played five games against teams that advanced to the current postseason including three division leaders in the Colts, Cardinals and Patriots. Nine of the club's 16 games came against teams that finished with a record of .500 or better.

AFC South 2010 opponents

Jacksonville Jaguars

Home: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins

Away: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers, Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants

Indianapolis Colts

Home: Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants

Away: Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins

Houston Texans

Home: Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants

Away: Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins

Tennessee Titans

Home: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins

Away: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants

Scheduling formula

There has been a lot of discussion about the Jaguars' 2010 schedule and how the league came up with the slate. Well, here's the formula.

• Home and away against its three division opponents (6 games).
• The four teams from another division within its conference on a rotating three-year cycle (4 games).
• The four teams from a division in the other conference on a rotating four-year cycle (4 games).
• Two intraconference games based on the prior year's standings (2 games). These games match a first-place team against the first-place teams in the two same-conference divisions the team is not scheduled to play that season. The second-place, third-place, and fourth-place teams in a conference are matched in the same way each year.

Ready for another season

In case you're wondering, NFL Kickoff Weekend 2010 will begin on Thursday, September 9 and the regular season will conclude on January 2, 2011. Super Bowl XLV at Cowboys Stadium will be played on Sunday, February 6, 2011.

Rebounding with postseason appearance

What do Dallas, Cincinnati, Green Bay, New England, New Orleans and the New York Jets have in common?

They are the six teams that made the playoffs this season after not making the postseason the year before. It's the 14^th consecutive season at least five teams have made the playoffs after missing out the previous season. Five of the current teams are new division title winners.

Another great decade for the NFL

The NFL each season breaks down games to show examples of how exciting the league is on a year-to-year basis. The league took a closer look at the past decade and what transpired. Here are some highlights:

• There were 2,544 games played from 2000-09 and nearly half of the games (48.9 percent) were decided by one score or less.
• 13 different teams won conference championships and 13 different teams advanced to the title game at least once.
• Six different teams won the Super Bowl.
• 29 of 32 teams advanced to the postseason at least once.
• 26 of 32 teams won at least one division title.
• There have been 32 teams go from "worst to first" in NFL history and 15 of them have done so this decade.
• Five of this decade's nine Super Bowls were decided by four points or fewer, and the past two game-winning Super Bowl touchdowns were scored in the final minute.
• NFL games were the 22 most-watched TV programs for 2000-09 and 37 of the top 50. The top 10 programs were Super Bowls.
• The Indianapolis Colts, with 115 regular season wins, won more games than any team in any decade in NFL history, surpassing the San Francisco 49ers of the 1990s (113). New England won 112 games from 2000-09.
• The Patriots became the second franchise in NFL history to win three Super Bowls in a four-year span (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX). Dallas was the only other franchise to accomplish the feat (XXVII, XXVIII, XXX).
• Only three teams had the same head coach for the entire decade, New England (Bill Belichick), Philadelphia (Andy Reid) and Tennessee (Jeff Fisher).
• The Patriots won a NFL-best seven division titles and notched 14 postseason wins in the decade while the Colts had the most playoff appearances with nine.
• From 2000-09, former Jaguar Fred Taylor ranked seventh in rushing attempts (2,068) and fifth in rushing yards (9,585). Torry Holt led the NFL with 868 receptions for 12,594 yards and ranked fifth with 68 touchdowns.

Tucker has fond memories of Cleveland

Jaguars defensive coordinator Mel Tucker will see some familiar faces both on the field and in the stands on Sunday. A native of Cleveland, Tucker grew up a Browns fans and attended several games a year with his father.

"My dad always made sure I got to the games," Tucker said. "We didn't go to every game, but we would go to the games when we could, whether it was warm or cold, preseason, whatever we were there. In Cleveland, when the Browns are on you're usually trying to get down there or you're trying to watch it and if you're not watching it, you're listening to it."

Tucker didn't need a ticket the last four seasons as he was a member of the Browns coaching staff, including three seasons as defensive backs coach and last year as defensive coordinator.

"I learned a lot," Tucker said. "We gave great effort, we had some success but obviously not enough. I was happy to land here and be here with the Jaguars to continue my coaching career."

