2003 Jacksonville Jaguars season

2003 Jacksonville Jaguars season
Head coachJack Del Rio
Home fieldAlltel Stadium
Results
Record5–11
Division place3rd AFC South
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Pro BowlersDT Marcus Stroud
Uniform

The 2003 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the franchise's 9th season in the National Football League and the 1st under head coach Jack Del Rio. The Jaguars failed to improve upon their 6–10 regular season record in 2002 and failed to make the playoffs for the fourth season in a row. An 0–8 record in road games eliminated any chance of postseason play.

Oddly, despite being in existence since 1995, this season marked the first time that the Jaguars played the San Diego Chargers.[1] This is due to old NFL scheduling formulas in place prior to 2002; the Jaguars had played the Chargers’ division rivals the Kansas City Chiefs four times;[2] the Denver Broncos[3] three times and the Oakland Raiders twice (though not since 1997).[4]

Week 3 was Mark Brunell's last game as a Jaguar, as he was benched forcing rookie quarterback Byron Leftwich to take his spot for the rest of the season. Brunell left the team at the end of the season.

Jacksonville defeated New Orleans 20–19 in the week 16 game despite the River City Relay, a play that has gone down in NFL lore.

Offseason

Acquisitions

During free agency, the Jaguars signed former Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Hugh Douglas and former Indianapolis Colts linebacker Mike Peterson.

Additions Subtractions
DE Hugh Douglas (Eagles) WR Patrick Johnson (Redskins)
LB Mike Peterson (Colts) DT Larry Smith (Packers)
WR Troy Edwards (Rams) DE Marco Coleman (Eagles)
WR Jermaine Lewis (Texans) LB Wali Rainer (Lions)
G Jamar Nesbit (Panthers)
FB Marc Edwards (Patriots)

NFL draft

Main article: 2003 NFL draft
2003 Jacksonville Jaguars draft
Round Pick Player Position College Notes
1 7 Byron Leftwich  Quarterback Marshall
2 39 Rashean Mathis *  Cornerback Bethune-Cookman
3 72 Vince Manuwai  Guard Hawaii
4 108 George Wrighster  Tight end Oregon
4 132 LaBrandon Toefield  Running back LSU
6 176 Brandon Green  Defensive end Rice
6 179 David Young  Safety Georgia Southern
6 193 Marques Ogden  Offensive tackle Howard
7 218 Malaefou MacKenzie  Fullback USC
      Made roster    †   Pro Football Hall of Fame    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Undrafted free agents

2003 Undrafted Free Agents of note
Player Position College
Chris Brown Cornerback UAB
Chris L. Brown Cornerback Grambling State
Cortez Hankton Wide receiver Texas Southern
Matt Leonard Defensive Tackle Stanford
Seth Marler Kicker Tulane
Curtis Randall Linebacker Louisiana Tech
Brett Romberg Center Miami (FL)
Kevin Simmons Wide receiver Howard
Joe Smith Running back Louisiana Tech

Staff

2003 Jacksonville Jaguars staff

Front office

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

  • Special teams coordinator – Bill Bates
  • Assistant special teams/assistant strength and conditioning – Paul McCord

Strength and conditioning

  • Strength and conditioning – Mark Asanovich
  • Strength and conditioning intern – Vernon Stephens


Final roster

2003 Jacksonville Jaguars roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams

Practice squad
  • 31 Chris Brown CB
  • 61 Konrad Dean T
  • -- Michael Josiah DE
  • 59 Curtis Randall LB
  • 30 Joe Smith RB

Reserve

Rookies in italics
53 active, 9 reserve, 5 practice squad

Preseason

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue
1 August 9 at Minnesota Vikings W 16–14 1–0 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
2 August 15 Miami Dolphins W 27–23 2–0 Alltel Stadium
3 August 23 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 6–10 2–1 Raymond James Stadium
4 August 28 Washington Redskins W 17–15 3–1 Alltel Stadium

Regular season

Schedule

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance
1 September 7 at Carolina Panthers L 23–24 0–1 Ericsson Stadium 72,134
2 September 14 Buffalo Bills L 17–38 0–2 Alltel Stadium 58,613
3 September 21 at Indianapolis Colts L 13–23 0–3 RCA Dome 55,770
4 September 28 at Houston Texans L 20–24 0–4 Reliant Stadium 70,041
5 October 5 San Diego Chargers W 27–21 1–4 Alltel Stadium 48,954
6 October 12 Miami Dolphins L 10–24 1–5 Alltel Stadium 66,437
7 Bye
8 October 26 Tennessee Titans L 17–30 1–6 Alltel Stadium 55,918
9 November 2 at Baltimore Ravens L 17–24 1–7 Ravens Stadium 69,486
10 November 9 Indianapolis Colts W 28–23 2–7 Alltel Stadium 45,037
11 November 16 at Tennessee Titans L 3–10 2–8 The Coliseum 68,809
12 November 23 at New York Jets L 10–13 2–9 Giants Stadium 77,614
13 November 30 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 17–10 3–9 Alltel Stadium 60,543
14 December 7 Houston Texans W 27–0 4–9 Alltel Stadium 43,363
15 December 14 at New England Patriots L 13–27 4–10 Gillette Stadium 68,436
16 December 21 New Orleans Saints W 20–19 5–10 Alltel Stadium 49,207
17 December 28 at Atlanta Falcons L 14–21 5–11 Georgia Dome 70,266

