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Think you know the Jaguars? Here are some franchise facts that will make you even smarter

tim walters, florida times-union
·6 min read
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Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson talks to players and coaches at the end of the field activities of the Jaguars rookie minicamp session at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, FL Tuesday, June 14, 2022.
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson talks to players and coaches at the end of the field activities of the Jaguars rookie minicamp session at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, FL Tuesday, June 14, 2022.

As the Jacksonville Jaguars begin training camp this week, they’ll be looking for only their second winning season since 2008.

The team went 10-6 en route to an AFC South division title in 2017, but has finished last in the division each of the past four seasons.

Their last winning season before 2017 was in 2007, when the Jaguars went 11-5.

With a new head coach in Doug Pederson and a revamped lineup, hope abounds for the Jaguars heading into the 2022 season.

Here are some things to know about the franchise heading into the season.

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Franchise records

The Jaguars won four games during their inaugural season in 1995, then won more than four games every season until 2011.

In 2012, the Jaguars won a franchise-low two games, and followed that with seasons of 4, 3, 5 and 3 wins. They reached a new mark for futility in 2020 with just one victory.

The all-time mark for wins came in 1999 when the Jaguars went 14-2. Their next-best mark was 12-4 in 2005.

They’ve made it to the AFC Championship game three times, in 1996, 1999 and 2017, but have yet to make it to a Super Bowl.

They are one of four franchises — along with the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions and Houston Texans — to never make it to the big game.

Quarterback records

Mark Brunell holds most franchise records, including passing yards (25,698), touchdowns (144) and much more.

Mark Brunell walks off the field after leading the Jacksonville Jaguars to their first home playoff victory on Jan. 3, 1999, against the New England Patriots.
Mark Brunell walks off the field after leading the Jacksonville Jaguars to their first home playoff victory on Jan. 3, 1999, against the New England Patriots.

Only two other quarterbacks — Blake Bortles and David Garrard — have surpassed the 10,000-yard passing mark for the Jaguars.

With 3,641 yards in his rookie season, Trevor Lawrence is already eighth on the franchise’s all-time passing list.

If he can at least replicate that amount over the next seven seasons while remaining with the franchise, he’ll pass Brunell sometime around 2028.

Unbreakable rushing record?

When it comes to running backs, the Jaguars likely won’t see the all-time rushing record broken this decade.

Fred Taylor amassed 11,271 yards between 1998-2008 with the Jaguars.

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor (28) breaks free for a 90-yard touchdown run with Miami safety Brock Marion (31) in pursuit on Jan. 15, 2000.
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor (28) breaks free for a 90-yard touchdown run with Miami safety Brock Marion (31) in pursuit on Jan. 15, 2000.

James Robinson, who tore his Achilles last year and is questionable as the start of the season nears, has 1,837 yards during his Jaguars career to lead all running backs on the roster.

Ryquell Armstead, who is listed at third on the depth chart for 2022, is next with 188.

Travis Etienne, the expected starter, will begin his NFL journey after missing his 2021 rookie campaign with a Lisfranc injury.

Unbreakable receiving record?

Jimmy Smith holds the franchise record with 12,287 receiving yards from 1995-2005.

Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Jimmy Smith scampers away from the Minnesota Vikings defense on Dec. 23, 2001.
Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Jimmy Smith scampers away from the Minnesota Vikings defense on Dec. 23, 2001.

Laviska Shenault is the active leaders on the roster with 1,219 receiving yards in a Jaguars uniform between 2020-21.

There’s high hope for offseason signee Christian Kirk, who had 2,902 yards as a receiver for the Arizona Cardinals from 2018-21, but he’ll need to average 1,229 yards per year for the next 10 seasons to overtake Smith’s franchise record.

That breaks down to about 72 yards per game for 17 games over 10 seasons.

Sounds daunting.

Difficult defensive records

Tony Brackens is the Jaguars franchise leader for sacks with 55. He played in Jacksonville from 1996-2003.

Tony Brackens (90), seen here in a game in 1999, is the Jaguars franchise leader for sacks.
Tony Brackens (90), seen here in a game in 1999, is the Jaguars franchise leader for sacks.

The Jags’ 2022 No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker had six sacks in his final season at Georgia last year, and a total of 9.5 in three years there. He’ll need to pick up the pace if he wants to become a franchise leader.

Josh Allen has as good a chance as any to take this record. He has 20.5 sacks in three years with the team, and that includes just 2.5 in an injury-plagued 2020. He came back last year to collect 7.5 sacks. He had 10.5 in his rookie season.

When it comes to interceptions, Rashean Mathis leads the way with 30.

Tre Herndon and Andrew Wingard are the team’s active leaders with three each in a Jags uniform.

Can Pederson break coaching tie?

Pederson won 42 games in four seasons as Philadelphia Eagles head coach.

If he can average roughly 10 wins a season for the Jaguars, he could become the franchise's all-time winning coach in 2028.

Given that's when Lawrence could potentially break the franchise QB passing record, these two would have to have a long and successful relationship together in Jacksonville.

Currently, Tom Coughlin and Jack Del Rio share the lead for regular season franchise wins as a head coach at 68.

Coughlin was 68-60 in eight years with the Jaguars while Del Rio was 68-71 in nine years.

Coughlin won four playoff games to Del Rio's one.

Doug Marrone is next with 23 regular season wins, and he garnered two playoff victories.

Does the name make sense?

While the Jacksonville football team has been known as the Jaguars since the team’s inception, Jaguars have not been found in Florida since Prehistoric times, according to the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

The Jacksonville Jaguars 2022 logo.
The Jacksonville Jaguars 2022 logo.

So, how did the team get its name?

Fans chose "Jaguars" over "Sharks," "Stingrays" and "Panthers," according to the book "To the NFL: You Sure Started Somethin': A Historical Guide of All 32 NFL Teams and the Cities They've Played In," by R.D. Griffith.

Ownership group "Touchdown Jacksonville!" officially selected the Jaguars as the name of the prospective franchise on Dec. 6, 1991.

At the time, Touchdown Jacksonville!'s Rick Catlett said the name was chosen in part because no other major professional team in the United States had it. In addition, the Jacksonville Zoo was at the time the home of a 24-year-old jaguar, the oldest in captivity in North America.

There was also an obscure team called the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1966 in the North American Football League, a minor league that did not last long.

The team that joined the league with the Jaguars in 1995 — Carolina — chose the Panthers moniker with a black panther as their logo, although according to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, black panthers have never roamed wild in North Carolina.

The panther would have made more sense for Jacksonville given the prominence of the Florida Panther, but as we all know, that name’s already taken by the south Florida NHL team.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars franchise facts heading into the 2022 NFL season