Tucker played basketball and football at Cleveland Heights High School before leaving the state to play linebacker at Wisconsin. It didn't take him long to return to Ohio where served as defensive backs coach at Miami (Ohio) for one season and then spent four seasons as an assistant under Jim Tressel at Ohio State from 2001-04.

Jaguars-Browns series

Sunday's game will be the 12^th meeting between the two teams with the Jaguars holding an 8-3 series lead. In their last meeting at Cleveland, the Jaguars earned a 20-14 win on December 4, 2005.

Several members of Jaguars return home

The Jaguars have several players and staff with ties to Ohio and the Browns. Fullback Brock Bolen hails from Germantown and played at Valley View High School. Safety Anthony Smith attended Hubbard High School, approximately 80 miles southwest of Cleveland.

General Manager and Senior Vice President/Player Personnel Gene Smith hails from Monroeville, Ohio and he is a member of the hall of fame at Monroeville High School. Smith played at Heidelberg College and later served as a graduate assistant at Ohio University.

Quarterback Luke McCown was a fourth-round pick of the Browns in 2004 and started four games as a rookie. Defensive assistant Cory Undlin served four seasons on the Browns staff from 2005-08 and running backs coach Kennedy Pola served in the same capacity with the Browns in 2004. First-year wide receiver Nate Hughes entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie with the Browns in 2008.

National scout Andy Dengler is a native of Berea and graduated from Heidelberg College and received a master's degree from Bowling Green.

Former Jaguars on Browns roster

The Browns have two former Jaguars on their roster in safety Nick Sorensen and tight end Greg Estandia. Sorensen spent four seasons (2003-06) with the Jaguars and played in 52 games. Estandia played in 26 games with three starts for the Jaguars the last three seasons including the first two games of the 2009 season.

Quarterbacks coach Carl Smith served as offensive coordinator for the Jaguars from 2005-06. Strength and conditioning coach Tom Myslinski played for the Jaguars during the 1995 inaugural season. Myslinski also served as a volunteer head strength and conditioning coach at the University of North Florida in 1996.

Special connections

Jaguars linebackers coach Mark Duffner will return to the state where his coaching career began, both at the collegiate and professional level. Duffner began his coaching career as a graduate assistant under Woody Hayes at Ohio State from 1975-76. Duffner left the Buckeyes to become defensive coordinator at the University of Cincinnati where he stayed from 1977-80. He returned to Ohio to enter the NFL coaching ranks with the Cincinnati Bengals from 1997-2002.

Additional connections include:

• The Browns have four players with ties to Florida: defensive back Abram Elam (Riviera Beach, Cardinal Newman High School), tight end Michael Gaines (Tallahassee, Florida High School, Central Florida), defensive back Nick Sorensen (Winter Haven) and linebacker Kamerion Wimbley (Florida State).
• Browns running backs coach Gary Brown was on the Rutgers coaching staff in 2008 while Jaguars safety Courtney Greene and Jaguars wide receiver Tiquan Underwood played there.
• Jaguars offensive tackle Eben Britton, Jaguars wide receiver Mike Thomas and Browns running back Chris Jennings were teammates at Arizona
• Jaguars safety Sean Considine, Browns defensive lineman Derreck Robinson, Browns linebacker Matt Roth and Browns offensive lineman Eric Steinbach played together at Iowa.
• Browns assistant strength and conditioning coach Alan DeGennaro served on the University of Tennessee coaching staff while Jaguars defensive tackle John Henderson played there.
• Jaguars offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter and Browns offensive line coach George Warhop served together on the Boston College coaching staff from 1994-95.
• Jaguars safety Gerald Alexander, Browns wide receiver Mike Furrey, Browns tight end Michael Gaines, and Browns defensive back Ramzee Robinson were teammates at Detroit.
• Jaguars safety Anthony Smith and Browns linebacker Arnold Harrison played together at Pittsburgh.
  

