176-788: The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida . The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team plays its home games at EverBank Stadium . Founded alongside the Carolina Panthers in 1995 as an expansion team , the Jaguars competed in the AFC Central until they were moved to
352-422: A gridiron in appearance. Other major rule changes included a reduction of the field size to 110 by 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (100.6 m × 48.8 m) and the adoption of a scoring system that awarded four points for a touchdown, two for a safety and a goal following a touchdown , and five for a goal from the field . Additionally, tackling below the waist was legalized, and a static line of scrimmage
528-403: A halftime period, and the first and third quarters are followed by a short break. Before the game starts, the referee and each team's captain meet at midfield for a coin toss . The visiting team can call either "heads" or "tails"; the winner of the toss chooses whether to receive or kick off the ball or which goal they wish to defend. They can defer their choice until the second half. Unless
704-401: A 10-yard-long chain between them, are used to measure for a first down. The chain crew stays on the sidelines during the game, but if requested by the officials they will briefly bring the chains on to the field to measure. A typical chain crew will have at least three people—two members of the chain crew will hold either of the two sticks, while a third will hold the down marker. The down marker,
880-471: A 2–12 start to the 2016 season, Gus Bradley was fired. Interim coach Doug Marrone split the final two games of the season. Marrone was named the full-time head coach prior to the 2017 season. The 2017 season saw the Jaguars win the AFC South with a 10–6 mark being led by a strong defensive unit. The season marked the first division title for the team since 1999. The team made the playoffs for the first time since
1056-408: A 2–3 mark as interim. Mike Mularkey was hired to be the Jaguars' third head coach prior to the 2012 season. The team went 2–14, which marked the worst season in franchise history at the time. Mularkey was fired following the season. Prior to the 2013 season, Gus Bradley was hired to be the team's fourth head coach. Chad Henne was the starting quarterback for the majority of the 2013 season, which saw
1232-708: A 42–17 loss to the Denver Broncos in the Wild Card Round. The 1998 season saw the team win their first divisional title by going 11–5. The team had their first ever player rush for over 1,000 yards, Fred Taylor . The team defeated the New England Patriots 25–10 in the Wild Card Round before falling to the New York Jets , 34–24 in the Divisional Round. The Jaguars reached new heights in the 1999 season with
1408-587: A 9–8 record and a division title. The Jaguars defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 31–30 in the Wild Card Round. The game featured the third-largest comeback in NFL postseason history with the Jaguars trailing 27–0 at one point. The Jaguars' season ended with a 27–20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round. In the 2023 season, the Jaguars finished with a 9–8 mark once again but failed to qualify for
1584-525: A PAT attempt or successful field goal, the scoring team must kick the ball off to the other team. A safety is scored when the ball carrier is tackled in the carrier's own end zone. Safeties are worth two points, which are awarded to the defense. In addition, the team that conceded the safety must kick the ball to the scoring team via a free kick . Football games are played on a rectangular field that measures 120 yards (110 m) long and 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (48.8 m) wide. Lines marked along
1760-602: A bus to their games instead of flying. Since realignment, the Steelers have won the division title seven times, and the Ravens and Bengals have each won four times. The Steelers have swept all divisional opponents twice, in 2002 and 2008 (going 7 for 7 both times, winning against the Browns in a 2002 AFC Wildcard game and the Ravens in the 2008 AFC Championship ), and the Ravens and Bengals have swept all three divisional opponents once each,
1936-576: A capacity of 67,814, with additional seating added during Florida–Georgia Game and the Gator Bowl . The stadium served as the site of Super Bowl XXXIX in addition to five Jaguar playoff games including the 1999 AFC Championship Game . It also hosted the ACC Championship Game from 2005 to 2007 and the River City Showdown in 2007 and 2008. From 1995 to 1997 and again from 2006 to 2009,
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#17328378971942112-435: A certain way, both the helmet and face mask sparkled with a shiny teal appearance. These were the first helmets in professional football which changed color with different angles of light. The logo and number decals also incorporated this effect. Prior to the 2012 season , new Jaguars owner Shahid Khan announced that the team would once again use a black jersey, something they had not done since 2008. In September of that year,
2288-473: A common draft that would take place each year, and it instituted an annual World Championship game to be played between the champions of each league. This championship game began play at the end of the 1966 season. Once the merger was completed, it was no longer a championship game between two leagues and reverted to the NFL championship game, which came to be known as the Super Bowl . College football maintained
2464-567: A feat the Professional Football Researchers Association compared to "selling refrigerators to Eskimos ". Princeton, Harvard, Yale, and Columbia then agreed to intercollegiate play using a form of rugby union rules with a modified scoring system. These schools formed the Intercollegiate Football Association , although Yale did not join until 1879. Yale player Walter Camp , now regarded as
2640-453: A field goal instead. A group of officials, the chain crew, keeps track of both the downs and the distance measurements. On television, a yellow line is electronically superimposed on the field to show the first down line to the viewing audience. There are two categories of kicks in football: scrimmage kicks, which can be executed by the offensive team on any down from behind or on the line of scrimmage, and free kicks. The free kicks are
2816-593: A franchise-best division-winning 14–2 season. The team defeated the Miami Dolphins , 62–7 in the Divisional Round, which would be Dan Marino 's final game. The Jaguars saw their season end in the AFC Championship with a 33–14 loss to the Tennessee Titans , who were responsible for all three of their losses that year. Despite Taylor, McCardell, and Smith all putting together successful statistical seasons in 2000,
2992-428: A game between Yale and Princeton, both teams used this strategy to maintain their undefeated records. Each team held the ball, gaining no ground, for an entire half, resulting in a 0–0 tie. This "block game" proved extremely unpopular with both teams' spectators and fans. A rule change was necessary to prevent this strategy from taking hold, and a reversion to the scrum was considered. However, Camp successfully proposed
3168-576: A game for the Allegheny Athletic Association against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club . This is the first recorded instance of a player being paid to participate in a game of American football , although many athletic clubs in the 1880s offered indirect benefits, such as helping players attain employment, giving out trophies or watches that players could pawn for money, or paying double in expense money. Despite these extra benefits,
3344-533: A large stick with a dial on it, is flipped after each play to indicate the current down and is typically moved to the approximate spot of the ball. The chain crew system has been used for over 100 years and is considered an accurate measure of distance, rarely subject to criticism from either side. Football is a full-contact sport, and injuries are relatively common. Most injuries occur during training sessions, particularly ones that involve contact between players. To try to prevent injuries, players are required to wear
3520-553: A league-suggested numbering scheme. Although the sport is played almost exclusively by men, women are eligible to play in high school, college, and professional football. No woman has ever played in the NFL, but women have played in high school and college football games. In 2018, 1,100 of the 225,000 players in Pop Warner Little Scholars youth football were girls, and around 11% of the 5.5 million Americans who report playing tackle football are female according to
3696-408: A long circumference of 28 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (71 to 72 cm), and a short circumference of 21 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). In college and high school play the ball has a long axis of 10 + 7 ⁄ 8 to 11 + 7 ⁄ 16 inches (27.6 to 29.1 cm), a long circumference of 27 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (70 to 72 cm), and
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#17328378971943872-420: A minimum of 10 feet (3.0 m) on high school fields. Goal posts are padded at the base, and orange ribbons are normally placed at the tip of each upright as indicators of wind strength and direction. The football itself is a prolate spheroid leather ball, similar to the balls used in rugby or Australian rules football . To contain the compressed air within it, a pig's bladder was commonly used before