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Carolina Panthers

Week One: Jacksonville Jaguars at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Jaguars 0 14 3623
Panthers 0 0 71724

at Ericsson Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

  • Date: September 7, 2003
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: Mostly cloudy, 72 °F (22 °C)
  • Game attendance: 72,134
  • Referee: Johnny Grier
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 2: vs. Buffalo Bills

Week Two: Buffalo Bills at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bills 14 7 14338
Jaguars 0 7 3717

at Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida

Game information

Week 3: at Indianapolis Colts

Week Three: Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Jaguars 0 3 01013
Colts 0 0 17623

at RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana

  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: None (domed stadium)
  • Game attendance: 55,770
  • Referee: Bernie Kukar
  • TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui and Steve Tasker
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

After being down 3–0 at halftime, the Colts scored 17 third quarter points followed by six points in the fourth quarter to beat Jacksonville 23-13 and improve to 3–0. A standout moment from the game occurred when Colts' rookie DB Mike Doss caused a fumble by Jaguars' RB Fred Taylor. Doss reportedly quipped, "Hey, Fred, you forgot something." In retaliation, Taylor told reporters ahead of their next encounter, "I'm going to bust his (butt). I'm going to punish him."[5]

Week 4: at Houston Texans

Week Four: Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Jaguars 3 7 10020
Texans 7 7 3724

at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

  • Date: September 28, 2003
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: 79 °F (26 °C)
  • Game attendance: 70,041
  • Referee: Tony Corrente
  • TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui and Steve Tasker
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 5: vs. San Diego Chargers

Week Five: San Diego Chargers at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Chargers 0 7 01421
Jaguars 7 3 10727

at Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida

Game information

Week 6: vs. Miami Dolphins

Week Six: Miami Dolphins at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Dolphins 10 0 01424
Jaguars 0 3 7010

at Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida

  • Date: October 12, 2003
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C)
  • Game attendance: 66,437
  • Referee: Walt Coleman
  • Box score, Game Book
Game information

Week 8: vs. Tennessee Titans

Week Eight: Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Titans 10 10 7330
Jaguars 0 10 0717

at Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida

  • Date: October 26, 2003
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C)
  • Game attendance: 55,918
  • Referee: Terry McAulay
  • TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 9: at Baltimore Ravens

Week Nine: Jacksonville Jaguars at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Jaguars 0 3 7717
Ravens 7 0 61124

at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

  • Date: November 2, 2003
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 71 °F (22 °C)
  • Game attendance: 69,486
  • Referee: Walt Anderson
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 10: vs. Indianapolis Colts

Week Ten: Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Colts 7 13 0323
Jaguars 7 0 71428

at Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida

  • Date: November 9, 2003
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C)
  • Game attendance: 45,037
  • Referee: Ron Winter
  • TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

By the start of the fourth quarter, the Jaguars rallied with two touchdowns to take the lead. On the next possession, Peyton Manning connected with Marcus Pollard, who raced 70 yards to set up a go–ahead field goal. The Jaguars then moved deep into Colts' territory, but a fumbled field goal snap by punter/holder Mark Royals thwarted their efforts. After the Colts went three–and–out and a strong punt return set Jacksonville up at the Indianapolis 31–yard line, Fred Taylor made a 32–yard run, evading Mike Doss as he fell, to score a touchdown and put the Jaguars ahead with just a minute remaining. Manning's attempt to respond ended in an interception, sealing the Jaguars' first–ever victory over the Colts in a surprising upset. [5] After the game, Doss remarked, "I guess you'd have to say he got the final word today." Taylor expressed that his frustration arose from Doss forcing his head to the ground after he recovered the fumble, expressing "I felt he truly disrespected me,"[6]

Week 11: at Tennessee Titans

Week Eleven: Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Jaguars 0 0 033
Titans 3 7 0010

at The Coliseum, Nashville, Tennessee

  • Date: November 16, 2003
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Cloudy & slight rain, 60 °F (16 °C)
  • Game attendance: 68,809
  • Referee: Ron Blum
  • TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson and Brent Jones
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 12: at New York Jets

Week Twelve: Jacksonville Jaguars at New York Jets – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Jaguars 0 3 0710
Titans 3 3 01016

at The Meadowlands, East Rutherford, New Jersey

  • Date: November 12, 2003
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Clear, 53 °F (12 °C)
  • Game attendance: 77,614
  • Referee: Bill Carollo
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 13: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week Thirteen: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Buccaneers 0 10 0010
Jaguars 0 10 0717

at Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida

  • Date: November 30, 2003
  • Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 46 °F (8 °C)
  • Game attendance: 60,543
  • Referee: Tony Corrente
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 14: vs. Houston Texans