What to look for

• The Jaguars are looking to finish with a record of .500 or above for the fifth time in seven seasons under head coach Jack Del Rio.
• The Jaguars need 102 rushing yards to reach 2,000 for the season, the eighth time in the franchise's 15-year history they would accomplish the feat.
• Maurice Jones-Drew needs one touchdown to tie the franchise's single-season record of 17 set by Fred Taylor in 1998. In addition, he needs one touchdown to reach 57 for his career which would tie for the fourth most in NFL history in a player's first four seasons.
• Jones-Drew needs 91 rushing yards for the second-most in team history for a season. Fred Taylor holds the franchise record with 1,572 in 2003. Jones-Drew is 46 yards from scrimmage from the second-most in team history for a season. Taylor holds the single-season record with 1,942 yards from scrimmage in 2003.
• Jones-Drew needs one reception to extend his streak to 51 consecutive games, the third-longest streak in team history.
• Mike Sims-Walker enters the game with seven receiving touchdowns through 15 games and needs one to tie for the second-most in team history for a season. Reggie Williams holds the franchise record with 10 in 2007. In addition, Sims-Walker needs five receptions to join Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell as the only players in team history with 66-plus receptions in a season.
• Rookie wide receiver Mike Thomas enters the game with 41 receptions and needs six receptions to have the most by a rookie in franchise history. Jones-Drew holds the franchise record with 46 in 2006.
  

Television

The game will be broadcast regionally on CBS, locally on WTEV CBS47 (Ch. 6 cable). Gus Johnson will handle play-by-play duties with Steve Tasker providing analysis.

Radio

Sunday's game will be broadcast on the Jaguars Radio Network which extends to 11 affiliates in Florida and Georgia. The Jaguars' flagship stations are WOKV AM & FM (690, 106.5). Brian Sexton (play-by-play) and former Jaguars defensive end Jeff Lageman (analyst) are in their seventh season together calling Jaguars games.

The last word

"Every play's a kick return for his guy. He's dangerous. No one can tackle him. Their offensive line is big and physical. You can't find the doggone running back. When we do, we have to tackle him."

-- Browns LB David Bowens about Maurice Jones-Drew to the Akron Beacon-Journal

Thomas looking for franchise record

Wide receiver Mike Thomas enters Sunday's game with 41 receptions for 388 yards, the most receptions by a rookie wide receiver in franchise history. Thomas needs six receptions to surpass teammate Maurice Jones-Drew for the most receptions by a rookie in team history. Jones-Drew had 46 receptions as a rookie in 2006.

Keep in mind that Thomas was inactive for the first two weeks of the season. Not having at least 50 receptions is something new for Thomas. The former Arizona standout finished as the Pac-10's all-time leader in receptions with 259 including back-to-back seasons at the end of his career with 83 and 74 catches.

"As receivers we always want the ball," Thomas said. "You always feel like you can do more, especially as a wideout. That is what we pride ourselves on, making plays and having the excitement of having the ball in our hands."

Thomas has become a favorite target of quarterback David Garrard on third down as 25 of his 41 receptions have resulted in first downs.

"In college I became that guy because everybody knew I was going to be on the field," Thomas said. "That's what you want."

Thomas has totaled 1,196 all-purpose yards on 91 touches in the last 13 games, serving as the team's primary return specialist and also carrying the ball 12 times for 86 yards. He led the Jaguars last Sunday at New England with six receptions for 57 yards.

Two of the NFL's most disciplined

The Jaguars enter Sunday's game with a NFL-low 75 penalties called against them and 67 accepted. Their opponent ranks third in the NFL as the Browns have 74 penalties accepted.

The Jaguars are looking to finish the season with the fewest penalties in franchise history. The previous low was 76 in 2007, followed by 89 in 2002.

"We just try to eliminate things that stop us from moving the ball," Jaguars tight end Marcedes Lewis said. "You can't have penalties if you're trying to win. Jack (Del Rio) always stresses that if they are dumb penalties then they have to stop; false start, offsides, stupid penalties. But if they are penalties where you are competing then you can't do anything about it. We try to pride ourselves on being a disciplined team."

Threat to run

While Maurice Jones-Drew earned his first Pro Bowl invitation, Jaguars quarterback David Garrard continues to make an impact as a rusher. Garrard ranks second on the team with 283 yards on 72 attempts with three touchdowns.

Garrard is second among NFL quarterbacks in rushing yards through 15 games and leads the league the last three seasons. His ability to leave the pocket and run or make plays down the field creates opportunities in the passing game.