4048-670: A national champion of college football. The first was the Bowl Coalition , in place from 1992 to 1994. This was replaced in 1995 by the Bowl Alliance , which gave way to the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in 1997. The BCS arrangement proved to be controversial , and was replaced in 2014 by the College Football Playoff (CFP). A football game is played between two teams of 11 players each. Playing with more on
4224-445: A new logo, wordmark, and secondary logo. The new Jaguar head logo was intended to be "fiercer" and more realistic. The secondary logo incorporated the new Jaguar head logo along with the first official usage of the team's popular nickname "Jags". The two images were encased in a shield-style shape, designed to be a tribute to Jacksonville's military community. Beginning in 2013, the Jaguars began to feature gold more prominently than in
4400-562: A no-contest (and later cancelled), the Cincinnati Bengals officially played 16 games in the 2022 season. This, however, had no bearing on the winner of the Division as the Bengals had 2 more wins than the second placed Ravens. + A players' strike in 1982 reduced the regular season to nine games, so the league used a special 16-team playoff tournament just for this year. At the conclusion of
4576-428: A pass hits the ground without a player having caught it. A forward pass can be legally attempted only if the passer is behind the line of scrimmage; only one forward pass can be attempted per down. As in rugby, players can also pass the ball backwards at any point during a play. In the NFL, a down also ends immediately if the runner's helmet comes off. The offense is given a series of four plays, known as downs . If
4752-427: A quarter ends, play continues until the down is completed. If certain fouls are committed during play while time has expired, the quarter may be extended through an untimed down . Games last longer than their defined length due to play stoppages—the average NFL game lasts slightly over three hours. Time in a football game is measured by the game clock. An operator is responsible for starting, stopping and operating
4928-414: A round ball that could not be picked up or carried. It could, however, be kicked or batted with the feet, hands, head, or sides, with the objective being to advance it into the opponent's goal. Rutgers won the game 6–4. Collegiate play continued for several years with games played using the rules of the host school. Representatives of Yale, Columbia , Princeton and Rutgers met on October 19, 1873, to create
5104-422: A rule in 1882 that limited each team to three downs , or tackles, to advance the ball 5 yards (4.6 m). Failure to advance the ball the required distance within those three downs would result in control of the ball being forfeited to the other team. This change effectively made American football a separate sport from rugby, and the resulting five-yard lines added to the field to measure distances made it resemble
5280-436: A secondary signal. Women can serve as officials; Sarah Thomas became the NFL's first female official in 2015. The seven officials (of a standard seven-man crew; lower levels of play up to the college level use fewer officials) on the field are each tasked with a different set of responsibilities: Another set of officials, the chain crew , are responsible for moving the chains. The chains, consisting of two large sticks with
5456-580: A set of equipment. At a minimum players must wear a football helmet and a set of shoulder pads , but individual leagues may require additional padding such as thigh pads and guards, knee pads, chest protectors, and mouthguards . Most injuries occur in the lower extremities, particularly in the knee, but a significant number also affect the upper extremities. The most common types of injuries are strains , sprains , bruises , fractures , dislocations , and concussions . AFC Central The American Football Conference – Northern Division or AFC North
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5632-410: A short circumference of 20 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). Football games last for a total of 60 minutes in professional and college play and are divided into two halves of 30 minutes and four quarters of 15 minutes. High school football games are 48 minutes in length with two halves of 24 minutes and four quarters of 12 minutes. The two halves are separated by
5808-452: A standard set of rules for use by all schools. Teams were set at 20 players each, and fields of 400 by 250 feet (122 m × 76 m) were specified. Harvard abstained from the conference, as they favored a rugby-style game that allowed running with the ball. After playing McGill University using both American (known as "the Boston game ") for the first game and Canadian (rugby) rules for
5984-449: A tradition of postseason bowl games . Each bowl game was associated with a particular conference and earning a spot in a bowl game was the reward for winning a conference. This arrangement was profitable, but it tended to prevent the two top-ranked teams from meeting in a true national championship game, as they would normally be committed to the bowl games of their respective conferences. Several systems have been used since 1992 to determine
6160-407: A white jersey, but they now used teal as the only accent color as opposed to using gold in previous years. The Jaguars' identity, in terms of colors, beginning in 2009 is exclusively teal and black, with gold only being used in the logo. The final change made to the Jaguars' uniforms in 2009 was to the helmet. The new helmet and facemask were black just like the old ones, but when light hit the new ones
6336-429: Is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense , the team with possession of the oval-shaped football , attempts to advance down the field by running with the ball or throwing it , while the defense , the team without possession of the ball, aims to stop the offense's advance and to take control of the ball for themselves. The offense must advance
6512-425: Is called on the offense. There are two main ways the offense can advance the ball: running and passing . In a typical play, the center passes the ball backwards and between their legs to the quarterback in a process known as the snap . The quarterback then either hands the ball off to a running back, throws the ball, or runs with it. The play ends when the player with the ball is tackled or goes out-of-bounds or
6688-437: Is caught or recovered behind the line of scrimmage. If it is touched or recovered by the kicking team beyond this line, it becomes dead at the spot where it was touched. The kicking team is prohibited from interfering with the receiver's opportunity to catch the ball. The receiving team has the option of signaling for a fair catch , which prohibits the defense from blocking into or tackling the receiver. The play ends as soon as
6864-403: Is known as a two-point conversion . In general, the extra point is almost always successful, while the two-point conversion is a much riskier play with a higher probability of failure; accordingly, extra point attempts are far more common than two-point conversion attempts. A field goal (FG), worth three points, is scored when the ball is place kicked or drop kicked through the uprights and over
7040-459: Is one of the four divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The division was created after the restructuring of the 2002 NFL season when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams. The division consists of the Baltimore Ravens , Cincinnati Bengals , Cleveland Browns , and Pittsburgh Steelers . This is the only division in
7216-407: Is responsible for all kicking plays. The special teams unit of the team in control of the ball tries to execute field goal (FG) attempts, punts , and kickoffs , while the opposing team's unit will aim to block or return them. Three positions are specific to the field goal and PAT (point-after-touchdown) unit: the placekicker (K or PK), holder (H), and long snapper (LS). The long snapper's job
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7392-407: Is the primary, as it has been since 2012, and the teal is the alternate. The Jaguars continued to pair the uniforms with either black or white pants, but added alternate teal pants for the first time. In 2019, the Jaguars began wearing either solid black or white socks as part of a new NFL mandate allowing solid-colored hosiery on the field. In Week 3 of the 2020 season against the Miami Dolphins ,
7568-421: Is to block members of the defensive line from tackling the ball carrier on running plays or sacking the quarterback on passing plays. The leader of the offensive line is the center, who is responsible for snapping the ball to the quarterback, blocking, and for making sure that the other linemen do their jobs during the play. On either side of the center are the guards (G), while tackles (T) line up outside
7744-437: Is to snap the football to the holder, who will catch and position it for the placekicker. There is not usually a holder on kickoffs, because the ball is kicked off a tee; however, a holder may be used in certain situations, such as if wind is preventing the ball from remaining upright on the tee. The player on the receiving team who catches the ball is known as the kickoff returner (KR). The positions specific to punt plays are
