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The Real Marty · 03-15-2024, 09:23 AM

(03-13-2024, 08:24 PM)JagFanatic24 Wrote: It was 1997 and the Jaguars just came off a magical playoff run in just their 2nd season of existence.

Preseason game against the New York Giants, and defensive lineman Jesse Armstead hits Mark Brunell low and causes Brunell to leave the game with a knee injury. We later found out that he would miss the start of the regular season, which would move Rob Johnson in as the starting QB.

Week 1, the Jaguars face the Baltimore Ravens and Rob Johnson had a game for the ages. Still the highest completion percentage for a single-game and the highest passer rating for a single-game, for a QB that started the game. Johnson finished the game with 325 total yards and 3 total TDs with a completion percentage of 83.33% and a passer rating of 145.5

Most importantly he battled a high ankle sprain during the game and Johnson was carted off the field at one point. He came back into the game, down 27-21, with his ankle heavily taped up and was able to throw the final TD pass which helped the Jaguars win the game 28-27.

The butterfly effect of Armstead hitting Brunell and causing a knee injury, led to Johnson having the best game of his Jaguars career and his only start in Jaguars History in week 1 of the 1997 season, which then led the the Buffalo Bills trading their #9 overall pick in the 1998 draft for Rob Johnson, which then led the Jaguars to pick future hall of famer Fred Taylor, who finished his NFL career with 14,079 total yards, and he became a Jaguars Legend.

I remember watching that preseason game against the Giants and I would have never guessed Brunell’s injury would have turned out like it did.

It ended of being a huge moment in Jaguars History, 27 years ago…

That's a great story, and you tell it perfectly, but I would add one interesting little twist, and that is, before "which then led the Jaguars to pick future hall of famer Fred Taylor," Coughlin tried to trade the #9 and #21 picks to the Bengals for the #5 pick, because he wanted to draft Curtis Enis. Fortunately, the Bears turned us down.