"With Garrard, similar to Ben (Roethlisberger) in the sense that he can extend plays with his feet," Browns head coach Eric Mangini said. "He's the second leading rusher. There's a ton of plays where guys have a chance to sack him and they fall off him or he makes them miss. He's deceptive like that. Then he creates something down the field that wasn't open prior to him moving."

Lewis knows his offseason plans

Marcedes Lewis knows where he will be this spring when the Jaguars offseason conditioning program gets underway. The fourth-year tight end will do the same routine as a year ago, working out in Jacksonville with his teammates and getting extra work on the field with David Garrard.

His selection this week as the third alternate for the AFC Pro Bowl roster is further indication that his work is paying off. Lewis has  32 receptions for a career-high 518 yards and leads all tight ends with a 16.2-yard average per reception.

"It's just an honor to even be mentioned at the top," Lewis said. "I just try to go out there and work hard, try to be a complete tight end. Coach (Mike) Tice and Coach Del Rio told me that all my hard work is paying off. I just try to get better at something every day."

Lewis is becoming a favorite target of Garrard's down the middle of the field and his eight receptions of 25-plus yards are tied with Mike Sims-Walker for the most by a Jaguar this season.

"I'll be more familiar with the offense and David (Garrard) looking to me as one of the guys," Lewis said. "This is my life. I just want to be the best I can be."

Nwaneri to host final event

Jaguars offensive lineman Uche Nwaneri will host the final Game for the Cause event on Tuesday, January 5 at Sneakers Sports Grille in Jacksonville Beach at 6:00 p.m.

Nwaneri will be joined by several of his teammates as they challenge fans in the game, "Call of Duty Modern Warfare." The entry is $10 and prizes will be handed out throughout the evening. Nwaneri will present a check to daniel child services for all the proceeds raised throughout the season.

All in the family

Jaguars safety Sean Considine ended his football career at Iowa in 2004 but the family name lives on in Iowa City. His brother, Tyler, recently finished his career as a centerfielder for the Hawkeyes baseball team, and their sister, Megan, just joined the Hawkeyes women's basketball team pending NCAA certification.

Megan was an Illinois Class 2A all-state guard at Byron High School and decided to not play basketball in college. She had a change of heart in her second year as a student at Iowa and wanted to explore the opportunity to hit the court again. Iowa provided the perfect chance after injuries riddled the team, leaving the Hawkeyes with only eight players.

The last word

"Who wouldn't be motivated? We're getting the opportunity to play football. This is what you grow up wanting to do. I used to watch the games when Oakland would be playing at Pittsburgh. These are the games you sit home and watch, not the sunny, nice games. The nasty weather, two smashmouth teams, that's what the game is going to be about. I think it's exciting."

-- Maurice Jones-Drew on the team's motivation this week

Alexander picks the winners

On any given day, a visitor in the Jaguars locker room might see safety Gerald Alexander walking around sporting his favorite colors, the orange and blue of the Boise State Broncos. Alexander pl ayed four seasons at Boise State on the only blue field in the country, and he was a member of the team that shocked Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl in 2006.

Alexander remains an avid fan of college football and sat down with jaguars.com this week to pick the winners of the remaining bowl games beginning with tonight's Chick-fil-A-Bowl in Atlanta.

Chick-fil-A Bowl | #12 Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee

Alexander: First of all, I like Chick-fil-A. I'm going to go with Virginia Tech because of (quarterback) Tyrod Taylor.

Outback Bowl | Northwestern vs. Auburn

Alexander: Just because I play with Gucci (Quentin Groves) and he's one of the most entertaining guys in the locker room, I pick Auburn.

Capital One Bowl | #11 Penn State vs. #13 LSU

Alexander: Penn State here. Not a big fan of the LSU quarterback.

Gator Bowl | #18 West Virginia vs. Florida State

Alexander: They're going to do everything they can to get Bobby (Bowden) this win here in Jacksonville. The 'Noles are going against a ranked team in West Virginia who beat Pittsburgh at home. Sorry Bobby, I'm taking West Virginia.

Rose Bowl | #8 Ohio State vs. #7 Oregon

Alexander: Oregon here. They put on a great show against Oregon State. I don't think Terrelle Pryor is going to be able to keep up point-for-point with the Ducks.