7920-589: The 1958 NFL Championship game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants , still referred to as the "Greatest Game Ever Played". The game, a 23–17 overtime victory by the Colts, was seen by millions of television viewers and had a major influence on the popularity of the sport. This, along with the innovations introduced by the new American Football League (AFL) in the early 1960s, helped football to become
8096-469: The 1998 NFL season on a Monday Night Football matchup. Both teams later met in the 1999 AFC Divisional Round in what would ultimately be the final career game for Dolphins' hall-of-fame quarterback Dan Marino . The Dolphins entered the game as heavy underdogs as they had finished the 1999 season 9–7, securing the lowest wild card berth. Meanwhile; the Jaguars had boasted an impressive 14–2 campaign under pro-bowl quarterback Mark Brunell ; culminating in
8272-616: The Houston Oilers . In Week 2, against the Cincinnati Bengals , Randy Jordan caught the first touchdown in franchise history, a 71-yard reception from quarterback Steve Beuerlein . The Jaguars would lose their first four games before breaking through against the Oilers in Week 5 in a 17–16 victory. Over the course of the season, they would suffer through a seven-game losing streak before closing
8448-567: The Houston Texans . Both franchises are two of the youngest in the league, the two teams clashed particularly during Jacksonville's notorious "Sacksonville" era defenses while the Texans often fought hard for control of the division. The Texans currently lead the all-time series versus the Jaguars, 29–14. The Jaguars' rivalry with the Tennessee Titans dates back to the Jaguars inaugural season in
8624-566: The San Francisco 49ers , on February 3, 2013, in New Orleans. It was the second franchise Super Bowl win. As of 2012, the Steelers are the AFC North's most successful team with a 599–547–21 record all-time with the Browns 2nd in line with an overall record of 510–441–while the Ravens sit in 3rd (even though they were not an official franchise until 1996) at 164–128–and then the Bengals today remain
8800-568: The Tennessee Titans ). The AFC North is the only AFC division that does not contain a charter team from the original American Football League . However, the Cincinnati Bengals were an AFL expansion team in the 1968 AFL season (the Steelers and Browns joined the AFC in 1970), although the Bengals joining the AFL was contingent on the team joining the NFL after the AFL–NFL merger was finalized in 1970, as Paul Brown
8976-411: The kickoff , which starts the first and third quarters and overtime and follows a try attempt or a successful field goal; the safety kick follows a safety. On a kickoff, the ball is placed at the 35-yard line of the kicking team in professional and college play and at the 40-yard line in high school play. The ball may be drop kicked or place kicked. If a place kick is chosen, the ball can be placed on
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#17328378971949152-407: The punter (P), long snapper, upback , and gunner . The long snapper snaps the football directly to the punter, who then drops and kicks it before it hits the ground. Gunners line up split outside the line and race down the field, aiming to tackle the punt returner (PR)—the player who catches the punt. Upbacks line up a short distance behind the line of scrimmage, providing additional protection to
9328-468: The snap , the line of scrimmage , eleven-player teams, and the concept of downs. Later rule changes legalized the forward pass , created the neutral zone , and specified the size and shape of the football. The sport is closely related to Canadian football , which evolved in parallel with and at the same time as the American game, although its rules were developed independently from those of Camp. Most of
9504-462: The "Father of American Football", secured rule changes in 1880 that reduced the size of each team from 15 to 11 players and instituted the snap to replace the chaotic and inconsistent scrum . While the game between Rutgers and Princeton is commonly considered the first American football game, several years prior in 1862, the Oneida Football Club formed as the oldest known football club in
9680-461: The 1997 season. On July 25, the Jaguars unveiled a new white alternate helmet that would be worn with the alternate black jersey with white pants. EverBank Stadium (formerly known as Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, Alltel Stadium, EverBank Field, and TIAA Bank Field) is located on the north bank of the St. Johns River , and has been the home of the Jaguars since the team's first season in 1995. The stadium has
9856-475: The 2003 season. One bright spot on the season was Taylor rushing for over 1,500 yards. The team improved to a 9–7 mark in 2004 but missed the postseason. In the 2005 season, Del Rio led the team back into the postseason with a 12–4 finish and 2nd-place finish in the AFC South. The return to the postseason was short-lived with a 28–3 loss to the New England Patriots in the Wild Card Round. The 2006 season saw
10032-556: The 2007 season. In the Wild Card Round, the Jaguars defeated the Bills 10–3. In the Divisional Round, they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 45–42. In their first AFC Championship since the 1999 season, they lost to the New England Patriots 24–20. The game featured a controversial defensive play where Myles Jack recovered a Patriots fumble and had a path for a touchdown but the play was blown dead. The Jaguars were not able to capitalize on
10208-399: The 2015 season, Jacksonville introduced an all-gold second alternative uniform. The set features a gold jersey with black sleeves and black trim, as well as all gold pants. The white front and back numbers are lined in the teal accent color and bordered by black. The TV numbers on the shoulders are white with black bordering. The set also features gold undershirts and socks. On April 19, 2018,
10384-417: The 6–10 season. The 2020 season was the worst season in the history of the franchise with a 1–15 mark. Minshew suffered multiple injuries to his throwing hand during the season, which forced Mike Glennon and Jake Luton to start at quarterback. Following the end of the 2020 season, Marrone was fired. In what would become one of the most ill-fated coaching hires in NFL history, the Jaguars hired Urban Meyer to be
10560-752: The AFC Central changed once again in 1999 when the NFL reactivated the Cleveland Browns. The division had six teams for the 1999 to 2001 seasons, and was the only division to have that many teams in the post-merger era. Aside from Pittsburgh's appearance in Super Bowl XXX , the only other appearance in the Super Bowl for the division in the decade was the Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV , who came up one yard short of
10736-520: The AFC Central in the Super Bowl during the decade, appearing in Super Bowls XVI and XXIII . Both appearances resulted in close losses to the San Francisco 49ers . The Steelers returned as the dominant team in the division in 1992. They won five divisional titles in six years, and played in Super Bowl XXX , in which they lost to the Dallas Cowboys . In 1992, the Oilers were involved in one of
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#173283789719410912-440: The AFC Central title in 2000—were both moved to the new AFC South , while the rest of the AFC Central remained intact and was renamed the AFC North. The Bengals, Browns, and Steelers were guaranteed to remain in a division together in any circumstance; this was part of the NFL's settlement with the city of Cleveland in the wake of the 1995 Cleveland Browns relocation controversy . The division, geographically speaking, thus became
11088-587: The AFC Championship Game, with Tennessee beating Jacksonville for a third time that season, 33–14. The rivalry continued into the 2000s as both teams were placed in the newly formed AFC South in 2002 . The Titans lead the overall series, 34–23, having also won the only playoff game in the series. The Jaguars have taken part in a minor rivalry with the Miami Dolphins as both teams are the only two AFC franchises located in Florida. The two teams first met during
11264-453: The AFC South in 2002. The franchise is owned by Shahid Khan , who bought the team from its original majority owner Wayne Weaver in 2012. The Jaguars saw early success during their second through fifth seasons, which saw them make the playoff each year, win two division titles, and appear in two AFC Championship Games . They are the youngest NFL expansion team to appear in a conference championship (by their second season in 1996 , along with
11440-485: The AFL New York Jets signed rookie Joe Namath to a then-record $ 437,000 contract (equivalent to $ 4.23 million in 2023). A five-year, $ 40 million NBC television contract followed, which helped to sustain the young league. The bidding war for players ended in 1966 when NFL owners approached the AFL regarding a merger, and the two leagues agreed on one that took full effect in 1970. This agreement provided for
11616-443: The Bengals 2-yard line. Huntley did not secure the football as Logan Wilson stripped and Huntley fumbled the ball and Sam Hubbard recovered the ball, running a 98-yard Scoop and Score to defeat the Ravens. This play was the longest fumble return touchdown in NFL playoff history. On January 22, the Bengals and the Bills rematched at the Bills' home stadium, Highmark Stadium . Despite the home field advantage and heavy snow conditions,
