Outlook

Hard to decide which of the following did more to raise the hackles of always irascible Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin during the offseason:

1. Those rumors that had him succeeding Notre Dame coach Bob Davie in 2001.
2. The increasing notion the window of opportunity for bringing a Super Bowl title to Jacksonville is about to slam shut.
3. The suspicion that the enormously talented Jaguars do a collective impersonation of a guy in need of the Heimlich Maneuver every time they face a tough game.
4. The belief that the Tennessee Titans have the Jags' number.

Truth is, all of them probably bugged Coughlin, a terrific coach who seems perpetually constipated.

From the day he accepted stewardship of the franchise, nearly 18 months before the team played its first game, Coughlin has plotted a Super Bowl strategy, and done a tremendous job of it, too. But the playoff defeats of the past two years, and especially the thumping the Jaguars absorbed last year in the AFC Championship Game loss to Tennessee, have revealed a few tragic flaws in the Coughlin Master Plan.

The Jaguars need Tony Boselli (left) around to stop the likes of Jevon Kearse. (Allsport)

And, let's face it, there is nothing worse than to have the perfectionist see his blueprint fall shy of perfection.

Unlike a Carolina franchise that entered the league at the same time, the Jaguars were built for lasting results, and that is what they have provided. The only year Jacksonville failed to qualify for a postseason berth was its debut season of 1995. And there is little reason to believe the streak will end in 2000.

The quest for a Super Bowl championship might not end, either. And as much as Coughlin detests the theory his team is running out of time now, that might be the case.

The players, of course, dispute the notion nearly as vociferously as their coach.

"Hey, we won 14 games last year and this team isn't all that different," said wide receiver Keenan McCardell. "So why can't we go out and do it again? And this time, finish the job, while we're at it?"

There is a palpable sense in Jacksonville that, for all their success, the Jaguars still have some unfinished business to tend to. But if they are to complete the jigsaw puzzle that Coughlin began assembling six years ago, the Jaguars may have to do it minus some key pieces. A camp injury sustained by right tackle Leon Searcy could sideline the Pro Bowl blocker for the entire 2000 campaign. Left tackle nonpareil Tony Boselli, coming off '99 knee surgery, might not be 100 percent for the season opener. And three members of a secondary that improved dramatically in 1999 are limping around.

And then there is the matter of divisional play, an obstacle not to be overlooked. The Titans beat the Jaguars three times in 1999, kept them from advancing to Super Bowl XXXIV and showed the bully-boys just how it feels to be shoved around. Baltimore is a year better as well, and always seems to play the Jaguars tough. The schedule is hardly a walk in the park.

"Even walking off the field after the (AFC title) game last year," said tailback Fred Taylor, "we felt we were the better team. But it's one thing to say it and another to prove it. So this year, we have to prove it. The time for talking about it is over. We want to win now.

Given the age of the starting lineup, the sudden brittleness of some key veterans, and a salary cap situation that looks to be a major burden in 2001 when the team already has committed about $95 million in salaries and bonuses, the Jaguars may have to win now.

Or a hacked-off Coughlin may have to go back to the drawing board.

Schedule preview Jacksonville opens the season with two road games and closes it the same way. In between, the schedule is hardly a cakewalk. In addition to two matchups with new nemesis Tennessee, the Jaguars play at Indianapolis in a Sept. 25 Monday night game and play host to Washington on Oct. 22. The games with the Titans, who defeated Jacksonville three times in '99, are Oct. 16 in Nashville and Nov. 26 at ALLTEL Stadium. The Jaguars face division opponents in their first three games of the season.

1999 offensive ranking: No. 7 overall, No. 2 rushing, No. 12 passing.

1999 defensive ranking: No. 4 overall, No. 7 versus the rush, No. 3 against the pass.

Key players lost from 1999: RB James Stewart (to Detroit), OG Ben Coleman (to San Diego), LB Bryce Paup (released), OG Rich Tylski (to Pittsburgh), CB Dave Thomas (to New York Giants), QB Jay Fiedler (to Miami).

Key additions for 2000: LB Hardy Nickerson (from Buccaneers), QB Jamie Martin (from Browns).

Rookies to watch: Realizing that veteran wide receives Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell are both in their 30s now, and wanting to add another vertical dimension to the offense, the Jaguars rolled the dice a bit by selecting former Southern California wideout R. Jay Soward in the first round. There's no denying Soward is an electrifying talent. But he has a history of off-field problems and can be moody at times. Soward isn't the most natural receiver and will drop some balls, but he is always a threat to stick the ball in the end zone from anywhere on the field. He will probably be used on punt returns in addition to being the No. 3 wideout. Second-rounder Brad Meester already has a starting job, the former Northern Iowa center having nailed down the left guard spot. One middle-round pick to watch is cornerback Kiwaukee Thomas, a No. 5 choice from Georgia Southern. He doesn't have great speed but possesses nice techniques and might eventually earn a spot in the "nickel" or "dime" packages.

Offensive line: Once the exclamation point of the Jaguars, the unit suddenly enters 2000 as a giant question mark. The best tackle tandem in the league, Tony Boselli (left) and Leon Searcy (right), is limping and the result is a lot of shuffling. Actually, only Boselli, who missed the final month of the '99 season and the playoffs with a knee injury that required reconstructive surgery, is limping. Searcy, who tore the quadriceps tendon above his right knee and had surgery last week, isn't even walking at this point. The staff is keeping its fingers crossed Boselli will be ready for the opener, but that isn't a sure bet. Guard Zach Wiegert will move outside to play right tackle and rookie Brad Meester takes over at left guard. Oh, yeah, the reason he inherits a starting job is that the Jags were too stubborn to re-sign big Ben Coleman, a versatile blocker who moved to left tackle last year after Boselli went down. Were he around now, Coleman could slide into Searcy's spot and the musical chairs would be at a minimum.