Sugar Bowl | #5 Florida vs. #4 Cincinnati

Alexander: Cincinnati is there without a coach. I don't know the status of their quarterback and if he's going to be playing too much. Guys are really mad about Brian Kelly. How is that going to affect the team? They can be motivated or a little down about it. Who knows? Tim Tebow is playing his last game and I think he's angry about the Alabama deal. I'm going Florida.

International  | South Florida vs. Northern Illinois

Alexander: This is a game no one even knows is being played. South Florida here.

Cotton Bowl | #21 Oklahoma State vs. Mississippi

Alexander: Oklahoma State with (quarterback) Zac Robinson minus Dez Bryant.

Papajohns.com Bowl | South Carolina vs. Connecticut

Alexander: Connecticut had to deal with the bad tragedy this year losing a teammate. They have been inspired all year to play some good ball. I'm really not liking what Steve Spurrier has going on up there right now.

Alamo Bowl | Michigan State vs. Texas Tech

Alexander: Well, you have the (Mike) Leach situation. I'm going with Texas Tech to rally around the situation. Get the man out of the closet and get him on the field.

Liberty Bowl | Arkansas vs. East Carolina

Alexander: I don't know what's going on with either team. I kind of like the Ryan Mallett dude, six-feet seven. Arkansas here.

Fiesta Bowl | #6 Boise State vs. #3 TCU

Alexander: You already know I have to go with my boys at Boise State. We're playing one of the best defenses in the country and Boise State has been one of the best offenses in the country. I think it's going to be a low-scoring game. Last year it was 17-16. Big stage and Boise has a lot to prove once again because TCU is looking at this game like they should have been in national championship contention. People from TCU are mad because they're playing Boise State when they could have played a higher conference team. They don't feel like they're getting rewarded by playing against Boise State again. Boise State knows that and I'm going with the Broncos.

Orange Bowl | #10 Iowa vs. #9 Georgia Tech

Alexander: I don't know the status of Iowa's quarterback and if he's playing. I didn't like the backup in the last two games. You have the option with Georgia Tech. You have to be disciplined and you have to tackle. You know they're going to run the ball and you have to figure out where the ball is first of all. I'm rolling with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

GMAC Bowl | #25 Central Michigan vs. Troy

Alexander: Another game that no one knows is going to be played right before the BCS Championship game. This game is in Mobile, Alabama. Dan LeFevour is playing in his last game as a senior. He might be the most accurate quarterback in NCAA history. I'm going away from the fighting DeMarcus Ware's and Osi Umenyiora's and go with Central Michigan.

BCS Championship | #2 Texas vs. #1 Alabama

Alexander: This is a big game. You have Colt McCoy and everything he has built at Texas, making people forget about Vince Young. He has a great receiver in Jordan Shipley and a great team around them. They barely got past the team that won 33-0 last night. We might not have been seeing this matchup. Then we have Alabama and the Heisman Trophy winner. We have a great quarterback (Greg McElroy) who has stepped in and not lost a game in high school nor in college as a starter. Alabama wins due to the fact they have a great running game and they have a guy named Julio Jones on the outside once you commit to Mark Ingram in the box.

What do you think?

Montell Owens finally gets recognized

Montell Owens finally gets recognized

When you are a member of a special teams unit in the NFL, you don't expect to be noticed for your play. Unless you are returning kicks for touchdowns, like Cleveland's Joshua Cribbs who has four this year, most of the attention is given for a bad snap, missed field goal or some other game-changing play.

Montell Owens was pleasantly surprised when he was informed last night that he was selected as the first alternate to the AFC Pro Bowl roster as a special teamer. Owens leads the Jaguars with a career-high 27 special teams tackles through 15 games. San Diego wide receiver Kassim Osgood was elected to his third Pro Bowl as the AFC special teams player.

"It's just really one of those things that is a product of this special teams unit," Owens said. "We've got a standard here and that's one of things that we really stand by. We could have many other guys that are very deserving of it as well."

Under first-year special teams coordinator Russ Purnell, the Jaguars have allowed an NFL-low four yards per punt return and have not allowed a return of more than 13 yards. The kickoff coverage unit ranks seventh in the NFL with an opponents start position of the 24.9 yard line.