11792-399: The Bengals in 2009 and Ravens in 2011. Since divisional realignment, the Steelers have made the playoffs ten times, the Ravens eight times, the Bengals seven times, and the Browns two times. In 2005, although finishing second in the division to the Bengals, the Steelers became the first team in NFL history to enter the playoffs as a #6 seeded wild card team and win the Super Bowl. In 2008,
11968-582: The Bengals were able to upset the Bills, with a score of 27–10 after Bills quarterback Josh Allen was intercepted on the team's final offensive play by Cam Taylor-Britt . The Bengals then advanced to face against the Kansas City Chiefs for the AFC Championship for the second consecutive time. The Bengals would lose this time after a costly penalty allowed the Chiefs to hit a game winning field goal. This
12144-666: The Bills and 22–17 to the Chiefs respectively. The Bengals won the division in 2021. The Steelers were given a shocking last minute invite to the NFL Playoffs, but their journey fell short with a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the wild card round. The Bengals beat the Raiders at home 26–19 in the Wild Card matchup, the Titans 19–16 in Tennessee, and the Chiefs 27–24 in Kansas City to make it to
12320-408: The Bills win 24–21. During this game trash talk from former Jaguars players such as Jalen Ramsey resulted in a brawl between the teams. The second time was in week 9 of the 2021 season. By now the "point" of the rivalry, Marrone's feud with the Bills organization, and the personal drama between Bills and Jaguars players no longer applied as Marrone had been fired and replaced by Urban Meyer and all
12496-576: The FCS and 85 scholarship players in the FBS, respectively. Individual players in a football game must be designated with a uniform number between 1 and 99, though some teams may "retire" certain numbers , making them unavailable to players. NFL teams are required to number their players by a league-approved numbering system, and any exceptions must be approved by the commissioner . NCAA and NFHS teams are "strongly advised" to number their offensive players according to
12672-406: The Jaguars again revealed re-designed uniforms. The new design returns to an all-black gloss helmet and removes many of the complicated details from the previous set. For the first time, there are no borders at all on any of the jersey numbers. There are no stripes or team logo on the pants; only an NFL logo and a Nike logo, which is the first and only of its kind in the NFL. Like the 2009 uniform set,
12848-402: The Jaguars and Steelers joined the AFC South and North respectively. Jacksonville also defeated Pittsburgh in the playoffs in 2007 and 2017 . The rivalry between the Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts is arguably one of the most heated in the AFC South. Both have been divisional rivals since the creation of the AFC South in the 2002 season. Despite often struggling to maintain competitive teams,
13024-508: The Jaguars and the Buffalo Bills after former Bills head coach Doug Marrone , who had quit the team after the 2014 season, was hired as a coaching assistant for Jacksonville and eventually rose to become the Jaguars' head coach. The first game between the Marrone led Jaguars was a London game in week 7 of the 2015 season which saw the Jaguars' win 34–31. The most important game of this series
13200-400: The Jaguars chose to wear teal for all home games. In the preseason, the Jaguars typically wear teal at home, since these games are played at night when there is very little advantage with the heat. Following the logo change, the redesigned uniforms featured an all-black helmet, white pants with teal, black, and gold stripes, and numbers with gold inner trim and black outer trim. The home jersey
13376-515: The Jaguars defeating Miami in a 62–7 blowout loss. The Jaguars managed an improbable upset victory during the 2021 season as the team had declined severely under controversial head coach Urban Meyer . Despite this; the Jaguars managed a comeback victory against the Dolphins in London during Week 6. The teams are tied 5–5 all time, though the Jaguars lead 1–0 in the postseason. A new rivalry emerged between
13552-416: The Jaguars have managed to achieve significant upsets against the Colts, securing more victories over them then over either the Texans or Titans. Since 2015 the Jaguars have maintained a home winning streak against the Colts, including a stretch between 2019 and 2022 where the team compiled a record of 6–30, with four of those victories occurring against the Colts. The Jaguars share a divisional rivalry with
13728-508: The Jaguars took a step back and missed the postseason. The team slipped further in 2001 with a 6–10 record. In the 2002, the team went 6–10 once again and Coughlin was fired following the season. The Jaguars hired Jack Del Rio to be the team's second head coach following the 2002 season. The Jaguars drafted quarterback Byron Leftwich with the seventh overall pick in the first round of the 2003 NFL draft . Leftwich would eventually replace Brunell as starting quarterback. The Jaguars went 5–11 in
13904-405: The Jaguars wore an all-teal ensemble for the first time, complete with solid teal socks. On February 17, 2021, the Jaguars announced that the club would return to wearing teal jerseys as its designated primary home jersey color. On July 18, 2024, the Jaguars unveiled throwback teal "Prowler" uniforms based on the style worn from 1995 to 2008. The number style used was similar to the one updated in
14080-421: The Jaguars' image over the years, singling out the "all black" look which the team wore for every prime-time home game from 2003 to 2007 as a point of regret. He also said that the team would wear their teal jerseys at home even on hot days, saying that the practice of choosing to wear white on hot days had also diluted the team's image. The new uniform reflected a simpler look overall. The collar and sleeve ends are
14256-449: The NFL announced plans to add two expansion teams. In 1994, Touchdown Jacksonville! announced a bid for a team, and Jacksonville was ultimately chosen as one of five finalists, along with Charlotte , St. Louis , Baltimore , and Memphis . Charlotte was awarded the first franchise, which would become the Carolina Panthers , in October 1993. The decision for selecting the second expansion city
14432-419: The NFL in which no member team has hosted a Super Bowl in their stadiums. The division, however, has won eight Super Bowl titles (six for Pittsburgh and two for Baltimore) in total. The AFC North currently has four members: Baltimore Ravens , Cincinnati Bengals , Cleveland Browns , and Pittsburgh Steelers . The original four members of the AFC Central were the Browns, Bengals, Steelers and Houston Oilers (now
14608-521: The NFL prior to the 1995 season. when the Titans were then-known as the Houston Oilers. During the 1995 season, the Jaguars recorded their first win as a franchise over the Oilers in Houston. The rivalry intensified in the late 1990s as both teams were consistently near the top of the AFC Central standings. In 1999 , the Jaguars posted a 14–2 record with both losses coming to Tennessee. The two teams met in
14784-491: The Panthers) and clinch their conference's top seed (by their fifth season in 1999 ). The Jaguars have been less successful since, with only four playoff appearances and two division titles since 2000. They are one of four NFL franchises that have never played in the Super Bowl . In 1989, the prospective ownership group Touchdown Jacksonville! was organized with the intention of bringing an NFL franchise to Jacksonville . In 1991,
14960-452: The Sports and Fitness Industry Association. The role of the offensive unit is to advance the football down the field with the ultimate goal of scoring a touchdown . The offensive team must line up in a legal formation before they can snap the ball. An offensive formation is considered illegal if there are more than four players in the backfield or fewer than five players numbered 50–79 on
15136-479: The Steelers became the first team to repeat as division champion since the division's realignment in 2002. The team went on to win Super Bowl XLIII that season, their second Super Bowl in four years and an NFL-record sixth overall. In 2009, the Cincinnati Bengals swept their annual six-game slate of divisional opponents. Their first three games against the AFC North came in weeks three-through-five when they beat
15312-480: The Steelers dominated the division for most of the 1970s. The Steelers also would win four Super Bowls in the decade, which were also the team's first league titles. The 1980 Cleveland Browns broke the Steelers' six-year run as division champions, but failed to advance past the divisional round of the playoffs, losing to the Oakland Raiders as a result of Red Right 88 . The Bengals were the only team to represent
15488-477: The Steelers, Browns and Ravens, respectively, each by three points. The close finishes deemed the Bengals, "Cardiac Cats". Cincinnati clinched their first division title since '05 in a week 16 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, 17–10. In the playoffs, however, the Bengals fell to the New York Jets at home, 24–14. Baltimore finished off their season by winning three of their final four games to finish 9-7 and earn
15664-519: The Super Bowl. Their season ended with a 23–20 loss in Super Bowl LVI to the Rams. The Cincinnati Bengals won the division the second consecutive time in 2022. The 11–4 Bengals faced up against the 12–3 Buffalo Bills on January 2, 2023, however, Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed after a tackle on Tee Higgins . The game was suspended after the play. Days later, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell cancelled