Wide receivers/tight ends: There are few better wideout tandems in the league than Keenan McCardell and Jimmy Smith and, while both have entered the thirtysomething portions of their careers, they haven't slowed down much. Smith is a big-play deep threat, a sprinter who in the past four seasons averaged 90 catches and 1,346 yards and who posted career-bests in both areas last season. McCardell probably doesn't get the credit he deserves, but he works the short areas well and is a splendid possession receiver. He runs precise routes, makes heady adjustments and works well with quarterback Mark Brunell. The staff seems to have decided that annual tease Reggie Barlow is always going to be an All-Potential player and drafted wide receiver R. Jay Soward in the first round. The former Southern Cal star is a touchdown waiting to happen, a small but explosive player who can stretch secondaries vertically. Tight end Kyle Brady is a steady blocker and Damon Jones is tough in the "red zone."

Running backs: In his five years with the team, tailback James Stewart never rushed for 1,000 yards, but he departed in free agency the leading ground-gainer in club history and will be missed. Starter Fred Taylor is a breathtaking playmaker, an explosive runner who can break the big play or simply break down the will of a defense by bludgeoning it into submission. He also is a gifted receiver and nifty open-field runner. The only negative is that Taylor beats himself up and typically misses at least 2-3 games a year. Last season, for instance, he played less than half the total offensive snaps. And without Stewart around, there is no proven No. 2 tailback. The candidates include Stacey Mack, Chris Howard and rookie Shyrone Stith. Fullback Daimon Shelton is a lead blocker and that's it.

Quarterbacks: No matter what the two men claim publicly, there was a definite rift between quarterback Mark Brunell and Coughlin last year, the first season the boss served as his own offensive coordinator. Things seem to be smoothed over now, but Brunell remains in the eyes of some critics a guy who never seems to play big in the big games. And, who knows, one of those closet critics might well be Coughlin. Like some of his teammates, Brunell is beginning to get a little more brittle as he ages and the shuffling on the offensive line in camp can't inspire in him the most confidence. Brunell can make plays with his feet, is an accurate medium-range passer and a diligent student of the game. The backup situation isn't as good this year with the exit of Jay Fiedler to Miami. Competing for the No. 2 job are Jamie Martin and Jonathan Quinn. The Jags have a habit of winning games in which Brunell doesn't play, but that is often a function of the surrounding talent and not necessarily the quarterback.

Defensive line: This has never been a big or a dominating unit, which helps explain why the Jags are always in the hunt when a free agent like Eric Swann comes along. With apologies to sack man Tony Brackens, the best and most consistent performer on the unit a year ago was talkative tackle Gary Walker, who posted a career-best 10 sacks. Walker does a nice job of compressing the pocket from the inside and is extremely active and deceptively strong. His partner, Seth Payne, is a tough run-stuffer who plays with leverage, but is nothing special. This could be the season Larry Smith, a guy with one-gap quickness, gets a shot at the starting lineup. Brackens is in the midst of an ugly contract dispute that shows no signs of being resolved. He had 12 sacks in '99, but the coaches feel he lacks motor and takes way too many plays off. Some coaches have told SportsLine.com they wish the team had traded him during the offseason. The other end, Renaldo Wynn, is a former tackle who anchors against the run but doesn't make big plays.

Linebackers: Innovative coordinator Dom Capers wanted to upgrade in the middle and the Jags couldn't have done much better, luring Hardy Nickerson from Tampa Bay. The 13-year veteran still has something left in the tank, is familiar with Capers' scheme from having played it in Pittsburgh, and brings veteran leadership. Weakside 'backer Kevin Hardy finally fulfilled his potential in '99, ringing up 153 tackles and 10½ sacks. If he can keep playing with the brand of ferocity he displayed last year, Hardy will be a perennial Pro Bowl selection. Lonnie Marts, who was miscast last year in the middle, moves to the strongside to replace the departed Bryce Paup. The 10-year veteran really turned back the clock in '99, Marts playing the best football he had in several years. The coaches hope the clock doesn't catch back up to him.

Secondary: The addition of first-round cornerback Fernando Bryant and venerable free safety Carnell Lake solidified the one problem area in 1999. The only problem this year is that Lake, Bryant and strong safety Donovin Darius are all a bit knicked. Bryant was quietly the best rookie corner in the league last season, a shut-down defender with fluid techniques and closing speed. Aaron Beasley benefited from the presence of Bryant, posting a career year with six pickoffs. A huge, physical corner with good ball skills, Beasley sometimes gambles too much. Darius plays like a mini-linebacker, close to the line of scrimmage, doesn't make many plays in the passing game but is a crunching hitter. Lake gets everyone lined up in the right place, but didn't have an interception in '99.

Special teams: This is a strong area and one that shows no signs of fading. Kicker Mike Hollis is extraordinary and has converted 81.5 percent of his field goal tries in five seasons. His only fault is a lack of strength on kickoffs, so the team keeps Steve Lindsey around to handle that chore. Punter Bryan Barker is a solid hang-time/direction kicker, the kind new special teams coach Frank Gansz prefers. Reggie Barlow is solid in the return game.