Owens has made a niche for himself on special teams since joining the club as an undrafted rookie in 2006 from Maine. Head coach Jack Del Rio established a leadership council in 2008 and Owens was one of the players selected, and he was voted as the special teams captain this year, wearing a "C" on his jersey.

"From day one he's done everything you could ever ask a pro to do," Del Rio said. "He's been excellent. He's not been good, he's been excellent. And hard-driving, very committed, very serious about his profession and the work that must go in to being good at it. He's maximizing what he has to give. He's a great story, a great young man."

Owens' role has increased even more this year with the addition of 32 new faces and 16 rookies, with most playing on special teams.

"I don't look at it as it being something solely about myself but I know the way I go about my business will help this team," Owens said. "As a unit every man has to do their job and the better I can do my job the better I can help this team win. I really look at it as propelling this special teams unit to another level, not really Montell Owens."

Weather could play a factor

The Jaguars have been fortunate in terms of the weather this season, but things could change on Sunday. The Cleveland forecast is calling for temperatures in the low 20's with a possible wind chill of below zero and the normal high winds coming off Lake Erie. It was expected that last week's game at New England would be a forecast of what is to come this week, but it never dipped below 50 degrees at Gillette Stadium.

The Jaguars haven't played a game in sub-50 degrees this season, but they have a recent history of playing well in cold weather. The club won at Denver in 2008 in a game played in the low 40s. It's not hard to remember the Jaguars' two wins in Pittsburgh in 2007 including the playoff win where it was 39 degrees at kickoff.

The coldest game in franchise history was December 17, 2000 at Cincinnati when the temperature at kickoff was nine degrees.

Players ready for challenge

There hasn't been much talk in the Jaguars locker room this week about the different playoff scenarios. Instead, the focus has been on Sunday's game against Cleveland and a chance to snap a three-game losing streak.

More important, the Jaguars have a chance to finish the regular season the right way with a win at Cleveland, something the players aren't taking lightly.

"A chance to go 8-8 would be a big difference from 7-9," cornerback Rashean Mathis said. "That will give you something to hang your hat on and give you a little more confidence going into the offseason. This game is huge in that regard, finishing .500 and not having a losing season."

Quarterback David Garrard knows veteran leadership is more valuable than ever at this time.

"I think with the guys we have on this team we really have to be able to show that we're coming in with our focus because young guys and rookies are going to play off of us and if they see us not trying as hard or watching as much film then they're going to start taking time off," Garrard said. "They can't take any time off because they don't know very much. I think we've got a good group of vets on the team that are staying very focused."

Day of awards

It was a day of awards for Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew as he was named the club's recipient of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, coming off last night's selection to the Pro Bowl.

"What a great person, what a great teammate, what a great running back he is," quarterback David Garrard said. "I was texting him last night telling him how proud I am of him and how proud I am to be able to play beside him. He's really been just a good teammate for this team in this locker room and for this community. We haven't had some of those good character guys around here like that and for him to display his talents on the field all the fans love him and rightly so. He's a great guy, a great athlete and he makes a lot of plays."

Jones-Drew joined Fred Taylor as the only running backs in franchise history to earn a Pro Bowl invitation. Without Taylor, Jones-Drew has carried the load for the Jaguars in the running game. He ranks third in the NFL with 348 offensive touches and is fifth with 296 rushes.

"He's been everything that we would look for in a player," head coach Jack Del Rio said. "He's very unselfish, hard-working, determined, talented. He gives of himself to the community, he gives of himself to the locker room, to his teammates. He'll block, catch, run with the ball, anything that you ask him to do, go back and return kicks. So really, really happy for him.

Several times during his Wednesday press conference with the local media Jones-Drew made mention of his offensive linemen. The group which includes two rookies paved the way for what could be the second-most yards in franchise history for a running back.

"Obviously you are proud of it because it's one of your backs making it," center Brad Meester said. "Deep down, you feel like it's an accomplishment because you are one of those guys that had to block for him. Now he made a lot of that happen for himself."

Meester hasn't seen any change in Jones-Drew since he came in as a rookie, just more opportunities.

"He's the same guy," Meester said. "No matter what, every game he brings it. He comes in and works unbelievably hard, flying around, hitting people, fighting for those yards. That is the type of guy he is and it's what makes him the great player he is."