15840-579: The United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia. American football evolved from the sports of rugby and soccer . Rugby, like American football, is a sport in which two competing teams vie for control of a ball, which can be kicked through a set of goalposts or run into the opponent's goal area to score points. What is considered to be the first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 , between Rutgers and Princeton , two college teams. They consisted of 25 players per team and used
16016-511: The United States. The team consisted of graduates of Boston's elite preparatory schools and played from 1862 to 1865. The introduction of the snap resulted in an unexpected consequence. Before the snap, the strategy had been to punt if a scrum resulted in bad field position. However, a group of Princeton players realized that, as the snap was uncontested, they could now hold the ball indefinitely to prevent their opponent from scoring. In 1881, in
16192-547: The United States: official time was kept on a scoreboard clock rather than on a watch in the referee's pocket, as the NFL did; optional two-point conversions by pass or run after touchdowns; names on the jerseys of players; and several others, including expansion of the role of minority players, actively recruited by the league in contrast to the NFL. The AFL also signed several star college players who had also been drafted by NFL teams. Competition for players heated up in 1965, when
16368-416: The Wild Card Round. Following a 30–27 win over the Denver Broncos in the Divisional Round, the Jaguars saw their run end in the AFC Championship with a 20–6 loss to the New England Patriots . The 1997 season saw the team go 11–5 and finish second in the AFC Central. McCardell and Smith once again both recorded over 1,000 receiving yards. The Jaguars qualified for the postseason, which was short-lived with
16544-460: The advent of artificial rubber inside the leather outer shell to sustain crushing forces . At all levels of play, the football is inflated to 12 + 1 ⁄ 2 to 13 + 1 ⁄ 2 psi (86 to 93 kPa), or just under one atmosphere, and weighs 14 to 15 ounces (400 to 430 g); beyond that, the exact dimensions vary slightly. In professional play the ball has a long axis of 11 to 11 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (28 to 29 cm),
16720-480: The arrival of quarterback David Garrard . The Jaguars went 8–8 and missed the postseason. The 2007 season was an improvement to a 11–5 record and return to the postseason. The team defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 31–29 in the Wild Card Round before falling to the New England Patriots 31–20 in the Divisional Round. The following year saw the team take a major step back with a 5–11 mark and last place finish in
16896-420: The automaker Jaguar , believed that the Jaguars' logo bore too much resemblance to the automaker's logo. Though no lawsuit was brought to trial, lawyers from the team and the automaker negotiated an ultimately amicable agreement whereby Jaguar would be named the official car of the Jaguars, and the Jaguars would redesign their uniforms. The new logo was a snarling jaguar head with a teal tongue, which Weaver said
17072-402: The away look. Before 2004, the white away jerseys had teal numbers with black and gold trim, but after, the white jerseys had black numbers with teal and gold trim. The black pants were also changed. The teal stripes were replaced with the jaguar logo on each hip. Teal almost disappeared from the away uniform. The stripes on the white pants were altered in 2008 so that the center, thickest stripe
17248-410: The ball at least ten yards in four downs or plays; if they fail, they turn over the football to the defense, but if they succeed, they are given a new set of four downs to continue the drive . Points are scored primarily by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponent's goalposts for a field goal . The team with the most points at
17424-435: The ball is caught, and the ball may not be advanced. Officials are responsible for enforcing game rules and monitoring the clock. All officials carry a whistle and wear black-and-white striped shirts and black hats except for the referee, whose hat is white. Each carries a weighted yellow flag that is thrown to the ground to signal that a foul has been called. An official who spots multiple fouls will throw their hat as
17600-478: The ball off, throws it, or runs with it. The primary role of the halfback, also known as the running back or tailback, is to carry the ball on running plays. Halfbacks may also serve as receivers. Fullbacks tend to be larger than halfbacks and function primarily as blockers, but they are sometimes used as runners in short-yardage or goal-line situations. They are seldom used as receivers. The offensive line (OL) consists of several players whose primary function
17776-413: The crossbars of the defense's goalposts. In practice, almost all field goal attempts are done via place kick. While drop kicks were common in the early days of the sport, the shape of modern footballs makes it difficult to reliably drop kick the ball. The last successful scoring play by drop kick in the NFL was accomplished in 2006; prior to that, the last successful drop kick had been made in 1941. After
17952-399: The defense is to prevent the offense from scoring by tackling the ball carrier or by forcing turnovers . Turnovers include interceptions (a defender catching a forward pass intended for the offense) and forced fumbles (taking possession of the ball from the ball-carrier). The defensive line (DL) consists of defensive ends (DE) and defensive tackles (DT). Defensive ends line up on
18128-430: The defensive backfield. They are divided into two types: middle linebackers (MLB) and outside linebackers (OLB). Linebackers tend to serve as the defensive leaders and call the defensive plays, given their vantage point of the offensive backfield. Their roles include defending the run, pressuring the quarterback, and tackling backs, wide receivers, and tight ends in the passing game. The defensive backfield , often called
18304-480: The division in 2020. The Ravens and Browns also made it into the playoffs as the 5th and 6th seeded wildcards respectively. For the Browns, it was their first playoff appearance since 2002. The Browns defeated the Steelers 48–37 in Pittsburgh for the wild-card round. The Ravens beat the Titans 20–13 in their Wild Card matchup. However, both the Ravens and Browns failed to win their Divisional Round matchups, losing 17–3 to
18480-547: The division, have no direct history involving Paul Brown. The AFC Central division was formed when the Browns and Steelers brought their rivalry from the NFL Century Division to the AFC in 1970, joining the newly formed "AFC Central" with the Houston Oilers (from the AFL 's East Division ) and Cincinnati Bengals (from the AFL's West Division ). Although the Bengals won the first AFC Central Division Championship in 1970,
18656-403: The division. In 2009, the team improved with a 7–9 mark but once again finished last in the division. In 2010, the team finished second in the division with an 8–8 mark but missed the postseason. The team used their first round draft pick (#10 overall) on Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert prior to the 2011 season. Following a 3–8 start, Del Rio was fired and Mel Tucker finished the year with
18832-419: The end of the game wins. American football evolved in the United States, originating from the sports of soccer and rugby . The first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 , between two college teams, Rutgers and Princeton , using rules based on the rules of soccer at the time. A set of rule changes drawn up from 1880 onward by Walter Camp , the "Father of American Football", established
19008-472: The ends and sides of the field are known as the end lines and sidelines . Goal lines are marked 10 yards (9.1 m) inward from each end line. Weighted pylons are placed the sidelines on the inside corner of the intersections with the goal lines and end lines. White markings on the field identify the distance from the end zone. Inbound lines, or hash marks , are short parallel lines that mark off 1-yard (0.91 m) increments. Yard lines , which can run
19184-404: The ends of the line, while defensive tackles line up inside, between the defensive ends. The primary responsibilities of defensive ends and defensive tackles are to stop running plays on the outside and inside, respectively, to pressure the quarterback on passing plays, and to occupy the line so that the linebackers can break through. Linebackers line up behind the defensive line but in front of
19360-411: The eventual Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos. The Steelers won the division title in 2016 after a 31–27 win over the Ravens on Christmas Day. Despite victories in the playoffs against Miami and Kansas City, they fell to New England in the AFC Championship Game. One particularly notable game in the 2017 occurred in a Week 13 Monday Night Football matchup between the Bengals and the Steelers. During
19536-556: The features that distinguish American football from rugby and soccer are also present in Canadian football. The two sports are considered the primary variants of gridiron football . American football is the most popular sport in the United States in terms of broadcast viewership audience. The most popular forms of the game are professional and college football , with the other major levels being high-school and youth football. As of 2022 , nearly 1.04 million high-school athletes play