Week Fourteen: Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Texans 0 0 000
Jaguars 7 10 01027

at Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida

  • Date: December 7, 2003
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C)
  • Game attendance: 43,363
  • Referee: Jeff Triplette
  • TV: CBS
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 15: at New England Patriots

Week Fifteen: Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Jaguars 3 3 0713
Patriots 7 6 01427

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

  • Date: December 14, 2003
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Cloudy, cold, snow expected, 25 °F (−4 °C)
  • Game attendance: 68,436
  • Referee: Walt Anderson
  • TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms and Armen Keteyian
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 16: vs. New Orleans Saints

Main article: River City Relay
Week Sixteen: New Orleans Saints at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Saints 3 7 3619
Jaguars 0 17 3020

at Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida

Game information

Week 17: at Atlanta Falcons

Week Seventeen: Jacksonville Jaguars at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Jaguars 7 0 7014
Falcons 14 7 0021

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

  • Date: December 28, 2003
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Cloudy, cold, snow expected, 25 °F (−4 °C)
  • Game attendance: 70,266
  • Referee: None (indoor stadium0
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Standings

Division

AFC South
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(3) Indianapolis Colts 12 4 0 .750 5–1 9–3 447 336 W1
(5) Tennessee Titans 12 4 0 .750 4–2 8–4 435 324 W3
Jacksonville Jaguars 5 11 0 .313 2–4 3–9 276 331 L1
Houston Texans 5 11 0 .313 1–5 3–9 255 380 L4

Conference

AFC[7]
# Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK
Division leaders
1 New England Patriots East 14 2 0 .875 5–1 11–1 .484 .492 W12
2 Kansas City Chiefs West 13 3 0 .813 5–1 10–2 .418 .385 W1
3[a] Indianapolis Colts South 12 4 0 .750 5–1 9–3 .492 .448 W1
4 Baltimore Ravens North 10 6 0 .625 4–2 7–5 .457 .400 W2
Wild cards
5[a] Tennessee Titans South 12 4 0 .750 4–2 8–4 .473 .401 W3
6[b] Denver Broncos West 10 6 0 .625 5–1 9–3 .500 .406 L1
Did not qualify for the postseason
7[b] Miami Dolphins East 10 6 0 .625 4–2 7–5 .512 .388 W2
8 Cincinnati Bengals North 8 8 0 .500 3–3 6–6 .457 .469 L2
9[c] Pittsburgh Steelers North 6 10 0 .375 3–3 5–7 .500 .365 L1
10[c][d] Buffalo Bills East 6 10 0 .375 2–4 4–8 .570 .438 L3
11[d] New York Jets East 6 10 0 .375 1–5 6–6 .527 .396 L2
12[e][f] Jacksonville Jaguars South 5 11 0 .313 2–4 3–9 .543 .453 L1
13[e][g] Cleveland Browns North 5 11 0 .313 2–4 3–9 .539 .363 W1
14[f][g] Houston Texans South 5 11 0 .313 1–5 3–9 .570 .463 L4
15[h] Oakland Raiders West 4 12 0 .250 1–5 3–9 .516 .484 L2
16 San Diego Chargers West 4 12 0 .250 1–5 2–10 .504 .359 W1
Tiebreakers[i]
  1. ^ a b Indianapolis finished ahead of Tennessee based upon head-to-head sweep.
  2. ^ a b Denver finished as the second Wild Card instead of Miami based upon better conference record.
  3. ^ a b Pittsburgh finished ahead of Buffalo based upon conference win percentage. Division tiebreak was initially used to eliminate New York Jets.
  4. ^ a b Buffalo finished ahead of New York Jets based upon better division record.
  5. ^ a b Jacksonville finished ahead of Cleveland based upon better record against common opponents (Jacksonville was 2–3 against Cleveland’s 0–5 versus New England, Indianapolis, Baltimore and San Diego). Division tiebreaker was initially used to eliminate Houston.
  6. ^ a b Jacksonville finished ahead of Houston based upon better conference record.
  7. ^ a b Cleveland finished ahead of Houston based upon better record against common opponents (Cleveland was 1–4 against Houston‘s 0–5 versus New England, Kansas City, Indianapolis and Cincinnati.)
  8. ^ Oakland finished ahead of San Diego based upon conference record
  9. ^ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.


References

  1. ^ Jacksonville Jaguars v San Diego Chargers
  2. ^ Jacksonville Jaguars v Kansas City Chiefs
  3. ^ Jacksonville Jaguars v Denver Broncos
  4. ^ Jacksonville Jaguars v Oakland Raiders
  5. ^ a b "Taylor said it, did it". Jacksonville Jaguars. November 9, 2003. Archived from the original on October 7, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  6. ^ Pells, Eddie (November 10, 2003). "Taylor Lifts Jaguars Past Colts for Upset Victory". The Ledger. Lakeland, Florida: Leon Tucker. Archived from the original on August 22, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  7. ^ "2003 Conference Standings". NFL.com. Retrieved April 13, 2024.