Wide receiver Torry Holt is in his first season with the Jaguars and has been around some great players and teammates in his 11 seasons. He has been impressed with Jones-Drew's attributes off the field.

"He's an awesome teammate," wide receiver Torry Holt said. "One thing that sticks out about Maurice is his passion for winning. He wants to win. He expresses that. Then he goes out and practices and most importantly plays that way. You can't ask for anything more than that. He works hard and he's our leader. That's what you want, and to top it all off he's a really good guy. If you ever get an opportunity to talk with him and get to know him you'd see what kind of guy he is."

Jones-Drew is proud of both honors but says the Man of the Year means more to what he is about as a person. He has worked with his mother, Andrea, to start the Maurice Jones-Drew Foundation and he is proud of what they accomplished in their first year.

"Just rowing up as a kid, living in a single-parent home, watching my mother do everything she can to provide for me and my sister," Jones-Drew said. "To be able to go out there (in the community) and see a smile on a kid's face or give a kid opportunities to do something that they never thought they'd have the chance to do.

"We had the backpack giveaway, kids came to the game, maybe they weren't able to afford books or we were able to give them things where they didn't have to go buy book bags so they could go buy books, or new shoes, or whatever it was that would help them further their education. It's a thing that I think a lot of people in this league should take initiative of and see how significant it is. You never know who you might be talking to - you might be talking to the next president or the person who cures cancer and you talking to them and engaging with them might be the thing that keeps them going."

Browns running back flies under radar

The Jaguars will be facing one of the best running backs in the NFL in recent weeks on Sunday in Jerome Harrison. The fourth-year pro has 434 rushing yards in the last two games, the fifth-most in NFL history in back-to-back games. He rushed for 286 yards at Kansas City and compiled 148 rushing yards on 39 carries last Sunday against Oakland.

While many are just beginning to take notice of Harrison, Jaguars cornerback Tyron Brackenridge is not surprised by the production. The two were teammates at Washington State for two seasons after they both transferred from California junior colleges, Brackenridge from Chaffey in Rancho Cucamonga and Harrison from Pasadena City.

"I've seen it first-hand it playing with him," Brackenridge said. "He runs hard. He can be a big-time back in this league and I have noticed that ever since junior college and at Washington State."

Harrison stands five feet nine, two inches taller than Jaguars Pro Bowl running back Maurice Jones-Drew, and was faced with a similar situation as Jones-Drew. Jones-Drew became a full-time starter after the departure of Fred Taylor and Harrison took over the starting role when veteran Jamal Lewis was placed on injured reserve.

Jones-Drew has heard the size questions since he entered the league in 2006 and it's been no different for Harrison. Both have been friends since they played against each other in the Pac-10.

Browns head coach Eric Mangini had the experience the last three seasons in New York with a player of similar stature, in Jets running back and Jacksonville native Leon Washington.

"They both came out the same year," Mangini said. "They both had similar numbers in college. They both have a lot of the same traits. I saw the way Leon picked up the blitz and the way that he improved and I knew that J.C. could be that type of back. He's just gotten a lot of opportunities. I really think the offensive line has improved. They've done a really nice job with their blocking, tight ends, Lawrence (Vickers), the wide receivers, all those guys."

Harrison's former teammate agrees.

"Size doesn't matter," Brackenridge said. "It's all about will and heart. You can't coach those things. It depends on the individual. When you have a hungry guy like Jerome Harrison or Maurice (Jones-Drew), they are going to get what they need to get them."

Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio has been impressed what he has seen of Harrison on film.

"He's done a nice job with vision, finding a hole, acceleration, making some people miss, running through some tackles," Del Rio said. "He's really taken advantage of the opportunities. I think if you were to ask him I'm sure he would tell you what's changed I think he's getting the ball, he's getting an opportunity and he's making the most of it."

Did you know?

The Browns have won five of their last seven season finales and need a win on Sunday to tie the franchise-record for wins in December at five.

The last word

"I would be staring at the scoreboard way too long to see all the different scenarios, so I probably shouldn't. I should probably just wait until after the game and see how it all shakes out. Like I said, I'd be looking for way too long to watch all the teams scroll by. Really, it just starts with us getting a win. Nothing can happen if we're staring at the scoreboard."

Quarterback David Garrard on the different playoff scenarios