19712-468: The field is punishable by a penalty. Teams may substitute any number of their players between downs; this "platoon" system replaced the original system, which featured limited substitution rules, and has resulted in teams utilizing specialized offensive, defensive and special teams units. The number of players allowed on an active roster varies by league; the NFL has a 53-man roster, while NCAA Division I allows teams to have 63 scholarship players in
19888-454: The field was shortened to 100 yards (91 m) long, two 10-yard-long (9.1 m) end zones were created, and teams were given four downs instead of three to advance the ball 10 yards (9.1 m). The roughing the passer penalty was implemented in 1914, and eligible players were first allowed to catch the ball anywhere on the field in 1918. On November 12, 1892, Pudge Heffelfinger was paid $ 500 (equivalent to $ 16,956 in 2023) to play
20064-548: The first Super Bowl to go into overtime. Along the way, the team got revenge on the Bills seven years after the comeback in the wild-card round by defeating the Bills 22–16 as a result of the Music City Miracle . The decade began with the Ravens winning Super Bowl XXXV . The team's defense, led by linebacker Ray Lewis , was arguably one of the best defenses of all time. In 2002, the NFL realigned into eight divisions of four teams. The Jaguars and Titans—the latter winning
20240-599: The formation of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States, later renamed the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The legal forward pass was introduced in 1906, although its effect was initially minimal due to the restrictions placed on its use. The idea of a 40-yard-wider field was opposed by Harvard due to the size of the new Harvard Stadium . Other rule changes introduced that year included
20416-419: The game clock based on the direction of the appropriate official . A separate play clock is used to show the amount of time within which the offense must initiate a play. The play clock is set to 25 seconds after certain administrative stoppages in play and to 40 seconds when play is proceeding without such stoppages. If the offense fails to start a play before the play clock reads "00", a delay of game foul
20592-409: The game had a strict sense of amateurism at the time, and direct payment to players was frowned upon, if not prohibited outright. Over time, professional play became increasingly common, and with it came rising salaries and unpredictable player movement, as well as the illegal payment of college players who were still in school. The National Football League (NFL), a group of professional teams that
20768-422: The game, the Bengals took a 17–0 lead, but the Steelers outscored them 23–3 the rest of the game for 23–20 win. The game was a brutal affair with serious injuries to Shazier, Mixon and Burfict and subsequent suspensions to JuJu Smith-Schuster and George Iloka (with Iloka's later being overturned). The two teams clocked up four penalties for unnecessary roughness, one for unsportsmanlike conduct, one for roughing
20944-573: The game. By win percentage, the Bengals won the North again. After a victory against the Atlanta Falcons , the Baltimore Ravens clinched their playoff spot as well. On January 15, 2023, in the Super Wild Card Weekend, the #3 ranked Bengals played at home against the #6 Ravens. Bengals defeated Ravens by a score of 24–17 with the most notable play by Tyler Huntley failing a Quarterback Sneak at
21120-443: The ground or a tee; a holder may be used in either case. On a safety kick, the kicking team kicks the ball from their own 20-yard line. They can punt, drop kick or place kick the ball, but a tee may not be used in professional play. Any member of the receiving team may catch or advance the ball. The ball may be recovered by the kicking team once it has gone at least ten yards and has touched the ground or has been touched by any member of
21296-434: The guards. The principal receivers are the wide receivers (WR) and the tight ends (TE). Wide receivers line up on or near the line of scrimmage, split outside the line. The main goal of the wide receiver is to catch passes thrown by the quarterback, but they may also function as decoys or as blockers during running plays. Tight ends line up outside the tackles and function both as receivers and as blockers. The role of
21472-408: The home fans' tongues teal. In 2009, Weaver announced that he wanted to "clean up" the team's image. This meant the elimination of the full-body crawling Jaguar logo, the clawing Jaguar, and the two previous wordmarks which bent the text around these logos. In February 2013, Jaguars owner Shahid Khan , who had acquired the team in late 2011, introduced a new brand identity for the team that included
21648-411: The jersey, curling up to the neckline on the front and below the number on the back. The stripe on the home jersey is a white line next to a black line, matching the color of the numbers, and the stripe on the away jersey is a black line next to a teal line, again matching the numbers. The pants have similar stripes, both for the home and away uniform. The away uniforms were still black pants and numbers on
21824-462: The most famous playoff games in NFL history. In a game now known as The Comeback , the Oilers surrendered a 32-point lead to the Buffalo Bills and lost in overtime, 41–38. It was the largest deficit ever overcome in the history of the NFL for nearly 30 years. In 1995, the Jacksonville Jaguars joined the league through expansion and were placed in the AFC Central. It was the first change to
22000-503: The most popular sport in the United States by the mid-1960s. The rival AFL arose in 1960 and challenged the NFL's dominance. The AFL began in relative obscurity but eventually thrived, with an initial television contract with the ABC television network. The AFL's existence forced the conservative NFL to expand to Dallas and Minnesota in an attempt to destroy the new league. Meanwhile, the AFL introduced many new features to professional football in
22176-547: The next coach of the team prior to the 2021 season. The team drafted Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the top overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. Meyer was fired after a 2–11 start. He was only the fourth head coach since the AFL-NFL merger to not finish a full season. Darrell Bevell finished the year as interim with a 1–3 mark. Prior to the 2022 season, the Jaguars hired Super Bowl LII-winning coach Doug Pederson to be their next head coach. The team saw immediate improvement with
22352-707: The number-six seed in the AFC Playoffs. In the first round of the postseason, Baltimore defeated the New England Patriots in Foxboro, 33–14. In the divisional round of the postseason, Baltimore's season came to an end with a 20–3 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, who would defeat the Jets one week later to win the conference. The Ravens repeated as division champions in 2011 and 2012. The team went on to win Super Bowl XLVII over
22528-429: The offense advances ten or more yards in the four downs, they are awarded a new set of four downs. If they fail to advance ten yards, possession of the football is turned over to the defense. In most situations, if the offense reaches their fourth down they will punt the ball to the other team, which forces them to begin their drive from farther down the field; if they are in field goal range , they might attempt to score
22704-429: The offensive line. Players can line up temporarily in a position whose eligibility is different from what their number permits as long as they report the change immediately to the referee, who then informs the defensive team of the change. Neither team's players, except the center (C), are allowed to line up in or cross the neutral zone until the ball is snapped. Interior offensive linemen are not allowed to move until
22880-401: The only gold in the uniform set belongs to the jaguar logo itself, and the block number font is not distinct from that used by other teams. The sleeve trim and collar trim are both a different color than the rest of the jersey, that and the solitary jaguar logo are the only distinct markings on the jersey. For the first time, the sock has a teal stripe between the black and white. The black jersey
23056-516: The only team in the division with their all-time record below .500 as they sit in last at 310–396–. In 2015, the Bengals became the first team in the AFC North (Central) to ever start the year 8–0, finishing the season 12–4 and winning the division for the second time in three years. Cincinnati clinched the division title in week 16 when the Steelers were upset by the 4–10 Ravens in Baltimore, quarterbacked by Ryan Mallett. Bengals' quarterback Andy Dalton
23232-527: The passer and another for taunting. The Bengals themselves clocked up 13 penalties for 173 yards. When asked about the viciousness and the brutality of the game, Roethlisberger responded that it was "AFC North football". The Ravens clinched the division in Week 15 of 2019 in a 42–21 win over the NY Jets . However, they were upset by the Tennessee Titans at home in the second round as the Number 1 seed. The Steelers won
23408-500: The past. From 2009 to 2012, gold had only been used in the team logo and as a minor accent color. For most of their history, the Jaguars have done what many other NFL teams located in subtropical climates traditionally practice: wear their white jerseys at home during the first half of the season — forcing opponents to wear their dark ones under the sweltering autumns in Jacksonville. The only exceptions were in 2004 and 2008–2010, when
23584-445: The plane of the two end lines. The crossbar of these posts is 10 feet (3.0 m) above the ground, with vertical uprights at the end of the crossbar 18 feet 6 inches (5.64 m) apart for professional and collegiate play, and 23 feet 4 inches (7.11 m) apart for high school play. The uprights extend vertically 35 feet (11 m) on professional fields, a minimum of 10 yards (9.1 m) on college fields, and
23760-550: The player's heart, meant to pay tribute to Jacksonville's military heritage. The helmet, first of its kind in the NFL, featured a glossy gold finish in the back that fades to matte black in the front, via a color gradient . The new uniform set includes black and white pants with the Jaguars logo on the hip and a tri-color pattern down the player's leg. In November 2015, as one of eight teams participating in Nike's "Color Rush" initiative for four games of Thursday Night Football during
23936-415: The players from the 2017 Jaguars team have since moved on to other teams or retired. Regardless, this game was the seventh largest upset at the time in NFL history which saw the 15.5-point favorite Bills lose 9–6. The Jaguars currently lead the series 10–9. American football American football , referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football ,
24112-458: The playoffs. The day after the NFL awarded the expansion team to Jacksonville, Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver held up the Jaguars' proposed silver helmet and teal jersey at the NFL owners' meeting in Chicago . The team's colors were to be teal, gold, and silver with black accents. However, this jersey and helmet design, with a gold leaping jaguar, created controversy. Ford Motor Company , then-parent of
24288-448: The point(s)-after-touchdown (PAT) or conversion, which is a single scoring opportunity. This is generally attempted from the two- or three-yard line, depending on the level of play. If the PAT is scored by a place kick or drop kick through the goal posts, it is worth one point, typically called the extra point. If the PAT is scored by what would normally be a touchdown, it is worth two points; this
24464-422: The punter. In football, the winner is the team that has scored more points at the end of the game. There are multiple ways to score in a football game. The touchdown (TD), worth six points, is the most valuable scoring play in American football. A touchdown is scored when a live ball is advanced into, caught, or recovered in the opposing team's end zone. The scoring team then attempts a try, more commonly known as
24640-401: The receiving team. The three types of scrimmage kicks are place kicks, drop kicks, and punts. Only place kicks and drop kicks can score points. The place kick is the standard method used to score points, because the pointy shape of the football makes it difficult to reliably drop kick. Once the ball has been kicked from a scrimmage kick, it can be advanced by the kicking team only if it
24816-439: The reduction of playing time from 70 to 60 minutes and an increase of the distance required for a first down from 5 to 10 yards (4.6 to 9.1 m). To reduce infighting and dirty play between teams, the neutral zone was created along the width of the football before the snap. Scoring was also adjusted: points awarded for field goals were reduced to three in 1909 and points for touchdowns were raised to six in 1912. Also in 1912,
24992-459: The regular season to nine games. Because of the strike, the league used for its playoffs a special 16-team "Super Bowl Tournament" just for this year. Division standings were not formally acknowledged (although every division wound up sending at least one team to the playoffs); Cincinnati had the best record of the division teams. ++ Due to the Week 17 game against the Buffalo Bills being declared
25168-534: The rulebook for the 1876 college football season , when the sport first shifted from soccer-style rules to rugby-style rules. Although it could easily have been called "rugby" at this point, Harvard, one of the primary proponents of the rugby-style game, compromised and did not request the name of the sport be changed to "rugby". The terms " gridiron " or "American football" are favored in English-speaking countries where other types of football are popular, such as
25344-401: The same color as the rest of the jersey. The crawling jaguar was removed. The numbers on the jerseys were changed to a simpler, block font with a thicker, single color border. After all of these subtractions, two features were added. The first was a "Jaguars" wordmark underneath the NFL insignia on the chest. The second was two thin "stripes" of off-color fabric which were added to each midseam of
25520-538: The season out with a 24–21 win over the Cleveland Browns . The Jaguars went 4–12 in their first season. The team saw Mark Brunell and Steve Beuerlein both start games at quarterback. Prior to their second season, the Jaguars drafted Kevin Hardy with the second overall pick in the first round of the 1996 NFL draft . The team also got Tony Brackens and Aaron Beasley in the draft. With Brunell leading at quarterback,
25696-452: The second one, the Harvard players preferred the Canadian style of having only 11 men on the field, running the ball without having to be chased by an opponent, the forward pass, tackling, and using an oblong instead of a round ball. An 1875 Harvard–Yale game played under rugby-style rules was observed by two Princeton athletes who were impressed by it. They introduced the sport to Princeton,
25872-503: The secondary, consists of cornerbacks (CB) and safeties (S). Safeties are themselves divided into free safeties (FS) and strong safeties (SS). Cornerbacks line up outside the defensive formation, typically opposite a receiver to be able to cover them. Safeties line up between the cornerbacks but farther back in the secondary. Safeties tend to be viewed as "the last line of defense" and are responsible for stopping deep passing plays as well as breakout running plays. The special teams unit
26048-432: The shortest driving distance between each team among the NFL's eight divisions, as three of the teams are located within close proximity of Interstate 70 (with the one city that is not, Cleveland, being two hours north of I-70), and the distance between Baltimore and Cincinnati (the two teams furthest away from each other) being only 526 miles (847 km) apart. The Browns and Steelers, the two closest rivals, even ride
26224-417: The sleeve. Minor modifications were introduced to the Jaguars uniform during this time, most notably the font of the jersey numbers, replacing the original block numbers with a unique font. Two stripes were also added to the end of the sleeves below the prowling jaguar. The team introduced a black alternate jersey in 2002. During that same year, the team also introduced alternate black pants, worn with either
26400-411: The snap of the ball. The main backfield positions are the quarterback (QB), halfback/tailback (HB/TB), and fullback (FB). The quarterback is the leader of the offense. Either the quarterback or a coach calls the plays. Quarterbacks typically inform the rest of the offense of the play in the huddle before the team lines up. The quarterback lines up behind the center to take the snap and then hands
26576-523: The sport in the U.S., with another 81,000 college athletes in the NCAA and the NAIA . The National Football League (NFL) has the highest average attendance of any professional sports league in the world . Its championship game, the Super Bowl , ranks among the most-watched club sporting events globally. In 2022, the league had an annual revenue of around $ 18.6 billion, making it the most valuable sports league in
26752-558: The stadium was named Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. From 1997 to 2006, the stadium was referred to as Alltel Stadium. The naming rights were purchased by EverBank prior to the 2010 season. Prior to the 2018 season the Jaguars announced the stadium would be renamed TIAA Bank Field. The stadium received a substantial upgrade in 2014 with the addition of new scoreboards, pools, cabana seating and premium seating that includes 180 field-level seats. The scoreboards are 60 feet (18 m) high and 362 feet (110 m) long. The new scoreboards are
26928-421: The structure of the division since its inception and added a second team to the division from the U.S. South. In 1996, in one of the most controversial decisions in American sports history , the Cleveland Browns moved to Baltimore and were rechristened as the Baltimore Ravens . Then in 1997, the Oilers moved to Tennessee but remained in the division (the team later was renamed the Titans in 1999 ). The makeup of
27104-423: The success of the 2017 season in the following year. The 2018 team went 5–11 and featured Bortles getting benched later in the season. The Jaguars signed Super Bowl LII MVP quarterback Nick Foles prior to the 2019 season. However, Foles was lost for most of the season from a broken collarbone suffered in Week 1 against the Chiefs. The team turned to 2019 sixth-round draft pick Gardner Minshew, who filled in for most of
27280-415: The team announced that it would use the black jersey and black pants as their primary home uniform. The teal jersey was resurrected as an alternate. On April 23, 2013, the Jaguars unveiled new uniforms designed by Nike . The primary home jersey is black with white numerals outlined in teal and gold. The road jersey is white with teal numerals outlined in black and gold, marking the first time since 2003 that
27456-440: The team go 4–12. Prior to the 2014 season, the Jaguars drafted Central Florida quarterback Blake Bortles with the third overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft. The change at quarterback did not see instant improvement as the team finished 3–13. The 2015 season saw the team finish 5–11. One bright spot was quarterback Blake Bortles passing for the most yards and touchdowns in franchise history with 4,428 and 35. Following
27632-403: The team has used teal numbers on their road jersey. The alternate jersey is teal with black numerals outlined in white and gold. The team had never before used black numbers on their teal jersey. All three jerseys feature a contrasting stripe that bends around the neck, and semi-glossy patches on the shoulders meant to resemble claw marks. The team added their new shield logo onto a patch just above
27808-470: The team improved in 1996. With the team sitting at 4–7, the Jaguars reeled off five straight wins to finish with a 9–7 mark, finish second in the AFC Central , and made the postseason for the first time. The team had two wide receivers go over 1,000 yards in Keenan McCardell and Jimmy Smith . The Jaguars won their first postseason game in franchise history with a 30–27 victory over the Buffalo Bills in
27984-491: The time was played at the collegiate level . The upstart NFL received a boost to its legitimacy in 1925, however, when an NFL team, the Pottsville Maroons , defeated a team of Notre Dame all-stars in an exhibition game . A greater emphasis on the passing game helped professional football to distinguish itself further from the college game during the late 1930s. Football, in general, became increasingly popular following
28160-411: The two other Florida-based teams: the Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers . The Jaguars, Dolphins, and Buccaneers frequently play each other during the preseason. During the AFC Central days of the mid-1990s and early 2000s, the Jaguars had a rivalry with the Pittsburgh Steelers as the two teams were consistently in playoff contention. The rivalry would reach new heights in the 2000s and 2010s when
28336-479: The white or the teal jersey. After the black pants were introduced, the white pants would only be seen for the first few games of the year, presumably due to the heat. The black pants originally included two teal stripes down each side. The fan reaction to the extra black in the alternate jersey and alternate pants was positive, so in 2004 the Jaguars went through a formal uniform change, which teams are only allowed to do once every five years. These changes were mostly to
28512-411: The width of the field, are marked every 5 yards (4.6 m). A one-yard-wide line is placed at each end of the field; this line is marked at the center of the two-yard line in professional play and at the three-yard line in college play. Numerals that display the distance from the closest goal line in yards are placed on both sides of the field every ten yards. Goalposts are located at the center of
28688-408: The winning team decides to defer, the losing team chooses the option the winning team did not select—to receive, kick, or select a goal to defend to begin the second half. Most teams choose to receive or defer, because choosing to kick the ball to start the game allows the other team to choose which goal to defend. Teams switch goals following the first and third quarters. If a down is in progress when
28864-572: The world's largest video boards. Two 25 feet (7.6 m) by 12 feet (3.7 m) pools were installed in the north end zone along with the cabana seating. The cost of the stadium upgrades were $ 63 million, of which owner Shahid Khan helped finance $ 20 million. The Jaguars' main rivalries are with the other three teams in the AFC South : the Indianapolis Colts , Houston Texans , and Tennessee Titans . The Jaguars also have geographic rivalries with
29040-402: The world. Other professional and amateur leagues exist worldwide, but the sport does not have the international popularity of other American sports like baseball or basketball ; the sport maintains a growing following in the rest of North America, Europe, Brazil, and Japan. In the United States, American football is referred to as "football". The term "football" was officially established in
29216-474: Was an ugly, low-scoring Wild Card game in 2017 that saw the Jaguars win 10–3. This game is notable as it was the first Bills playoff appearance in 17 seasons. Prior to this, Jacksonville had handed Buffalo its first playoff loss in Bills Stadium in 1996. Following the 2017 wild card game the Bills and Jaguars have met two additional times. The first was a "rematch" game in week 12 of the 2018 season which saw
29392-504: Was black, and its accents were teal. In the 2008 year, the gold in the uniforms noticeably shifted from a bright yellow metallic appearance to more beige. The Jaguars unveiled new uniforms for the 2009 season . Team owner Wayne Weaver reportedly wanted to "clean up" the look, feeling that the team had too many uniform styles. The new uniforms were introduced in a press conference on April 22. At this press conference, Weaver elaborated that different people had taken different liberties with
29568-493: Was delayed a month. At the time, St. Louis was considered the favorite for the second franchise. However, the NFL owners voted 26–2 in favor of awarding the 30th franchise to Jacksonville. For their opening season in 1995 , the Jaguars took part in the 1995 NFL expansion draft to help bolster their roster. The Jaguars, along with the Panthers, alternated picks from lists of unprotected players from existing franchises. Tom Coughlin
29744-399: Was having his best season of his five-year career until breaking his thumb on December 13 against Pittsburgh caused him to miss the rest of the season. In the playoffs, Cincinnati (quarterbacked by A. J. McCarron ) lost in a rematch with the Steelers, 18–16, in the final minutes of a heated battle. Pittsburgh advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs, only to lose to Peyton Manning and
29920-399: Was hired to be the first head coach of the franchise on February 21, 1994. The Jaguars took part in their first NFL draft in 1995. Their first pick in franchise history was the second overall pick in the first round, which was used on eventual Hall of Fame offensive tackle Tony Boselli out of USC . On September 3, 1995, the Jaguars played in their first regular season game, a 10–3 loss to
30096-418: Was his wife's touch. He also claimed that the teal tongue came from "feeding Panthers to our Jaguars" — an obvious jab at their expansion brethren . During the Jaguars' first-ever preseason game teal-colored candies were handed out to all the fans who attended, turning their tongues a teal color just like on the logo. Additionally, raspberry lollipops were handed out by the "Candy Man" in section 142 to also turn
30272-513: Was instituted. Despite these new rules, football remained a violent sport. Dangerous mass-formations like the flying wedge resulted in serious injuries and deaths. A 1905 peak of 19 fatalities nationwide resulted in a threat by President Theodore Roosevelt to abolish the game unless major changes were made. In response, 62 colleges and universities met in New York City to discuss rule changes on December 28, 1905. These proceedings resulted in
30448-417: Was not a supporter of the AFL. The AFC North contains all three of the pre-merger NFL cities (Baltimore, Cleveland and Pittsburgh) whose then-franchises joined the AFC in 1970. Three of the teams also have interlocked histories. Both the Bengals and the Browns were founded by Paul Brown , while the Ravens and the city of Cleveland have their own unique relationship . Only the Steelers, the oldest franchise in
30624-519: Was originally established in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, aimed to solve these problems. This new league's stated goals included an end to bidding wars over players, prevention of the use of college players, and abolition of the practice of paying players to leave another team. By 1922, the NFL had established itself as America's premier professional football league. The dominant form of football at
30800-418: Was teal with white numbers and the away jersey was white with teal numbers. Both jerseys had a black collar and no sleeve stripes. A prowling jaguar on each sleeve replaced the leaping jaguar going across both shoulders in the original design. The Jaguars in 1995 were the first NFL team to have two-tone borders on their numbers and lettering, and the first NFL team to show a complex logo (the crawling jaguar) on
30976-586: Was the first ever back-to-back championship appearance in Bengals' history. The Baltimore Ravens won the division in 2023, as well as the #1 seed in the AFC. All 4 teams in the AFC North finished the 2023 regular season with winning records. 2023 marked the first time since 1935 that each team within an entire division finished the regular season with a winning record. The Steelers became the first team in AFC and AFC North history to post 20 consecutive non-losing records. Place cursor over year for division champ or Super Bowl team. + A players' strike in 1982 reduced
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